This winter I decided I wanted to get creative and come up with a new art project for my kiddos. I decided to choose something more "wintery" than "Christmasy" because I wanted to hang the projects for more than two weeks.
I decided on a multi-media penguin. We used construction paper, paint, pastel, and glitter all in one art project! The penguins took two sessions to complete, but they look adorable and brighten up our hallway.
I showed my students how to draw a penguin chick on black construction paper using a white chalk pastel. I then showed them how to blend the penguin's feathers to make it look like down. I added a little bit of black pastel to add definition and then let the kids give it a try. I stressed the importance of making their penguins big, as most of the time students tend to draw on the small side. Some kiddos used a little too much black pastel and the white did not show as much, but we fixed that with the addition of a little white oil pastel on top.
We then cut out the penguins and set them aside. Next was the snowy/glittery background. We used white tempera and sponges cut in circles to sponge paint the snow onto blue construction paper. I showed the students how to "dab" since their first reaction is to "scrub" using the sponge. Once the students covered a half to three quarters of their page with snow, I had them sprinkle glitter on the paint. Oh boy, did they LOVE that! Every kid loves glitter, and since it was the Christmas season, I decided to go all in with glitter mess.
Once the background was dry we used white glue to affix the penguins to the page. It took quite a bit of glue due to the thickness of the glitter. Some penguins needed a little glue touch up because they were peeling up, but the process ended up working out great.
We love our glittery penguins and my mind is already swirling with other winter projects! Please leave any questions in the comments below! :)
Last year we made these adorable polar bears using a similar technique I found from whimsy workshop and my students LOVED them. Here are a few pics of the adorable bears. :)
Each year when fall rolls around my class creates many fall themed art projects and activities. One of the favorites is the watercolor pumpkin activity. I have created these a few different ways based on the grade level I teach that particular year.
These adorable pumpkins look like stained glass and I have two methods that are tried and true. The first one is more simple. I model a few different compositions of pumpkins for the kids using watercolor paper and pencil- whole class. The students either recreate one of my compositions or try one of their own. During this part I stress the importance of drawing large images so the glue will not run together. I explain that tracing little images with glue is very tricky and sometimes it ends up blobbing together.
After the students have a pencil outline I have them trace their lines with black glue. You can purchase black glue, but I prefer to make my own by mixing white glue and black tempera paint. I buy little squeeze bottles that are easier for little hands to use and let them go for it!
I let the glue dry overnight and the pumpkins are ready to paint the next day.
The other method is a little more complicated. The drawing of the pumpkin is the same, but then the lines are covered with white glue. Once the glue dries I have the students use sharpie to line the inside and the outside of the glue lines. After the glue is dry, the students paint in the sections of the glue.
These are both great methods for creating a stained glass look and create a wonderful fall display in the classroom. If you have any questions be sure to leave them in the comments section and I will be happy to answer them!
Fall is inching closer and closer! Once the cool weather creeps its way in I start to think about fun units to teach. One I always like to present to my kiddos is the study of spiders! To make the learning even more exciting I created these 3-D Spider Reports for the students to create. There are a few different versions included. One contains report pages with lines and a blank report page version. I also included a blank template for those teachers who would prefer to keep this an art project rather than include a report component. Check out the video tutorial below! You can grab the spider template here!
I can't believe it is almost September! With the end of summer brings planning for fall in the classroom. I always love teaching the pumpkin life cycle during the fall while celebrating fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving!
I created a fun and hands-on way to study the life cycle of a pumpkin with these adorable 3-D models! Check them out at the link! Happy fall planning! Stay tuned for more fall inspired ideas soon!
As the new school year approaches it is that time again to think of classroom set-up and engaging first week activities for students. This summer I went a little 3-D poster crazy and came up with some fun new "All About Me" activities that look great in any classroom.
I started thinking about all of the cute cactus classrooms I have been seeing on IG and Facebook. I decided that a 3-D All About Me Cactus would be a great addition to succulent themed rooms! Of course I just had create a tutorial video to go with it!
I have also had bright and colorful decor for the past few years and decided to create an All About Me 3-D Crayon poster to go with the eye catching rainbow decor of many teachers.
