DIY: Art Turntables for the Classroom
While looking for an inexpensive way to make turntables for classroom use, I stumbled onto using two plastic cups, one inside the other. The two key components to making this work are dead simple.
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Self-Hardening Clay
Self-hardening clay is available in five pound boxes at hobby stores, dries on its own when left uncovered in about a week, and is paintable. This clay is great for a first-time art project if no kiln is available, and dividing the five pound cube into eight equal sections gives students a large enough piece to make a small coiled pot.
Pack Rat! Collect Odds & Ends for Classroom Use
From art projects to classroom organization, the whosits and whatsits you collect now will seem worth their weight in gold as you head into next semester.
Homework Valentine’s Project
You can combine an art lesson with a Valentine’s bulletin board with family participation with creative writing while there’s still time before February 14.
Forgot To Buy Valentines? Make Them!
Between assessments and planning a party and fighting a headache, who can blame you for forgetting to buy valentines for your students? Well, print your way out of the doghouse with this tangram valentine.
Valentine’s Day Varieties
Readers’ Favorite: Our collection of Valentine’s Day activities in a variety of subjects and levels. Make some pink applesauce and stained glass hearts, read a Valentine’s Day book, play a few games and then do a quick science lesson by studying your heart rate. That’s a festive day!
Font Lesson: What’s Your Type?
X-height: Since everyone with a computer is a graphic designer by default, we might as well know the correct terminology.
Arizona’s Indian Pottery
A fun art activity to accompany a unit where students learn about Indians from the area that is now the state of Arizona.
Math = Art
A different approach to introduce your elementary students to multiplication is to combine it with art.
Travel to Another Planet
Let your kids decide where they want to go in the solar system, and then create an advertising campaign for it.
Seasonal Themes for Combining Younger and Older Grades
Put an older student with a younger one, in this self-esteem building exercise. Using a Thanksgiving theme, like “Write a story from the turkey’s point of view”, have the younger student tell the story, with the older writing it down.
Applesauce “Cookie” Ornaments
A simple dough that dries to create aromatic hanging ornaments. Please note that these items are not intended to be eaten, even though they smell good enough!
Recycled Christmas Ornaments
For something different, try making Christmas ornaments out of recycled materials. Brainstorm with your art teacher how that might be accomplished in an aesthetically pleasing way, or tackle it on your own with bits of plastic, paper, aluminum foil, string, wire, etc.
Play Dough Options: Do-it-yourself Recipes for Kids
Hey, kids love this stuff! There are so many different kinds of play dough recipes available, we felt that we should share some of each. Play dough is always more fun when you make it yourself. Whether you need to make it now or will use it in the Fall, hang on to all of the recipes compiled here. Try different methods for coloring your dough, as well as adding lemon or orange oil to give it a more fragrant smell – unless of course you’re making the edible dough. Cook it, knead it, freeze it, color it, dry it, paint it, you get the idea. Most of all, have fun and be as creative as you can!
This Is Me: A look at self-portraits for students
Self-portraits can go a long way toward covering many subject areas and, at the same time, giving students a creative outlet. Self-portraits are ideal during the first few weeks of school because the work a student does now can be reassigned at the end of the year for comparison. Lessons along the way in shading, shape, technique and perspective will yield a far different result in the second drawing. Your students may be amazed when they compare two self-portraits done months apart!