I had the best intentions for posting lots of great Christmas lessons just after Thanksgiving... but it was not to be! Yet the more I think about it, it makes better sense to post these lessons well ahead of that, so teachers have time to try things out, make samples, and get their plans together. So, instead of last minute postings that leave you thinking, "I'll have to … [Read more...]
Christmas Cards for Veterans
4th grade "JOY" by JacobFor our school-wide Thanksgiving project, we decided to show our thanks to some very special people... My K through 7th grade students have been busy making Christmas cards for Veterans, to spread some Christmas cheer and let these men and women know they are loved and appreciated! The hundreds of cards we made will first be displayed at our church, … [Read more...]
Words as Art – Wonderful Word Clouds!
Word clouds are fun to make for holidays or anytime of year! This is a great project for home schoolers, or any class with access to computers. A word cloud is a random arrangement of words, in this case a passage of writing where common words such as "and", "the", "if", etc. are omitted and the text is then arranged in random order, with the words that appear more often being … [Read more...]
Candy Cane-O-Grams
Special thanks to Erica for being my "hand model" on this project!This "Candy Cane-O-Gram" is a favorite holiday project year after year. It may look like an ordinary paper candy cane, but it contains a special hidden message for it's recipient! Once kids make their first one, they'll be "hooked"!1. Use a ruler to draw parallel lines in holiday colors along the edges of … [Read more...]
Kindergarten Stars
Try these simple instructions to teach your kinders how to draw stars. As adults, we make these designs automatically, almost without thinking, but for a five year old drawing their very first star, it's nothing short of magical! Once it "clicks" for them, they will be drawing stars everywhere!First talk about types of lines, concentrating on "diagonal" and "horizontal". … [Read more...]
Origami Crane Ornaments
"An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.... In Asia, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. This makes them popular gifts for special friends and family." (from Wikipedia)Origami cranes make … [Read more...]
“Stained Glass” Ornaments
Don't miss this FUN project.... it's a hit year after year!! Students in grade 3 and up will love spreading Christmas cheer when they hang these glowing ornaments on their tree or tie them on packages to give as gifts. All you need is black construction paper, tissue paper in bright colors, scissors and glue sticks.... and the school laminating machine! 1. Take two … [Read more...]
Candy Cane-O-Grams
This "Candy Cane-O-Gram" is a favorite project year after year. It may look like an ordinary paper candy cane, but it contains a special hidden message for it's recipient. Once kids make their first one, they'll be "hooked" and they won't want to stop! 1. Use a ruler to draw parallel lines in holiday colors along the edges of your paper. Make some lines thick and others … [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...]
