Beautiful Oops!

This was our very first project this year. The kids arrived into the classroom and there were papers with PURPLE SPILLS all over them on their desks! What happened? There was only one explanation. Penelope the snake had gotten loose and dragged her tail in the wet paint and made a mess (at least that the story for the younger kids). Should we throw away all this paper? Of course not! What happens when you make a mistake? You make into something new. That's just what these kids did. They let their imaginations run free and created something new and beautiful out of the purple spills.

This lesson has come in handy time and again as I try to teach the students to navigate through problems that arise in our art work and class. A lot of times you will hear one exclaim "it's a beautiful oops! Keep it!" Mistakes happen, a lot in life, what matters is how we react to them. I am really glad I took the time to do this even thought it wasn't one of those lessons that solved the mysteries of art or taught about a some dead artist, or integrated into every subject area... but it left a lasting impression. Even Penelope the snake (the one who spilled the paint) has become our class mascot for the little ones. I change where Penelope is each week and sometimes Penelope even has a question for them! They love to come into art and say "I found Penelope!" 

How do you teach your kids to cope with mistakes in the art room?

Beautiful Oops. . . cow jumps over the moon!

Beautiful oops. . . a duck in a pond.

Beautiful Oops. . . a swing waiting for a kid!