If you've been following any art teacher accounts on social media lately, you've probably seen it... the Color Wheel Challenge! The idea is simple... gather items in bright, solid colors from around your home, assemble them into color wheel order, and snap a pic! Then share your creation on social media using the hashtag #colorwheelchallenge . Here are a few tips I … [Read more...]
Water Bottle Fish
What can you do with a plastic water bottle besides just recycle it?? Here’s one idea…. make something fishy!! Celebrate civic engagement through art making! In honor of their 30th anniversary, the Children’s Museum of Art in NYC is issuing a new creative challenge each month. Are you ready to get creative? The #CMACIVICKIDS challenge for April is the "Plastic Bottle … [Read more...]
Unwind with a Relaxing Ceramic “Feeling Sculpture”
This "Feeling Sculpture" may be the most relaxing clay project you’ll ever do. My students loved it so much, they asked to do it again the next week! Ages 5-85 can all have fun with this project that could double as therapy. Credit for this awesome project goes to my daughter’s high school Ceramics teacher, Mr. Emery. He challenged his students to form the clay with their eyes … [Read more...]
22 Ways to Combine Writing & Art to Encourage Creativity
I recently had the privilege of helping my adult daughter edit the manuscript for her first book. Her first real, published book. A book with an agent, a publisher, a release date (April 2017), and it’s own pre-order page on Amazon. A proud parenting milestone for sure! But this book of hers has been a long time in the making. In fact, we can trace its origin all the way back … [Read more...]
Prevent Summer Learning Loss with a ‘Retro’ Flash Card Flipper
'Summer Learning Loss', or 'Summer Slide' as it’s also known, is not just an issue for ‘at risk’ students. All students need to practice their academic skills to keep from falling behind over summer vacation. The year I taught 2nd grade I experienced firsthand how much students can forget over the summer. We wasted much valuable time that fall doing remedial work…. re-learning … [Read more...]
Recycled Assemblage Sculptures Inspired by Louise Nevelson
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. Born in Russia, she emigrated with her family to the United States in 1905. Her unique artistic style was influenced by the cubist movement, co-founded by Pablo Picasso, and the found object sculptures of Marcel Duchamp. Calling herself “the original recycler”, Nevelson is most famous for … [Read more...]
Haiku Tunnel Books PDF Directions
This is one of my favorite resources in my TpT store... Haiku Tunnel Books! This project uses postcards to inspire students to write their own haiku poem and turn it into a tunnel book. A tunnel book is a three-dimensional movable book that you read by looking right through the middle of it. Originally from the mid-18th century, tunnel books are enjoying renewed popularity … [Read more...]
Return of the Marshmallow Challenge!
Back by popular demand, I ended our school year with "The Marshmallow Challenge". I first tried this activity two years ago, after watching an inspiring TED Talk by Tom Wujec. The Marshmallow Challenge is a team-building exercise where groups of 2-3 have 18 minutes to try to build the tallest freestanding structure - using just 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of masking … [Read more...]
Crazy Crowns
Our first graders became royalty today with these "Crazy Crowns", in honor of the Queens' "Diamond Jubilee" .... the 60th Anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.Materials:pictures (I searched Google images) of the Queen and her crown3"x24" white construction papermarkers 1"x18" strips of red, yellow, blue and purple construction paper, 2 per color YES! Paste (I put a … [Read more...]
Gung Hey Fat Choy! Chinese New Year Dragons
Chinese New Year is right around the corner! Monday, January 23, 2012 will mark the start of the "Year of the Dragon", year 4709 on the Chinese calendar, where each year is designated by one of 12 animals. I thought a dragon project would be fun for my first graders as we usher out the "Year of the Rabbit" and welcome in the "Year of the Dragon"! We're making our dragons in … [Read more...]