This is another project that is abstract and involves sticky materials! This washi tape art project is always a hit with kids! It uses two very fun art materials: patterned washi tape and Kwik Stix paint sticks. Many people are familiar with the technique where you lay down tape, paint over it and then peel the tape off to reveal the white sections. Here is an example of that project I did using hopes and goals with my Girl Scout … Read more…
Have you ever made vinyl sticker art? I saw an amazing idea to use vinyl sticker sheets (like the kind you use for a Cricut machine) on this post by Helloroscreates on Instagram. Cutting these into shapes is an easy, mess-free way to make modern abstract art! The kids had a fun time and we got LOTS of compliments on this project because they were all very successful and they were very eye-catching from a distance. This type of art … Read more…
I wanted to share a few awesome art supplies for kids that I either recently discovered or just really love. I’m always on the lookout to spice things up in the art room. I know some budgets are tight, but you can always buy one set for a whole table and then the kids can share them. I used to think I needed many sets of everything, but honestly sharing, manners and taking turns are very good skills to practice. … Read more…
Are you looking for an easy way to do paper weaving with kids? Are you not wanting to cut all those mats for your students? In this tutorial, I will show you how to make a paper weaving the easy way – with a FREE template included. I thought I had posted about this template and technique but realized I never did. In a Facebook art teacher group, another member asked for a source to buy paper looms, which gave … Read more…
Are you looking for a highly engaging art project using chalk pastels? I must admit, chalk pastels are not my favorite. The dust, the crumbles, the mess… and not to mention that chalk gives me the heebie-jeebies (as one kid said at school!) But, this project, the kids LOVED! They thought it was so exciting. And I love this project because it allows for a lot of creative freedom. It also give students the chance to see the difference between … Read more…
This is a sub plan that is perfect for upper elementary. If you wake up sick one day, it’s a good idea to have prepared sub plans that are easy for any teacher to follow (even if they don’t have an art background). This is a simple, one page art handout with goals, steps and an example. I saw this idea on a Facebook group many years ago and created this handout to share with other teachers. This drawing activity uses … Read more…
This is an art project perfect for a substitute lesson plan. When you have to take a sick day, you never know if your sub is going to have an art background or not. This is a simple, one page art handout with goals, steps and an example. The second page has a value scale to practice shading on. In order to print out the full, high resolution handouts, visit my TPT shop for the FREE download! This was actually … Read more…
This is a fun art project I like to use to get students exploring different types of materials at the beginning of the year. It’s also a low-pressure way to introduce mixed media and abstract art. Set up the room by placing a wide variety of art materials in a centrally located place in your room. The way this works is that you start by drawing an abstract design on your paper using a variety of shapes and lines to … Read more…
In a previous post, I showed many examples of zines that I had purchased from a zinefest. I tried it out with a group of 4th/5th graders and I am happy to say it was a success! It was the first time I had made zines with students before and one student told me that this was a project I should keep for next year! Other kids agreed. We started by watching this video about zines from Tate. I showed … Read more…
Hello! I am already seeing lots of posts in Facebook groups asking what to do in the first few days of art class. In this post, I will walk you through what I plan to do this year in my classes. This is very similar to what I have done in other years. First, I start all classes with basic introductions and talking about the room and art class. We go over the rules and expectations. I use a video … Read more…
Recently, I did styrofoam printmaking with my 4th/5th grade classes. Styrofoam printing is a relatively easy way to introduce printmaking to a group of kids. It is messy and can be challenging, so I’m providing a video demonstration in this blog post. The materials needed are: For this project, I gave the students an open-ended theme. They could choose either 1. Something from Greek mythology (they were studying ancient Greece and Rome) or 2. Something from a book they read. … Read more…
Hi! This is a project I repeat in some form every year with my 3rd/4th grade class. Often I do it to teach about shading and values. Here’s an example from 12 years ago (wow, I can’t believe my blog is that old) of a black and white non-objective lesson. This year, I wanted to add pops of color to the hallway and I wanted the kids to explore color and blending. We first learned about non-objective art- art that … Read more…
Minnie Evans was a new-to-me artist that I became fascinated by her beautiful and intricate face designs. At the end of the school year I taught about her artwork to my distance learning students. Here is the Google slides I used: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SYYp6IORiCHurWQFwUoFkVdl–8t9tWwYKuaorGSNRI/edit#slide=id.gbccc15b226_0_86 And here are the images of the slides:
Here is a fun 3-d project I did with my 3rd-5th grade classes as an asynchronous (at-home) art project. We have been hybrid for a little while and some of my classes are still fully virtual. I have been giving out asynchronous assignments and then having 1 live (either in person or virtual) art class per week as well. I found this handout online from Shoshy Art, which inspired this project. I created a step-by-step video for my students. Here … Read more…
Last year, my 3rd grade Girl Scout troop did a variety of art projects. One of the badges we earned was the Outdoor Art Creator Badge. Here are some of the activities we did to earn the badge. I thought I would share with you, because these are some fun projects you could do with a group of kids, maybe in an after school, day camp or scout program. Here is a link to the PDF guide for the badge, … Read more…
