Book Review: Fingerprint Princesses and Fairies

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Just don't be surprised if I say something insane or you turn around and I've shaved my head or I disappear for a week because I've spontaneously bought a plane ticket to London so that I can sit out on the lawn of the British National Gallery all night and cry. I am still taking consecutive breaths. I am still functioning.

ANYWAY, remember that I told you last week that I was going to spike the latter half of our school week with some lighter, craftier projects to give us more brain breaks from all of our hard-core academics? That worked a dream. Just popping a nifty little craft book into the work plans seemed to refresh everyone, and it served as such a change of pace that everyone seemed to enjoy it, even my usually craft-adverse Will.

As a crafty invitation, I set out Fingerprint Princesses and Fairies (which I'm almost positive that I got free from a marketer, but I can't find the email for nothing--oh, well!) and our collection of ink pads, my favorite being this fingerprint stamp palette thingy. Here's what the kids did with it all:

I really like this concept of doodling all the little details onto the fingerprints. Both kids got REALLY into this, and added loads of details.

It was a little challenging to keep the stamp pads clean, so finally I busted out the wet wipes that I keep in my backpack, to help them clean their fingers between each color.

Normally Will moans about her lack of artistic skills, but she was happy as a clam copying pictures from this book. I think the fingerprint + doodling technique was a sneakily accessible way to get her creating.

Syd was more into the actual princesses and fairies, but there were plenty of other fantasy figures for the kids to create.

This is my favorite of their creations. Look how cutely Syd drew the dog's muzzle!

Every weekend, now, Matt has also been giving the kids an art lesson, often from something that I've incorporated into our school plans (this weekend, he helped them draw the animals for their animal poster projects--Syd the harp seal, and Will the majestic tuna), and I can very much tell how those skills and that confidence are bleeding into their everyday activities. Will is much happier to sit down for a bit and draw, I think because she now has some of that structure that she likes for *how* to draw, and Syd's drawings always seem to contain details that I can't believe that she noticed, or techniques that I can't believe that she can do. She, in particular, is VERY observant...

Gotta watch what you do and say around that kid!