Starry Night sensory tray

Sometimes things are so simple and glaringly obvious, I just don't see them.

We have been thinking like Mr van Gogh and painting Starry Night.  The movement of the swirling wind, the twinkling stars.  

We talk about how you can almost feel the movement that Mr Van Gogh was trying to paint.

Feel.  

There's the word.

And the simple and glaringly obvious - a Starry Night sensory tray.

It really was simple to put together.

I have a 2 inch deep tray that I found at a thrift shop.  (It was hot pink, but spray paint easily took care of that.)

I found blue decorative sand at Michaels.

Added a handful of purple sand from the purple sensory bin and some chunky silver and blue glitter. 

Glass gems, plastic jewels and turquoise prisms provide a bit of sparkle.

Yellow gems can make stars or the moon or ...

Lengths of silver bead garland offer more possibilities.

And that makes a Starry Night in a Tray.

The kids use the sparkle to create their transient art...

with a friend

on a "silver" plate

spilling out of the cup

making pictures and patterns

and filling the tray.

Art can be created from negative space - drawing Mr Van Gogh swirls

My hope is that after learning about Mr Van Gogh,  painting Starry Night, exploring a Starry Night app and creating transient Starry Night art, my kids will see greater wonder in the world - and know that they are artists.