All About Me 3-D Posters! (Plus Digital Versions!)

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! 

This All About Me 3-D Hanging Poster was a classic I have used for years! Upper elementary students love this one!

These 3-D Star Posters looked great in my second grade classroom and the students loved making them!

These 3-D Dodecagon Posters were so much fun for my 4th and 5th graders a few years ago! They loved the folding and constructing process.

I also love the simplicity of these All About Me Cubes! They also look great hanging in the classroom! 

 These apples are great for primary classrooms and look adorable hanging from an apple tree bulletin board creation! Click here to grab the apples!

****Update! New poster added! Check out the All About Me 3-D Owl!

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! 

Happy Back to School!!

Ceramic Piggy Banks

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!

Here is a list of products and items I used for the piggy banks:
Stroke and Coat Glazes
Low Fire Clay
Clay Tools
Clay Sponges
Slip Containers
Brushes
Glaze Containers

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! :)

Paper Mache Clownfish

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.

Here are the supplies you will need:

- Balloons (and pump if you want to make it easier on yourself!)
- Newsprint Paper
- Elmers Art Paste
- Small Containers for the paste
- Pitcher or Bucket
- Paint- Orange, White, and Black- My favorite brand is Jazz Gloss
- Model Magic
- Plastic Bowls
- Google Eyes
- Orange Foam
- Fishing Line
- Glue gun and hot glue

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!

Clown Fish Diagram Freebie!

Ocean Animal Draw and Write 

Octopus Art Freebie

Sea Turtle Unit

Sea Turtles Unit

Whales Unit

3-D Mother's Day Flowers!

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I can't wait to make these amazing flowers with my students! They are simple, fun, and heartfelt! I know the Mothers and other special people in my students lives will love this cute gift! I just printed the template on card stock, colored, folded, glued, and after some adjusting this cute little flower was complete! Check out the tutorial for how to put them together! Click this link to my TpT store to grab the file! Leave a comment if you have questions! Happy Mother's Day!

Math Egg Hunt Fun!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons and this year I was so excited to try a new spring tradition with my class of second grade students! My wonderful teammates do a math egg hunt each year on the Friday before spring break. This is a great spin on the traditional egg hunt while incorporating some academic practice! I was so excited to be introduced to their tradition and I will surely continue this exciting activity each year.

Each child in my class was given a number and a color. The eggs were stuffed with candy, taped closed, and the math problems were attached to the eggs with labels and more tape. I had older students scatter the  eggs on the field. The students have to hunt for their color eggs, then complete a math problem to see if the egg is theirs to keep. This way I was able to differentiate the math problems to suit the needs of each student in the class. For example I had 4 students assigned to the number 24, but each of the students was searching for a different color. There were addition problems, subtraction problems, base ten drawings, coins, word form, and more. I found that when students went looking for eggs with a partner looking for the same color, they were more successful and seemed to have even more fun! 

We bought cute little Easter baskets with grass and an activity book from Oriental Trading Company. I used the activity book for early finisher activities, and the paper served as space to work out the problems during the hunt. I also wrote the students' numbers and color on the book so they would remember as they hunted for their eggs. I also matched their basket color with the color eggs they would be searching for during the hunt. These cute little baskets were perfect for fitting the 8 eggs each student found. 

My class had a blast and we only had to abandon one purple egg, which was never found. Luckily I had an extra egg of each color as back-up in the classroom. We did have a few overeager students take eggs that belonged to others, but each color group would sit together and double check the problems to determine which eggs needed to be switched. It was not only great math practice, but problem solving as well! 

Here are some links to the products I used for our hunt. Comment with any questions you may have!

Easter Baskets from Oriental Trading
Easter Basket Grass
Activity Books

Cloud Lamp Tutorial!

Since posting my cloud lamp on Instagram,  I have had many questions about how I created these adorable lamps for my classroom. They are so simple to make and they look terrific hanging from the ceiling! I was originally inspired by some color changing clouds I saw at an amazing art installation/experience called Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM. I decided that my classroom needed cloud lamps, so I researched a little and decided to give my clouds a try. In my classroom I will have two cloud lamps and three regular clouds that will hang from the ceiling (for these I covered the holes with the Poly-fil before hanging). I have a quick tutorial and affiliate links for the products I used below! If you have any questions feel free to DM me on Instagram or leave a comment below!

Supplies Needed:

1. Paper Lanterns

2. Color Changing Bulbs with Remote- You can choose to use a regular bulb if you do not want the color changing/strobe/flash features.

3.  Poly-fil- 1 bag can make 5 lanterns with plenty left over. 

4. Lantern Cord- I purchased the 20 foot cord to ensure it would be long enough to find a wall socket!

5. Hot glue gun and glue- Use high temperature glue, as it adheres to the lanters more easily than low temperature glue.

Happy Creating!

All About Me Posters

I am loving my summer break, relaxing, traveling a little, and of course thinking a bit about the next school year. Recently I have been brainstorming new ways to get to know my students for the start of the year.

Building relationships is so important and I love turning this "get-to-know-you" time into a hands-on art project with my students. Each year I have made interactive 3-D posters with my students and this year will be no different.

In the past I have created hanging posters like the one pictured below. Click here to grab the hanging posters.

They looked great hanging on our wall (or from the ceiling)

There is even a little tutorial to assist in the folding and creating.

One year we created cubes. These were hung from the ceiling. Click here to grab the cube posters.

When I taught older kids we created dodecagons. We also hung these from the ceiling and they looked amazing! Click here to grab the dodecagon posters.

I also have a tutorial for how to put the dodecagons together (although it is using a report dodecagon and not an "About Me" dodecagon, but the steps are the same).

This year, going back to the little ones, we are going to make butterflies! These butterflies are created so they are double-sided and will hang all around my room! I also made a single-sided version perfect for the bulletin board. The students will write their interests in each butterfly wing section. I can't wait to get to know my new kiddos! Click here to grab the Butterfly All About Me Posters.

These butterflies also come in a life cycle version!

If you have any questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments! :) Happy classroom and Back-to-School planning!