Hopscotch and Milk-Paint!

Post contributed by Jocelyne Adkins, Program Director/Educator

Of course, we are capitalizing on the warm (okay hot) sunny weather and trying to engage with the outdoors as much as possible. During an online search late last spring, I came across a photo of a hopscotch game painted on a school's blacktop, inspired by the art of Keith Haring. I thought this was a fabulous idea, and immediately adopted it for a lesson in Beye Discovery.

Hopscotch inspired by the work of Keith Haring

First, we shared a few of Keith Harings bold and colorful dancing figures and asked the students to describe what they saw in the images and how they were painted. They noted the bold black outlines around the figures, flat areas of bright color to fill in each figure, and some dashed short lines to add visual texture and movement (we are learning some new vocabulary!) They also noticed the black lines moving outward from the figures that also suggested movement.

Keith Haring

We then asked the students to work in groups and to create their own hopscotch designs, beginning with sketches in colored pencil. One design per group was chosen and painted by the group on the blacktop. This was definitely a team effort! Designs needed to be fun and simple to paint and for all to play. The photos below show the students in various stages of drawing and painting their designs. The area was transformed and from what I heard, Beye students were very curious and excited by what they found on the school yard the next morning.

Ms. Jenkin's group

Andrew, Maurice and Laila

Ms. Jenkin's group, finished design!

Ms. Hartline with her group

Cassie

Norah and Emory

Ms. Hartline's group, close to complete!

Ms. Adkins' group, sketching the outline

Mikel

Donald, Joseph and Dexter

getting there!

Donald, completing the inside of their design

a finished hopscotch design!

another view

Cassie decided to create a 2nd design on her own!

2 of Beye Discovery's finished designs... and

in case Beye students didn't know what to do with the new designs on the playground, we left a note : )

according to Joel, my 2nd grader, some Beye children did exactly that : )

If you and your child would like to make some milk-paint to decorate your Oak Park sidewalk (this would make a great activity for a block party), here is the recipe:

1 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. food coloring paste/gel