• for pulp making: potato mashers, sieves, spoons, pots, jugs, shredded paper and water, buckets
• for paper making: food blender, towels, J-cloths, leaves, petals, spices
• others that are useful; glitter, pipettes/turkey basters, food colouring
Ideas for further exploration...
• sculpting using paper pulp, making 3d shapes
• using coloured pulp to create an image
• flower pressing • making curry (inspired by the smell of spices)
• leaf and petal decorating outside – see Andy Goldsworthy images of environmental art
Step 2
We first played with paper soaked in water, introducing the idea of recycling and making pulp. The first tools we used were potato mashers. The children understood that we were using paper and made the links to how paper is used in other parts of our lives.
‘Is it what we draw on?’
‘Look that bit has got drawing on it... This is a different colour’
Then we found some more equipment placed under the table ready for use. The pulp was poured into jugs and pots, and then through sieves, with the children realising that the water drains and the pulp remains. The more play that happened with the pulp, the finer and more pulped it became which is perfect for later.
Step 3
We created a collection of leaves and petals and grasses that were displayed on the table and children chose their own and created a colour palette. Once that was completed, we used the pulp that had been put in the pots earlier on. We blended it in a small food blender to pulp it up and we put our pulp into a tray. We mixed in our leaf palettes and mixed around and arranged the leaves.
Then we sieved our decorated pulp and blotted as much of the water out as possible using hands, feet and rollers. Others continued the decoration using spices. ‘It smells like dinner!’