Here's a quick and easy crayon resist project I did with some of my 1st and 2nd graders. Students folded 12x18 paper in half and painted on the front, for a charming Easter card. Inside, they wrote: "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" Materials:12x18 heavy-weight white construction paperblack crayonswatercolors (I like the Prang OVL-8 set)watercolor brush (Don't use the … [Read more...]
Chilean Rain Sticks
This project requires a bit more prep than most, but it's not difficult and so worth the extra time it takes! Your students will LOVE creating these colorful, authentic sounding rain sticks! Be sure to show students where Chile is located on a map or globe, and talk about its unique geography and weather!Chile is a country in South America, occupying a long narrow strip of … [Read more...]
The Marshmallow Challenge
I love to end our school year with a fun activity that my students will remember. This year, I discovered The Marshmallow Challenge while watching a TED Talk and I couldn’t wait to try it! This activity encourages creativity, problem solving and teamwork…. skills that are essential for becoming an innovator in today’s rapidly changing world. Click here to watch a short video … [Read more...]
Calder-Inspired “Stabile” Sculptures
Alexander Calder, American sculptor and inventor of the mobile, also invented the "stabile", a freestanding sculpture with similar qualities to the mobile. Since his stabile sculptures are quite large, many are installed outdoors.... so we "planted" our stabiles in florist foam complete with growing grass to get the full effect!Materials:4 Pipe cleaners in assorted colors4 … [Read more...]
Gustav Klimt 3D Trees
Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt, was an important figure in the Art Nouveau movement at the turn of the 20th century. His "Tree of Life" painting inspired this project - a favorite with my 1st graders every spring. After all, when you combine 3D art, gold pipe cleaners and live, growing grass... how can you go wrong??! Materials: Gold pipe cleaners, 6 per student (or use … [Read more...]
Butterfly with Watercolor & Oil Pastel Resist
Fall is "butterfly season" for us who live on the California Central Coast! This is the time when over 100,000 Monarch butterflies migrate to our State Monarch Preserve from the valley regions west of the Rockies, making their temporary home here until spring. On sunny, warm days, they fly out of the eucalyptus trees where they cluster, to the delight of onlookers.... it is … [Read more...]
Watercolor Fish
These are your basic crayon resist fish, but with a new twist.... students painted the fish separately from the background, then we glued them on top after everything was dry. The result is a background that looks continuous. Try sprinkling some salt on your background before it dries for an interesting, "watery" effect! I like to put up lots of visual references for students … [Read more...]
Autumn Leaves – Kindergarten Style!
Autumn Leaf by Gabriel If you happen to have a five year old in your life (or maybe a class full of them!), you may want to try this fun project for fall! Hillary Dixon, one of our fabulous Kindergarten teachers, shared this idea with me today... her class had just finished making these colorful leaves and they made such a striking display that I had to run and get my … [Read more...]
Toothpick Sculptures – 3D Pyramid Stars
Kids love any opportunity to work in 3D and are surprised to discover all they can make using just toothpicks and some modeling material. After practicing a few basic forms, let their imaginations run wild and see all the creative ideas they can come up with! First, let's begin with some basic vocabulary.... Tetrahedron - a pyramid with four faces that are all triangles … [Read more...]
Kindergarten Birds
These kindergarten bird paintings are guaranteed to make you smile! I was completely charmed by these when my students did them last week, so I wanted to share a few, along with some tips for getting great results....I began by sharing a special "artist secret" with my students.... that "artists use shapes to help them draw things"! Next, I read them the story of Mouse Shapes … [Read more...]