I've really been thinking about some of the ramifications of mask wearing, and wondering how to make them a little friendlier for young children. I decided it might soften mask wearing a bit if some of the characters on the front of picture books on the back-to-school shelf were wearing masks. For the most part, it was a pretty easy craft project for a rainy afternoon. All-in-all, it took me about 40 minutes to figure it out and apply masks to the characters on the covers of a handful of books. Here's what you will need:
Here's the process:
Here are a few images of the process: When I started this project, I just randomly picked titles that seemed to have characters on the cover that would were large enough to apply a mask on their faces. I was not picking books that were necessarily the best books for launching the school year, although some might be viable options.
While this is not a sophisticated or comprehensive solution to softening mask-wearing, it may prove a conversation starter or at least something to engage students. At the very least, this is a fun way to think about how masks can cover our expressions. You could even pull back the film to reveal the expressions of the characters. This project seems to be fun, whether you are sharing books virtually or in person. Perhaps, if you begin school "face-to-face," they should go on your shelf six-feet apart. Note: After I had completed the project, my children pointed out that the bird on Rocked Writes a Story didn't get masked! I had already put up my materials, at that point. If I were sharing the book with children, I would mask all of the characters on the cover.
5 Comments
8/2/2020 08:19:15 am
Jan - I love this idea and would like to share it on Facebook and my ACU Elementary Education graduates. How can I share this specific blog on creating masks?
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8/2/2020 03:12:23 pm
Linnea,
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Patti Castelli
8/2/2020 10:13:09 am
Your idea inspired one of my own. In my classroom, I have a collection of stuffed animals of the main characters of some of our favorite read alouds, like Pigeon, Elephant, Piggie, Pete the Cat, and Clifford. I'm thinking it might be fun to put masks on some or all of them so that they can be models of keeping safe. Thanks!
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8/2/2020 03:13:26 pm
Patti, someone actually sent me a picture of a storybook stuffed character wearing a mask! I think that children would really respond to that idea.
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4/17/2021 03:40:03 am
Great blog post.Helpful and informative tips. I like it thanks for sharing this information with us
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AuthorDr. Jan Burkins is a full-time writer, consultant, and professional development provider. Categories
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