When I taught K-8 Art at a small private school, my budget was always, “Spend as little as possible”. But I found ways to make it work and give my students great art experiences despite the shortage of funding. If you're in a similar low-budget (or no-budget!) position, I hope some of these ideas will work for you, too. Here are my 10 favorite ways to save money on … [Read more...]
Better Paint Brush Habits for Kids
Are paint brushes with unruly bristles a familiar sight in your elementary classroom? Better paint brush habits can prevent damage to your brushes and paint sets, and increase their useful life. When kids learn the correct way to use their supplies, their paintings will improve and your brushes will thank you! How do brushes get damaged? Most kids are introduced to … [Read more...]
Make a Crazy Crown Craft
Kids will enjoy making this Crazy Crown Craft to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A "royal jubilee" is a special celebration to mark the number of the years a king or queen has reigned. It doesn't happen every year, but only certain years. Each jubilee is represented by a precious metal: Silver (25 years), Gold (50 years), Diamond (60 years), … [Read more...]
Mix 100 Colors – a Color Mixing Art Activity for Kids
This fun color mixing art activity is perfect for kids in grades 2 and up. Originally, I created this project to celebrate our "100th Day of School", but kids will enjoy doing this anytime! Your students will gain valuable color mixing experience while creating a frame-worthy piece of art. The example above was created by a 2nd grader in a 50-minute art class. These … [Read more...]
Nature Collage Card Inspired by the Art of Haiti
You can learn a lot about a culture from its art! When I visited Haiti, I learned that the Haitian people are both resilient and resourceful. Their resourcefulness is very evident in their art. One example of Haitian resourcefulness is the nature collage cards they make and sell. They gather local organic materials which they use to create simple scenes of everyday … [Read more...]
Make a Foil Cross Project Inspired by Haitian Metal Art
What is Haitian Metal Art? Haitian metal art is recognized worldwide as a creative, unique art form. It's made from recycled oil drums, which the artists open up, pound flat, and cut into metal "canvases". Designs are typically drawn first onto cardboard and then traced with chalk onto the metal. Then they use hammer and chisel to cut their designs out of the metal. … [Read more...]
Make a Sunflower for Ukraine
Make a colorful sunflower for Ukraine to show your support! Kids in grades 2 and up enjoy making these expressive oil pastel sunflowers. You might even want to make one yourself! You can find a free download to guide you in my TPT store. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and has been a symbol of peace for many years. The sunflower's bright yellow petals set … [Read more...]
4 Keys to Success with School Auction Art Projects
School auction art projects are an ideal way to get students involved in your next school-wide fundraiser! School auction art projects help your art program to thrive With all the funding cuts in education these days, programs like art and music are forced to compete for an increasingly small share of their school's budget.... if they make it into the budget at all. In many … [Read more...]
Chinese Brush Painting for Kids
Chinese Brush Painting dates back to 4000 BC, with techniques being handed down from master to student. In contrast to what most of us are taught about art today, copying and the perfection of technique were more important and more highly valued than self-expression. Chinese Brush Painting uses simple strokes of a paintbrush to capture a single object or an entire scene. Teach … [Read more...]
Valentine Op-Art Inspired by Bridget Riley
This Valentine Op-Art lesson was inspired by the art of British artist Bridget Riley. I knew that the boys in my 5th grade class were not going to go for the traditional valentine project this year, so adding a heart to an Op-Art hand drawing seemed like the perfect compromise! I've done this project a few times now, and some of my 5th, 6th and 7th graders have … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 27
- Next Page »
