Spin art is a childhood favorite. I don’t think I’ve ever met a child who doesn’t want to take a shot at it. I think it’s interesting that even the kids who often don’t want to sit down and work on a static art project, suddenly come alive when you introduce movement art like this.
Recently, I scored an old turntable during my in-law’s storage purge. You know the saying, one man’s trash is a teacher’s treasure! The turntable doesn’t spin fast enough to use centrifugal force like many spin art methods, but it’s great for doing spin art with markers or paint brushes. By simply rounding the edges of a standard page and then pressing the center of the page through the peg, you’re ready to create. Turn on the record player and pull out the markers, it’s time to have some fun!
It’s fun to watch the kiddos do take after take, experimenting first with holding the marker still and then adding motion on motion to create intricate designs.
I also love the salad spinner method shared by Jean at The Artful Parent. You can grab a salad spinner at IKEA for a few dollars, plus the manual spinner builds large motor skills as well.
Spin art ignites creativity and wonder while also incorporating fine motor skills and an added awareness of principles of motion. It’s engaging and gratifying, for young and old alike.
(Anyone else have a hard time doing spin art without getting Billy Idol’s Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Right Round” stuck in your head? Well, if you didn’t before, now you probably will.)
Do you have a favorite method for spin art or other motion art?
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