Friendship Tree

Hello readers,

Here's a simple activity to build community in the classroom. Sketch a tree with defined branches on large white paper. Set out ink pads and/or paint in shallow dishes. Have students come up one by one to put their index finger in one colour/ ink pad, and then place their fingerprint on the tree. Let it dry, and then display your classroom's friendship tree for the world to see.

We did this activity after reading a book about friendship and how to build positive relationships. My students really seemed to respond to the story, and doing this simple activity helped them to relate the book to their own lives.

Rangoli Art for Diwali

Rangoli Art for Diwali

Sand Art for Diwali, festival of lights. Cut out and paste each Rangoli design onto backing paper. Set out liquid glue and coloured sand. We used cue tips to apply the glue precisely, but small paintbrushes would work nicely as well. Students found this activity to be calming and very enjoyable.