The Paint Fairy and Fluffy

Back on 5/19/04 I wrote about how to play "Pass the Paint" in your art class. I don't think I explained about Fluffy the Paintbrush, but I will do that someday soon. "Pass the Paint" is like Musical Chairs. It is a chance to review how to hold and treat Fluffy the Paintbrush, to recap the shapes we've been learning, and cut loose with bright tempera paints. "Pass the Paint" is also a chance for me to dance around as the silly Paint Fairy, and to play lots of good music. I play lots of Mozart and other classical favorites, Linda Ronstadt, and Buddy Holly:

Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, Peggy Sue,
Oh, my Peggy, my Peggy Sue
Oh, well, I love you gal, and I need you, Peggy Sue.

The preschoolers especially like "Peggy Sue", but they think the song is "Baby Sue".

Baby, baby, baby, baby, Baby Sue! They start singing their version and playing air guitar. I twirl about in my imaginary pink poodle skirt and saddle shoes, while I wonder about my sister's doll with the bad haircut. The doll was named "Baby Dear", and my sister mastered her left-handed scissors by giving "Baby Dear" a really bad haircut. My students sometimes give themselves equally bad haircuts when they learn to use scissors. It doesn't happen often, and we usually take it in stride, unless the student is scheduled to be a flower girl or ring bearer (aka "Pillow Boy") in the near future.