Face Painting Bonanza!

   The big theme for me this week has been face painting. The children just can't seem
to get enough of it! The past three days I've had almost the entire class come
up to me asking me to paint their face, or give them a tattoo somewhere on their
body. They all crowd around me and the child I am painting and stand there
staring at what I'm doing. Sometimes the kids will start crowding so much, I
can't even see the thing I'm trying to draw!

   It amazes me how patiently the students will sit and wait for their turn
too. I always make a list and tell the child that I will call them over when it
is his or her turn, but time and time again they will chose to sit and wait
right next to me until I call their name. And even something as silly as face
painting can still be brimming with teachable moments. The patience they display
while waiting for their turn, the compliments they give each other while they
watch me create something on their friend's body, the willingness to allow
others to get the same tattoo that he or she has, and the excitement they share
together when showing off what they got. 
 
   Wednesday, Judah decided he wanted a dragon on his face and three other
children followed suit because they liked it so much. And, Judah didn't mind at
all. He loved it, and decided they should all play dragons together after I was
finished. I was so proud of him for coming up with a dramatic play game that
included a different group of friends than he normally plays with. The same
thing happened today with Lucy and Nora.  Lucy decided she wanted to be a puppy.
As I was painting it onto her face, Nora watched and decided she wanted to be a
puppy as well. She said, "Lucy is it ok if I am a puppy too?" Lucy said, "Sure!
Do you want to be brown with a collar like me?" Nora shook her head yes and Lucy
said, "Ok! And then we could play puppies and we can be sister puppies!" Nora
got really excited and while I finished Lucy's puppy face they made a plan for
their puppy play. When we went outside, I finished Nora's puppy face and both
her and Lucy, along with Mara and Stella, all began to play puppies together. 
 
   I never thought something like face painting could have such an enormous
impact on the classroom. But, in a way, I guess it's a lot like when we play
dress up. It allows the children to explore the world they are living in through
different eyes. And, I believe the more perspectives they can view the world
through, the better.