Pretty Things: Wonder wheel
Hold down on the spinning canvas to make marks. Drag the slider up and down and use the rotation type button to experiment with the different effects. Use the buttons in the top left to save, load and print your images.
You can use this activity with the other Pretty Things activities for even more amazing results! In the left-hand margin are other works you have made during the session. Select one to open it in the canvas area and work on top of it. NOTE: These will not be saved automatically when you finish your session on Busy Things.
Discussion points
- Tell someone about your picture.
- What do you like about your picture?
- If you could give your creation a title, what would it be? Why?
- How could you use circular motions to represent something in a picture?
- What is happening to the patterns as it spins?
- Which tool do you like the best? Why?
Teaching tips:
This activity can be used as an open-ended creative task for children to explore different patterns and colours and how they can be used to create a picture.
Children could practise moving their arms in large and small circular motions in the air or drawing ‘swirly’ patterns on large pieces of paper and coloured felt tips or paint to develop motor skills.
Children could practise moving their arms in large and small circular motions in the air or drawing ‘swirly’ patterns on large pieces of paper and coloured felt tips or paint to develop motor skills.
Pair this with a design and technology project by getting children to make their own ‘spinning art’ using paper plates, paints and a spinning device. They could work in pairs where one child spins and the other adds the paint in small droplets.
Alternatively, use with ‘Create an Abstract Expressionist painting’ to create a piece of abstract art using circular motion techniques and ideas.
Alternatively, use with ‘Create an Abstract Expressionist painting’ to create a piece of abstract art using circular motion techniques and ideas.
This activity can be used as an open-ended creative task for children to experiment with and explore different lines, colours and patterns.
It could also be used to develop vocabulary by getting children to talk about their creation and to discuss what they notice when they select and use different features or change the motion of the spinner.
Children could take inspiration from this in their own artwork by creating a piece of art using circular motions.
It could also be used to develop vocabulary by getting children to talk about their creation and to discuss what they notice when they select and use different features or change the motion of the spinner.
Children could take inspiration from this in their own artwork by creating a piece of art using circular motions.
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