Pay Attention to Detail!

This was a short week because of Halloween. All of the classes, except Thursday classes were given a lesson in being observant. I try and stress to my students that they should pay attention to details before they begin drawing something. Draw what you see…not what you think you see.

I used some familiar and not so familiar images for this lesson. For our younger groups, the kids were given a piece of paper with different scenes from It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. The two images stacked on top of each other look identical…until you start to pay attention to details! There were 12 differences in the pictures and the kids were asked to search and then circle the differences.

The older classes were given artwork by Norman Rockwell. Norman Rockwell created several Halloween themed covers for the Saturday Evening Post. These differences were a little more challenging and as you may suspect…the kids got a little more competitive about finding the differences!

This, like Highlights Magazine’s Hidden Pictures (still a favorite of mine) searching these images help children develop and reinforce important skills. We will be doing these a few more times this year in conjunction with learning about great artists.

Highlights Magazine 1-3-19-Benefits of Hidden Pictures

1. Promote attention to detail. As kids gain experience in looking for hidden objects, they become better at focusing on the details of other visual challenges.

2. Increase vocabulary. Reading the picture clues helps children become visually familiar with the names of many objects.

3. Instill good work habits. Because Hidden Pictures puzzles are so absorbing, children spend more time on the activity, thus increasing their concentration, persistence, and determination. And using the picture clues encourages independence while solving puzzles

4. Develop self-confidence. Age is not a determiner of success in completing a Hidden Pictures puzzle. A young child can often spot something that an adult or an older child misses—even in challenging puzzles. Imagine what that does for your child's confidence!

5. Improve visual perception. Looking for hidden objects helps kids develop the ability to recognize figures in a variety of contexts.