Adventures in Art: APPLES, APPLES & MORE APPLES

Ten Apples Up On Top 

It's fall time in Washington State and that means apples galore.  This week we made the these fun apple crafts.

 

1. Stamping Apples: We created apple prints with real apples and added a sweet little apple poem called 10 apples.  Follow these steps:

• Squirt some Red and Yellow paint (to create depth) in a tray
• Cut an apple in half for stamping - Helpful Hint: cut the side of the apple so kids can easily grasp the apple
• With a glue stick add 10 stems and 10 leaves
• Glue poem on the paper 

2. Happy Apples.  I created the apple template and the kids got to practice gluing and embellish it with a sharpie pen.     

3. Torn Paper Apples.  The kids are learning about shapes so we took different shapes and torn them to create an apple that had been eaten.  Follow these steps:

• Start with a Black sheet of paper and add a brown rectangle
• Take a white square and rip the sides off - that will become the middle of the apple
• Take a red circle and rip it in half.  glue one half at the top and one at the bottom.
• Take a green square and rib a stem and leaf off
• Use a black sharpie and add seeds.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE

It's DUCKY Birthday Party

We rented the local swimming pool and attached party room for a Rubber Duck Birthday Party.  Here are a few of the details.  

• Duck Pond Punch with ducks floating in it
• Lucky Duck matching game with Water beads
• Chuck a Duck Game
• Play Duck Duck Goose
• Duck piñata
• A dozen floating ducks for the swimming pool and take on gifts

 



 

Worm World, Worm World

Why do we need worms?  Here is a fun and dirty spring activity for the kids. Build a WORM WORLD.  All you need is Earthworms (ones you found, or night crawlers you bought at the store).  Place the worms in a wheel barrow with fresh dirt and shovels.  Also helpful, paper plates, magnify glasses and bug jars available for exploration. 

 

Want more?  

Try this experiment:  Can WORMS Smell?

http://www.stemmom.org/2012/10/can-worms-smell-wormy-experiment.html

 

Or build a Wormery - A Worm House

http://www.spelloutloud.com/observing-worms-with-preschoolers.html

 

Here are 10 children's books all about WORMS  http://happybrownhouse.com/2013/08/27/10-books-about-worms/

Just Go With It

Fun with Paint

On summer day I set up a little painting station outside for the kids and a few friends with a roll of paper, paint brushes and paint.  I just told the kids to "just have fun and go for it".   They painted nicely for a few minutes and then decided to paint their feet, their hands, and next thing I know... clothes were off and they were painting their bodies.  Nothing but smiles and laugher.

 

Potatoe Potato - It's Race Time

Potato Car Races

on your marks... get set... go.....

Here is a fun and entertaining craft for a big group of kids. Create your own Potato Car and have a Race off.   I was asked to lead the "craft time" for a friend's child's birthday party... and this is what I came up with. Create your own Potato Cars and have a race off.  The kids had a BLAST making and races their cars.  And total cost... about 1$ - 2$ per car. 

 

Here is what you need for your Car:

• A large potato - 1 per car
• Wooden wheels (found at Michaels craft store) - 4 for each car 
• Dry wall Nails - 4 for each car
• Small craft beads - the wheels will not spin without it. - 4 for each car
• Popsicle sticks = 1 for each car
• Paint and paint brushes
• Paper plates 

What you need for the Race Track

 

• Large piece of flexible white wood paneling
• Black and White Paint 

 

Leaf Printing

Leaf Prints

Here is a basic but fun project to try with your little ones.  This is a great project for teaching about color, lines, shapes and textures.  And the results are so pretty and unique.  I found this project at http://kleas.typepad.com/kleas/2010/10/leaf-printing.html and http://rubsomedirtblog.com/2011/09/leaf-prints/

So here’s what you need:

• leaves
• paint
• paper
• art tray or cookie sheet

 

Here’s what you do.

