6th Grade Drawings of the Trees in our Parking Lot! This project is ideal for that time of year when the trees have lost their leaves and the new leaves haven't sprouted yet. Kids love any excuse to get out of the classroom, so if you can, go outside and have them do the first part of this project "from life". If that's not possible, or you don't have any good trees … [Read more...]
Echo Line Flowers
3rd Grade Flower Drawings This is a fun lesson for teaching about warm and cool colors, patterns, and artists who painted flowers, like Georgia O'Keeffe and Vincent Van Gogh. You'll Need: 9" x 12" white sulfite construction paper pencil Magic Rub Eraser Markers in a variety of colors, plus black (or use a black Sharpie) (affiliate links) Directions: … [Read more...]
Shoe Drawings
Third Grade Shoe Drawing by Brian Contour drawing is a great activity for developing your drawing skills, no matter what your age or level of ability. There are dozens of fun projects you can do with contour drawing, but here is one of my favorites... Shoe Drawings!1. Remove one shoe and place it on your desk.2. On 9x12 paper, make light pencil marks to indicate placement … [Read more...]
Fun Paper “Frames”
"Framed" Self-Portrait by Colin, First GradeNothing enhances a painting like a good frame! Here's a fun and inexpensive way to frame your students' work.Let's assume you want to frame a 9x12 piece of artwork....1. Take a 12x18 piece of construction paper and trim it to 12x15 inches.2. Center your art on the 12x15 paper (leaving a 1-1/2" margin on each side) and glue it down … [Read more...]
Self-Portraits Inspired by Paul Klee
Kindergarten self-portrait and "Senecio" by Paul Klee One of our wonderful parent volunteers recently shared a great website with me that she found. If you're looking for new art lessons to try, check out Kathy Barbaro's "Art Projects for Kids". I found a great idea on her website for "painting" with tissue paper, which I tried with one of our Kindergarten … [Read more...]
Alphabet Soup Art – The Verdict is In!
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...]
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...]
“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...]