Stamp out boredom

What do teachers do after everything is packed up for summer and the classroom is dark and quiet?
Get crafty with fossil fun, of course!

This ginkgo has been on the edge of my mind for a long time, waiting for me to carve out (blame genetics for this awful pun) some time to get creative.  Meanwhile, gorgeous ginkgoes have been popping up everywhere.  I love the "living fossil" aspect of ginkgoes and their yellow fall fans.

A craft is a perfect way to relax and find focus.  When hands are occupied by a single manual task, other thoughts quietly step aside.  For me, carving a stamp is almost like a meditation in the same way that digging for fossils or weeding is calming--pulling away the excess to reveal something beautiful.  (There's probably also something about letting yourself get dirty and make a mess.)  For children, I find that art is so often the path to peaceful concentration. 

Print-making is an easy craft to try at home.  I used a Staedtler Mastercarve carving block, but you can carve your own image in styrofoam or even from an eraser!  Try this easy, kid-friendly version of the eraser stamp, make a foam pattern block, or create a yarn-art print.

For printing inspiration:
Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin
Maya*Made