By making opposites books, children will find many different examples of opposites around school and document them with photographs. Once the children have taken photos that demonstrate opposites with a digital camera, they can print them out and paste them into a book of opposites. If you don't have a class camera, children can search through old magazines to find pictures for the book. Place the child's photo on the cover to give him a sense of accomplishment.
To explore the idea of light and dark, children can mix paint colors at the art table. Demonstrate to the students how white paint lightens colors, making tints, while black paint darkens them, making shades. They can also make a black and white opposite craft by working with a paper half black and half white. Invite the children to paint with white and black on the paper and observe how the paint looks different on each side.
Review the concept of big and small by making hand prints with the students. After you all stamp hands or feet onto a paper, compare your prints with the theirs. Students can also practice making big and small movements while painting with their fingers. Demonstrate to the class how to make small patterns in paint with one finger or use your arms to create large, wide circles.
Cover the top and bottom of the art table with paper and invite the children to draw patterns on both. As the children decorate the paper, ask them if it is easier to make designs over or under the table. Children can also listen to spatial instructions while making a paper craft. Guide the students in pasting shapes on the top or bottom of a paper, or add further directions, such as left and right or on and off.
Introduce the concept of hot and cold by allowing children to create art using hot and cold mediums. Freeze paint in ice cube trays and allow the children to decorate a large piece of butcher paper with them. While painting, children can describe how the ice feels on their hands. To heat up an art project, use a warming tray or griddle to make a crayon melt. Using extreme caution, place a square of foil onto the hot tray and work with children individually, allowing them to color the foil with a crayon. The children will observe how the heat melts the crayon and makes a vibrant design.