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...]
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...]
Make a Leaf Collage
Now that summer’s here, how do you keep your kids learning, creating, and spending more time outdoors than in front of a screen? One way is with this inspiring little book, “Look What I Did with a Leaf!” by Morteza E. Sohi. This is not so much a read-aloud type of book that you would share with a roomful of students, but rather a book to enjoy at home with your kids, or for … [Read more...]
Monochromatic Snow Scene with Markers
Here's an easy, wintery snow scene, perfect for those days when you need a lesson without much prep or clean-up. The week before Christmas break is that time for me! Materials: 12 x 18 white construction paper Crayola Washable Markers (you only need the gray, red, and orange) Spray bottle filled with plain water Directions: Use your gray marker only to draw a … [Read more...]
Blossoming “Popcorn Trees”
Spring has sprung, and to celebrate, our Kinders painted trees blossoming with flowers made of popcorn! This lesson reinforces the color mixing skills we've been working on all year, as well as teaches a basic technique for drawing/painting trees. Adding popcorn also gives the opportunity to talk about the concept of "mixed media". And who doesn't love … [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...]
Negative Space Tree Drawings
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...]
