early play art: Marvellous mobiles

Mobiles are something a bit different to create that can be displayed. They can be a joint artistic effort or an individual project.
Here are some great inspirations for making mobiles with children and a simple tutorial too.

Nature mobile, using sticks and found objects, from Anna Reyner's site.

Decorative Hues Bird Mobile, made with paper and a coat hanger, by LittleFingers BigArt.

Recycled mobile made with cardboard and rubber tubing and colourful objects made at the College of the Canyons

Sea shells, which may need more adult help to make the holes in the shells, from earth sky sea child.

Freezer Paper Cloud Mobile with puffy clouds, great for learning about weather and seasons, from Lish Dorset at metroparent.

SIMPLE MOBILE TUTORIAL:

1. Decide what your mobile will hang from.
If you look at the images above you will see different items used to hang mobiles: a stick, a coat hanger, cardboard tube, wooden circle. You could also use dowel, an old broom handle, an old umbrella or a paper plate with holes punched around it.

2. Decide what materials you will create your mobile from.
Suggestions include:
paper and cardboard and hole punch
recycled junk such as plastic beads, painted cardboard tubes, old CD's, corks, anything that can be threaded
natural found objects such as leaves, feathers, seeds and twigs
paper cut into specific shapes with holes punched for hanging
metal such as paper clips, nuts and bolts, old key rings,

3. Decide what you will use to hold and hang your materials.
String, ribbon, fishing line, tape,...
You will also need scissors and maybe glue.

Choose 1, 2 and 3 and lay them out so that a marvellous mobile can be created.
Children may need help with knotting or they may come up with other creative ways to make their mobile.

WANT MORE INSPIRATION?