*** Just added to the file! Two digital slides to use for distance learning! Check it out here!
I loved the way my 3-D Butterfly All About Me posters turned out. These look adorable in primary classrooms! *** Update July 2020*** I have added a digital version which is great for distance learning! It is included in the file!
I love being able to pick whatever poster I feel will match my room decor and be fun and engaging for my students each year. Stay tuned for more options coming soon! If there are any themes you would like to see for All About Me Posters, be sure to leave a comment and I will get working on them!
This spring my students had the opportunity to practice their ceramics skills and create the most adorable piggy banks! They designed, sculpted, and glazed their ceramic masterpieces and the kiddos were so proud! Their adorable creatures came out so cute and the piggy banks were perfect for the art picnic we had at our school.
The first step in pig creation was forming the pigs. We used a ballon and slabs for construction. I will link the tutorial video here so you can see each step of the process. We used low fire clay, sponges, slip, and clay tools.
Once the construction was complete the students had to wait patiently for the pigs to dry before placing them into the kiln. While the students were waiting, I had them plan the design for their banks. They drew and colored their ideas onto a Piggy Bank Design Plan sheet. If you are interested in a copy of the design plan, please leave a comment below! I completed a few design plan examples so the students had some inspiration. I was so impressed with the ideas they came up with!
Once the pigs were out of the bisque fire, the students were able to put their plan into action. We spent a few days glazing the pigs with my favorite glaze. Stroke and Coat is by far the best glaze for student projects! It comes out so vibrant and shiny!
After painting three coats of glaze and adding detail work, the pigs were ready to back into the kiln for the final firing. This was the hardest part for the students... waiting to see the transformation from the dull matte colors, to the beautiful shiny pigs the students were envisioning!
When I asked my students what their favorite project was this year, almost all responded with, "Clay piggy banks!" I usually do one or two clay projects with my students each year and I am so excited to see what projects we create next year! :)
When I taught first grade we used to transform our classroom into an ocean wonderland. This is one of the main things I miss about teaching first grade. Now that I am in second grade I think I may focus my attention to creating a rainforest wonderland, or perhaps a second grade version of the ocean wonderland my firsties and I loved so much!
I have had some questions about my paper mache clownfish that have been posted on the blog and Instagram. I thought I'd take this opportunity to post a "how-to" guide to help those of you wanting to create these adorable sea creatures with your class.
Step One: The first step is blowing up the balloons to your desired size and cutting or tearing the newsprint into pieces. Then make the art paste in a pitcher according to the directions. I find I usually need two boxes for a class of 24 students.
I like to do this project in small groups of 4 or five students, but it also works as a class. The easiest way to protect tables is to get plastic tablecloths to line the tables with. Towels are also great for spills and sticky hands.
Step Two: Pour a little paste into the containers and provide each student with a handful of newsprint. They will need more later, but give them a pile to start. I like to write their names on a bowl and put the balloon inside so it doesn't roll around all over the table. Have the students dip a paper into the paste and use two fingers to wipe off the excess into the bowl. They will then spread the paper onto the balloon. They will cover the balloon with one layer to start. Once the first layer is complete have the students cover the balloon with two more layers. You may take a break between layers and even complete layers on separate days (if you are willing to deal with the mess on multiple days!). Tip: sometimes the students' balloons get extra wet. Have the students just place dry newsprint on the overly wet parts without dipping back into the paste if necessary.
Step Three: Place the bowls with the paper mache balloons in a good place to dry. You will need to rotate the balloons so all sides dry.
Step Four: Pour paint into containers and have students paint the balloon orange. One balloon dries, I have them paint white stripes on the balloon. Sometimes it looks great to line the white with black marker or black paint.
Step Five: Pre-cut dorsal fin, and pectoral fins out of orange foam. Roll rings out of Model Magic for eyes and let them dry overnight.
Step Six: Call students over one at a time and have them show you where they want you to attach fins, eyes, and mouth. This needs to be hot glued, so adult help is necessary. Glue on the pieces according to student directions. At this point I also write student names on the bottom of the fish with permanent marker.
Step Seven: Poke hole in top fin with end of fishing line, knot the top and add a glue dot with glue gun to hold. Fish can be hung from the ceiling to create your ocean wonderland!
Please comment with any questions you may have about these adorable clownfish!
Here are some other resources for your Ocean Wonderland Transformation!
