two examples of first grade "Alphabet Soup Art" It's official.... everyone LOVES Alphabet Soup Art! From first graders to sixth graders, the responses were all the same - this project is a hit!! A few of the youngest students had to be reminded to connect their letters, but other than that most students were able to work independently. This project is a natural for … [Read more...]
Alphabet Soup Art
In today's culture, some symbols have become so familiar that we've stopped noticing them. This idea is what prompted contemporary American artist, Jasper Johns, to create abstract paintings from symbols such as letters, numbers and maps to get his viewers to experience these symbols in new ways. Your students can follow these steps to learn about abstract art with this fun … [Read more...]
Dot Monsters!
Dot Monsters are a perfect activity to teach to the whole class or use with those "early finishers" who end up with free time after completing a project. Kids from 1st grade through 6th grade love making these! Dot Monsters nurture imagination and encourage creative thinking and problem solving.... and they're FUN! Here's how you make them: 1. Any size paper will work for … [Read more...]
Pink Gold – Sketching with Erasers!
Did you know that the simple pink eraser at the tip of your #2 pencil is worth its weight in gold?? (Or maybe even more, since erasers don't weigh much!) Well, it is, and here's why... I don't use these erasers for erasing (I save that for my trusty Magic Rub Eraser). I use them for DRAWING. It's a little known secret that you can sketch on almost any kind of paper using the … [Read more...]
Faux Stained Glass Ornaments
Are your kids bouncing off the walls with anticipation of the coming holiday? Need a last-minute project to engage them? Try making these glowing ornaments with the look of stained glass! Students in grades 3 and up will enjoy spreading Christmas cheer when they hang these faux stained glass ornaments on their tree or give them as gifts. Make your own faux stained glass … [Read more...]
Kids’ Art Gift Wrap
One of my awesome parent volunteers recently shared a great idea with me that I wanted to pass along.... "Kids' Art Gift Wrap"! She was so enthusiastic about it, I couldn't wait to try it myself. Here's how you do it:Roll out a long piece of butcher paper (down a hallway, sidewalk, or wherever you have room) and provide paints, brushes, glitter, etc. for your students to … [Read more...]
“Thank You” Drawings
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, what better time than now to focus your students on being thankful for the blessings in their lives? Have your students choose one thing they're thankful for and teach them how to write it with "outline letters", which they can then decorate to reflect the theme of their illustration.To make outline letters, lightly pencil in the word … [Read more...]
Shadow Tracing
Shadow tracing is a project that students from about 2nd or 3rd grade and up will love doing. It fits right in with discussions about composition, color theory, and positive/negative shapes. In the interest of full disclosure, one of the reasons students love it so much is that they have to go outside to do it! I guess we don't get out as often as we should in Art class, so … [Read more...]
Paper Trivia
I learned an interesting bit of trivia the other day while preparing for a lesson in the art of Japanese Paper Folding, a.k.a. "Origami". This may not change your life, but it does make a great conversation starter and I guarantee your students will not be willing to just take your word for it!So, here it is.... did you know that it's impossible to fold a piece of paper (any … [Read more...]
What Inspires You?
While it's great to follow tried and true plans for a successful Art lesson, it can be fun to come up with a new project on your own, based on something that inspires you. Where do you get inspiration from? It's different for everyone, but anything that catches your eye (from the shapes and patterns of nature to the shadows cast on the building next door) can offer potential … [Read more...]