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  • Banner with colorful artwork promoting an art shop featuring kindness coloring pages, artist activities, and resources for teachers.

Glue Line Spider Webs with Model Magic

Glue Line Spider Webs with Model Magic

I got this idea from my son’s afterschool program… they were making these one day a couple weeks ago and I loved them some much I decided to use the idea for my own classroom right away! My son’s after school program is great, they are always doing fun art projects and they have a wonderful new facility. I would link to them, but for personal privacy reasons I hesitate to put that info online. I did some searching and … Read more…

Spooky Haunted House Art Project for Kids

Spooky Haunted House Art Project for Kids

I got the idea for this spooky haunted house picture from this picture I found online. For the background, we did a marker ink printing process using washable markers on plastic ziploc bags. I learned this technique from Lauralee Chambers who does it using tin foil. You simply color with washable markers on a plastic bag, spray with water and then press your paper on the bag and rub the back. I love the mysterious effect it has on these … Read more…

Yayoi Kusama Dotted Pumpkins for Kids

A stylized yellow pumpkin with dots and lines on a colorful, patterned background, inspired by Yayoi Kusama.

I love the results of this dotted pumpkin project inspired by the dotted pumpkins of Yayoi Kusama.  I did this art lesson with 3rd/4th grade. (Amazon Affiliate links have been used, at no extra cost to you.) I based our project after the lesson taught on the blog Plastiquem.  First, I read the book Yayoi Kusama, From Here to Infinity, which is an inspirational book about her artwork and life.  This is on my list of top 10 favorite books … Read more…

Halloween Themed Choice Menu

Halloween Themed Choice Menu

At a recent inservice, we were introduced to ways to give differentiation to learners of different paces and allow them to pursue activities or topics they may be interested in.  One of these ways is a tic-tac-toe choice menu.  You can make menus for students for the main project in a unit (for example, different products to make to show understanding after reading a novel).  I like the idea of having menus as enrichment or extensions of a unit.  I … Read more…

Shape Monsters Art Project

Shape Monsters Art Project

I found this cute book called My Very Silly Monster Book of Shapes.  I read this book to my Kindergartners and then we did a shape monster art project similar to the shape monsters seen on this blog. After reading the book, the kindergarteners were given the choice of several different shape templates:  rectangles, ovals, stars, hexagons, squares, etc.  They traced the template onto construction paper.  Then, I demonstrated how to make eyes by cutting circles from white squares, then … Read more…

Printmaking with Apples: Pumpkin Jack-o-Lanterns

Child's drawing of six orange Jack-o-Lanterns with various facial expressions on a green background.

This was a fun introduction to printmaking.  I did this project with Kindergartners.  I got the idea from this image on Pinterest. I read them The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons.  I cut apples in half and the students dipped them into orange paint and stamped them on their paper.   The next art class, I provided them with printouts of images I found online of jack-o-lanterns and the students used markers to draw faces and stems on the pumpkins. … Read more…

Googly Eyed Sticker Monsters

A child coloring monster drawings with markers on a wooden table, adding googly eyes for a fun touch.

With Halloween coming, this is an especially fun open-ended project for little kids.  I did this with kids up to grade 3 and they were super excited to come up with their own monsters. Supplies needed (Amazon affiliate links used): Peel and Stick Wiggle Eyes Wiggle Eyes Stickers On A Roll Multi-Color Markers, crayons or other coloring tools White or colored construction paper Handouts for inspiration:  Monster Dice Drawing and Examples of Monsters This is a real simple introduction and … Read more…

Halloween Art Ideas

Halloween Art Ideas

Halloween is almost here!  We’ve been having fun with a variety of Halloween art projects.  Kindergartners made collage pumpkins with a variety of tactile materials like feathers, yarn and foam shapes. First graders made texture rubbing pumpkin pictures and traced leaves from construction paper.  Second graders made pumpkin patch pictures with water soluble crayons, paints and Sharpies. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Pumpkin Painting Art Project for 1st Grade

Halloween Pumpkin Painting Art Project for 1st Grade

Happy Halloween!  These painted pumpkins were a hit with my first graders. Every year I do some sort of pumpkin project with my students.  Whether it is actually painting on little pumpkins or creating an oil pastel drawing, creating art based on the seasons is exciting for the kids. These are similar to Artsy_T’s painted pumpkins. We mixed our paints with a little bit of paper mache (Elmer’s Art Paste)  to make them a bit more translucent.  (Not a necessary … Read more…

Spooky Silhouettes– Kindergarten

Abstract artwork featuring a white bird and house against a bright orange background, with black and white shapes and spooky silhouettes.

We just finished these lovely Halloween pictures today.  I don’t really like doing “holiday” art during art class unless I can tie in some solid art concepts.  (That’s why I sometimes do the fun crafty afterschool classes.)  For this project, the kindergartners learned a few art vocabulary words: Silhouette the outline or general shape of something…  a dark image outlined against a lighter background. Warm Colors the yellows and reds of the color spectrum, associated with fire, heat, sun, and warmer … Read more…

Halloween Ideas

Halloween-themed orange craft figure with black circles for eyes, a red nose, and a white mouth wheel, wearing a black string.

Hello!  Halloween is quickly approaching.  It is one of my favorite times of year.  Too bad my daughter (3 years old) is scared of costumes and does not like them.  She has said a firefighter costume *might* be okay and she might possibly put one on.  I’m not doing any Halloween themed after school art classes this year (I have a shrinky-dink one that I am doing this week), but I thought I would re-post some of my fun Halloween … Read more…

Felt Monsters!

Two colorful, box-shaped felt monsters with faces, one orange with black hair and one pink with red and yellow hair.

We also made Felt Monsters in our after school Halloween Crafts Class.  I got the idea from this blog!  Thanks Amanda! Finished monster by 3rd grader Use a piece of wood block, glue a piece of felt to all sides. Gather the rest of the felt and tie with rubber band.  A rectangle of felt can be cut out and glued to the bottom.  Cut out more pieces for the face.  Monsters on parade Lots of monsters We’re coming to … Read more…

  • Banner with colorful artwork promoting an art shop featuring kindness coloring pages, artist activities, and resources for teachers.