Collage making is a craft activity that requires one to combine different elements such as pictures and even related objects and then paste it aesthetically on cardboard or a piece of paper. It reflects a particular concept or an idea. It is a very creative and revitalizing way of indulging in the craft while also learning about a new concept. Children generally enjoy such activities because it lets them express their creative side.
Also, this activity is quite an unconventional way of learning as it uses a learning-by-doing methodology. As a result, children can retain and understand better. The best part about this activity is that it doesn't require art supplies in abundance. One can make collages with simple supplies, such as scissors, glue, cardboard, and a few elements that must be made into a collage.
If you're planning to introduce collage-making to your kid, then here are some basic and easy-to-make collage ideas that require only everyday items.
Stone collage, as the name suggests, is made by collecting different types of stones from the surrounding area and then making a collage out of it. To make this collage, you will need to take a rigid surface such as cardboard to paste everything on the top. An idea to make this activity even more interesting is to paint the stones in different shapes before actually pasting them on the cardboard. Write the name of each of the stones on the top of it with the help of a marker.
Magazines kept at home are generally of no use after they have been read. These magazines contain a lot of colorful pictures that can be used to make a collage. Select a magazine and find a potential theme. Now collect different images and then cut them out perfectly with the help of scissors. Paste these cut out with glue on a sheet of paper and then assemble them properly to give a visually aesthetic appeal. Use some colors to fill out the gaps.
If you are interested in making a huge collage with your kid, then a handprint collage can be a useful idea for you. This is a collage that is made from different sheets of paper, each having a hand impression on it. Handprint collage can be an opportunity for the whole family to come together and make something artistic. Each person must take a sheet of paper, then immerse their hand and paint before putting it on it. Let the sheet dry and then paste all the hand impressions together to make a collage.
Texture collage requires a child to collect different types of papers each having a unique texture. The child may take tissue paper, sandpaper, glossy paper, or any other paper. All of these can be sourced from newspapers, magazines, old books, and materials already available at home. Cut each of these papers into different shapes to make an overall scenery. For example, you may make a heart out of glossy paper, a tree out of tissue paper, and a moon out of foil paper. Paint them if needed and put your scenery together.
Just like this stone collage, this is a nature-friendly collage that encourages the children to collect elements from their environment and make a beautiful collage out of it. Help your child find different types of fallen leaves from the plants nearby. Try to look for variety and paste these leaves together on a cardboard. Secure them properly with a good adhesive and search about each leaf type.
Family tree collage is an easy yet highly meaningful concept. This requires the child to draw a tree bark on a piece of paper and then some scanty leaves on it. The next step is to put a picture of each family person in chronological order. You will only need some sketch pens, cardboard, and a passport-size photograph of each of your family members. Try to decorate this collage with some artistic detailing and label each family member.
To make a color-specific collage, all you need to do is ask your child to collect waste things in the house related to a particular color. For example, if you've gone for theme red, ask them to collect red pieces of paper, sachets, flowers, petals, ribbon, and any other thing that they can find to make a collage. They may also source images from magazines and books. In the end, you will get a very beautiful uni-color collage that is an amalgamation of different elements put together.
Parents have many opportunities to organize creative activities such as collage-making at home. Most of these activities can be done with supplies already available at home. These improve a child's motor skills and make them detail oriented.