July 13: Bubbles, Blows & Blots

Assigned Teachers: Tameez, Suren, Piyumika

Intro

Today, we will explore how to mix colors using just a few paints, discover how mistakes and surprises can lead to beautiful artwork, and learn how to turn old newspaper into something new and creative.

  1. Understand color mixing with limited palette

  2. Learn that "mistakes" and randomness are part of creative discovery

  3. Reuse and repurpose old materials for beautiful new purposes

You will need:

  1. 3–4 colors of tempera

  2. sturdy paper

  3. Dish soap and water in cups (1 per color, ask students to bring cups)

  4. Drinking straws (1 per child, ask students to bring)

  5. Old newspaper or scrap paper (cut into sheets)

  6. Clips and string (for drying display)

Guide

Step 1:

Students sit in a circle or around the table while teacher asks and demonstrates:

“What do you think happens when you blow paint?”

“Can we control how color moves with our breath?”

“What happens when bubbles pop?”

Show quick demos of:

Blowing bubbles onto paper

Blow-painting with straws

Folding a blot and opening it

Step 2:

Kids can rotate through 3 small stations, so there will be a lot of moving around. move the chairs away and have material / stations prepared in advance. or do all three in sequence:

Station A. Bubble Prints

  • Mix soap, paint, and water

  • Blow into mixture with a straw until bubbles rise above rim

  • Gently press newspaper on top

  • Let pop and repeat with new colors

Station B. Straw-Blow Art

  • Drop colored water/paint onto newspaper

  • Use a straw to blow the paint around

  • Try adding one color, drying, and layering a second

Challenge: Can you blow a tree? A river? A creature?

Station C: Rorschach Blots

  • Drop or paint a few spots of color

  • Fold paper in half and press

  • Open to reveal your inkblot
    Ask: What do you see in your blot? (This encourages imagination!)

Conclusion / Discussion:

  • Which colors did you use today?”

  • “Did you mix any colors? What new color did it make?”
    (e.g., “I mixed red and yellow and it made orange!”)

  • “What did you notice when bubbles or paint touched other colors?”

  • “Was there anything you couldn't control in the process? How did that feel?”

  • “If you had to give your artwork a name, what would it be?” ‘ex: monsters going to school’

Visualization, ObservationRanitri WeerasuriyaBubble, Color, July 2025, 2025Comment