Paper Weaving (part 1)

Today we worked on paper weaving, the first stage of a two part project that will eventually result in checkered animals in a winter landscape!

Although it looks simple, weaving paper is not easy! Each of the kids got a large piece of construction paper, pre-cut into strips (although the strips were left connected on each end to hold the weaving together as they worked). Then the kids picked their colors and began the "up and down" process of weaving. The hard part is alternating the "up" with the "down" as you begin each new strip. They did really well. We talked about how as the weaving moved along they would begin to see a checkerboard pattern.

It was really interesting to see what happened. Some of the kids decided to approach color choices with an eye toward making a pattern while others enjoyed exploring the relation between different colors. Some just enjoyed the process of manipulating the paper and watching the pattern appear. Whatever approach they took, the results speak for themselves. Don't forget to take a peek back next week to see what we transform this work into!