Purpose:
This activity will really encourage children to tell stories of their own lives. It will help them to become more confident speakers. Also, it will assist children as they become aware of their own qualities.
Materials/Advance Preparation:
- butcher paper
- crayons or markers
- tissue or newspaper
- child's clothes (You might want to ask parents if they have a set of clothes that can be borrowed for this project.
It will help to have a sample that parents can see so that they know how the
clothes will be used. Alternatively, obtain hand-me-down childrens'
clothes or seek donations.)
- scissors.
Directions:
- Have each child lay down on the butcher paper and trace the child's outline.
- Each child then colors in the face, eyes, nose, ears, hair -- whatever they are able to do on their own.
Do not direct or correct their coloring. If the children are able to do
so, have them cut the outline of themselves out; for young children, you will
want to do the cutting yourself.
- Use the first outline to trace another; cut that one out, too.
- Staple the 2 together and stuff with tissue paper, newspaper whatever you
have.
- Dress this life-sized cut out in the child's clothes.
Notes: This activity takes a few days to do. But the children enjoy seeing their cut outs in their own clothes. They can use this "visual autobiography" as a stimulus for telling things about themselves.
Eric Gidseg
Me