1. collect different shape leaves
2. Pour some paint on the art tray and smear it all around
3. Paint your leaf or lay it in the paint.  Be sure to paint the entire leaf so it is completely covered.
4. Place the leaf on clean paper and place another sheet over the top of the leaf.  Press firmly on the paper.
5. Pull off the top paper and slowly pull off the leaf to reveal the leaf print

 

 

SUMMER CAMP - SNAPSHOTS

SUMMER CAMP - SNAPSHOTS

FUNDAMENTALS OF ART





 



 

 

 

EASY PEASY LEGO CRAFTS

School Fundraiser - Auction Time

It's that time of year.  Our grade level got assigned a LEGO basket to auction off at the annual walk-a-thon to raise money for our school.  Here are a few items we will be donating to the cause. You can make them too.  So easy.

 

1.  Get The little boys and girls to wash their hand with DIY LEGO Soap. 

Remove the label and add a variety of LEGOS to a bottle of clear soap.  Just make sure you get the kids permission to use their LEGOs first. 

 2.  LEGO Picture Frame with Mr. Cool riding on a Horse. Why Not? 

Easy Peasy, just arrange LEGOs and hot glue them in place.

Adventures in Art: Look What We Can Do With A Leaf

the FUNdamentals of Art  - LINES

Inspirational book: The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Project Station: LEAF Rubbing & Water Colors  

Preschooler and up can create very detailed leaf drawing by creating a leaf rub. 

Collect a variety of  leafs and lay the "rib side" up.  Place a sheet of paper over the top and using an oil pastes or color canyons rub over the top.  The leaf image should appear. Next, add water color and markers.  

 

Inspiration website: http://www.alyxia.org/2011/08/leaf-rubbing-and-watercolor-painting.html

Collage, Play Dough, Sensory Station : Line Sculptures

Create a King and Queen of fall with these fun leaf crowns.  Simply create a headband with construction paper and adjust the size to the head with a stale or two.  Collect fall colored leaves.  Next, fold and staple the leaves around the headband to create a smooth edge.  Finish with stapling a pipe cleaner with the child's initial. 

 

Inspiration website: http://www.elsiemarley.com/leaf-crown.html
 

Painting WITHOUT Brushes Station: Fingerprint Tree

I created this template and added a little Fall Poem about leaves.   The kids press their thumb in a colored stamp pad and stamp it on the template to create an illusion of a fall tree.  Don't forget to add leaves on the ground and blowing about.  Optional - older kids can add animals or a self portrait playing in the leaves.

I’m a little leaf

Orange, yellow and red

Hanging in a tree

Happy as can be

When the wind blows

It spins me around

Whirling, twirling

Down to the ground

How to look at Art - The Elements of Art Video

Do you know the Elements of Art???

My preschool art class (FUNdamentals of Art) is based on the elements of art.  Each week month we focus on one of the seven elements of art. 
Can you name them all?

Here is a GREAT video to help you remember.



LINE, SHAPE, FORM, SPACE, COLOR, VALUE AND TEXTURE

Adventures in Art

the FUNdamentals of Art  - LINES

Project Station: Letter Lines

Finger Painting on Canvas.  Today we played with Foam Paint and learned the about lines that makeup the first letter our name.  The texture of the foam paint is so fun to touch.  The best part is it's no-spills and dry so fast, almost on contact. Perfect for painting on canvas. Projects go home 10mins later.

 

 

Painting WITHOUT Brushes Station: Rolling Lines

At this station we cover balls with paint and rolled them around on paper to create crazy lines.  We explored different size balls and textured balls.  We also used Bio Paint for bright colors.

 

Collage, Play Dough, Sensory Station : Line Sculptures

What preschooler does not like Pipe Cleaners?  We learned to create different lines with FUN colored and Striped pipe cleaners.  Each child was giving a small square of recycled Styrofoam and took the crazy pipe cleaners lines and stuck them inside. They were also given kid scissors to create different lengths. This is a very easy and fun project that could keep the kids busy for hours. Older kids could make crazy animals or people sculptures.  Found the inspiration from this UK Blog

 

Ice COLD Lemonade for Sale - Lemonade Stand

A Little Lemonade Stand

 

This is a summer must for little ones.  My little girl obsessed with  money and buying things, so we decided to let her earn some money of her own and opened our own Lemonade Stand.  We built a stand from old recycled wood from pallets and painted a the name on some draft wood we collected at the beach.  Grandma helped too by making and donating a few rice crispy treats to sell with our ice cold . The Lemonade and treats were great and we sold in less than an hour!  And made over $25 dollars.

Best tip:  Advertise as "FREE Lemonade" and just put out a donation jar.