Loud & Quiet

Opposites are a great way to build vocabulary. The song "Open, Shut Them" has been a longtime favorite at the Children's Art Workshop, presenting all kinds of opposites to sing about. Today we focused specifically on volume: loud and quiet. We warmed up with The Friendship Song, The Energy Song, Put Your Bells On Your Toes and Open, Shut Them. Then we read Leslie Patricelli's charming "QuietLOUD" that explores situations and activities that are either quiet or LOUD.


Then, I asked the children if painting was a quiet or a LOUD activity. "Quiet," of course. "But I think loud painting sounds like fun! I want to paint LOUDLY. Do you want to paint LOUDLY too?" "YES!"

But how can painting be LOUD? With marbles of course! Marble painting is a fun way of creating bright abstract pictures and to observe primary colors mixing to make secondary colors. It is also great for eye-hand coordination.









Then we enjoyed Magic Bubbles, the Balloon Game, our goodbye song, and an airplane stamp, because airplanes are LOUD! "What is it?" "It's an AIRPLANE!"





Musical accompaniment: Various early works from Thelonious Monk

This week's vocabulary: LOUD, quiet, marble, red, blue, yellow, box, spoon, painting, airplane