...and keep your sanity in check
Am I the only one who is ready for this Winter to be over? Spring Break is right around the corner and we still have freezing temperatures ...
We found the best middle school art projects online! Whether you are an art teacher teaching middle school students or have kids in middle school that you
Snow, the exciting, magical, fluffy component to winter’s cold temperatures. I hear from those who live where snow is expected each winter that the first snow of the season is the best. A blanket of white. And I must admit, when we travel in wintertime for our annual ski and snowboard trip, it doesn’t get [...]
We just had our first snowfall here and while the rest of my friends have been grumbling and groaning, I have been celebrating our fall snowfall with snow themed activities. Any excuse for me to make snowflakes is a good one. I love snowflakes. They are so fun to make & since, just like a […]
I don't know what y'all call that time between Thanksgiving and winter break but I have been known to call it a naughty name or two. It's that weird in-between time where we are all comin' down from our vacation high and are so exhausted that we need another one. And just knowing that winter break is on the horizon can sometimes just be more than I (and the kids!) can handle. This week, so far, back to art teacherin' town has been a good one. I'm happy to be back making big messes with little people. One project that seems to have the fourth grade really excited is this Faux Stained Glass Winter Scene. I used black glue for the very first time in my teaching career last month and I (as well as the third graders) was all WHERE HAS THIS BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE?! It is so much fun to create with! While they were working with it, I got the idea to introduce my fourth graders to the same media. With my Field Trip! series, I've been introducing the kids to contemporary creatives. Unfortunately, I don't personally know any local stained glass artists to film (any leads would be much appreciated!) so I created this introduction to the art of stained glass with a little iMovie wizardry. The fourth grade watched the first half of the video today and got a good start on their faux stained glass. The kids were SUPER bummed when I said that we weren't going to work with cut glass (really guys?!) but were excited when I mentioned black glue. I had them move to their seats and silent sketch several ideas for 5-7 minutes. I really emphasized not creating a Christmas tree knowing that this project just might not be completed until after the holidays. However, I didn't want to limit the kids so I made it optional. Personally, I love that skull tree on the left! After our sketch time was up, we regrouped on the floor and watched the part of the video where I talk about drawing on large paper and using the puffy paint or black glue. Puffy paint leaves a better, crisper line but it does take a little extra work to squeeze that bottle. The black glue (made with one part black tempra and two parts Elmer's Glue All) comes out faster but leaves behind a wider, flatter line. I shared with the kids the pros and cons and let them decide which they wanted to use. All but a handful of kids got to the black glue on the first day. I did change the size of the paper from what was in the video as I thought a 12" X 18" would be easier to manage. One thing I had to really emphasize was keeping the drawing large. Showing that clip of the stained glass artist really did help them conceptualize the idea of large and enclosed shapes. Of course, it wouldn't be black glue painting if we didn't have the occasional smearing. We learned to just let it go. The chalk can hide any imperfections. Gotta love a tree of Hershey Kisses! I'll keep you posted on the progress of this project. I see so many variations: landscapes, abstract designs, etc. I'd love to know if you have used this method. If you do, please drop me a line and share.
discovering life one art adventure at a time
Egg carton crafts for kids Who will eat egg much more? There is a boy named James. This boy likes egg so much, every day he eats an egg in a day, sometimes James wants [...]
Inside you’ll learn how to paint a cool winter sky with bleeding tissue paper art. The colors blend like no other material.
Wydaje mi się, że dopiero co pisałam o nadejściu wiosny, dekoracjach wielkanocnych, a już piszę o jesieni. Spadające liście, parasolka w torebce i cieplejsza kurtka to oznaka, że jesień zawitała na dobre. Jak jesień to i jej skarby: żołędzie, jarzębina, kasztany, dynie, z których można wykonać cudowne rzeczy, ogranicza nas tylko wyobraźnia. Dla tych, którym brak pomysłów lub poszukują czegoś nowego, przygotowałam trochę inspiracji związanych z tematyką jesienną. Jeśli zainteresował Cię mój
Do you want to build a snowman or in this case paint or create a snowman? Then take a look at these 10 gorgeous Snowman Art Projects. 10 Snowman Art Projects for Cold Wintry Afternoons Melted Snow…
Nachdem es in meiner Region immer noch immer wieder schneit, habe ich für den Kunstunterricht eine Idee aufgegriffen, die mir wahnsinnig gut gefallen hat, und die ich auf Pinterest gefunden habe. D…
Potser era molt antic i per això ja no existeix o potser hem actualitzat la informació. Fos el que fos, pots anar a l'inici i començar a remanar entre tot el
These free Montessori-inspired winter sports cutting strips are an instant download with a variety of skill levels; scissor cutting practice for classroom or home; perfect for a Winter Olympic year
We got our first real snowfall this weekend. There is nothing like the first snow of the season. It is so magical. We had a great weekend playing in the snow. We made a snowman, of course, but the highlight of our weekend was the snowball fights. I had so much fun watching my little […]
We love all things simple in this house, which might be why paper plate crafts are such a hit. No need for anything too fancy, complicated, or expensive for my kids to get creative with. We like things like paint, paper, glue, yarn, tape, and paper plates. We really like paper plates. So much so
Every Unit that I teach is usually based on a book. “The Emperor’s Egg” is my ultimate favorite penguin book, so this is how I “hook” the students into becoming excite…