Celebrating Tres Reyes Magos: Create and Paint a Star!
As we celebrate Tres Reyes Magos, we are inspired by the Star of Bethlehem which guided the Three Kings to the manger where baby Jesus was born. Using materials found at home, we will explore shapes and experiment with various mediums to make our own unique star.
MATERIALS
- Star template
- Scavenger Hunt: Basic Shapes
- Variety of paper – plain paper, cardstock, cardboard (whatever you have around the house)
- Scissors
- Paint, paint brushes, color markers, and/or crayons, pencil
TRY IT!
- Prep: Cut out the star template from this activity sheet [page 2].
- Explore shapes with your child using the Scavenger Hunt: Basic Shapes guide from this activity sheet [page 3]. Go on a scavenger hunt around your home using these shapes as your guide. What shapes can you find? Can you find anything with a star shape?
- Trace the star template on your paper or cardboard. If you found a star object, you can also trace around the outside of it. (Adults may need to help younger children with this.)
- With your scissors, cut out your star.
- Use leftover paper to create gem shapes for the top of each point of your paper strips; cut them out, color them in and glue them to the points of your paper strips . Add any other decorations or designs to your crown.
- Now it’s time to add color! You can use any materials you have to add color to your star – paint, markers, crayons, colored pencils. You can even experiment by using multiple mediums on your stars.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
- How many different shapes did you find on your scavenger hunt?
- Which shape did you find the most around your home?
- What colors did you use on your star? What did you add first? What did you add last?
LEARNING BEHIND THE PLAY
- Introduces and reinforces geometric shape recognition of squares, circles, rectangles, triangles and stars
- Develops fine motor skills through tracing and cutting
- Develops decision making skills through experimenting with shape and color
TAKE IT FURTHER
Rather than using the star template, find a way to make a star shape using objects from your home. During your scavenger hunt, find objects that can be used to create stars, such as cookie cutters or ornaments. If you cannot find a star shape, can you find a triangle? Experiment with ways of putting multiple triangles together to create a star shape (see How to Make a Star from a Triangle [page 4] for examples).
Made possible by the Presenting Sponsor
