Christmas Magic

If you are anything like me, then you are searching for fun activities that will keep your student engaged from now until Christmas Vacation. YIPPEE!!! 9 school days left in 2014 for me!

I have found the perfect, easy to prepare activity that will not only A-MAZE your students, but this could be turned into a Christmas gift for your students to gift to someone they love.

Jenny K, from Art with Jenny shared her Shaving Cream Magic Trick Ornaments, and I am in love! 

Here is the video

I can NOT wait to do this with my students this week! 

I think I will make them earn it... art surprise for being on the Nice List all day long! :)

Turkey Art

I have THE GREATEST art docent mom EVER this year! She comes up with the most fun projects for my students, and these projects have multiple steps...let me tell you! I am always impressed with all of the time she puts into planning and prepping for her lessons with my class.

Here is their ADORABLE Turkey art that she came and did with my class this week!

 They painted leaves white and them pressed them onto brown paper. Then sponged fall colors on the background.

Next, students chose from many different colors of pre-cut (by this wonderful mom!) of tissue paper. They used regular glue stick glue, then wrapped the tissue paper around the eraser-end of the pencil and pressed it onto the turkey.  

 Keep going... and going... but they really got into a rhythm! They loved this! 

And look how great they turned out!

I have parents and other teachers walking into my room daily complimenting our turkeys :)

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful and creative Art Docent Mom!

Beautiful + Simple Fall Art

At our school we have parent volunteers come in to classrooms and teach our students art each month. These wonderful volunteers are called our Art Docents. We learn about different artists, different techniques, we use lots of fun materials, and we create BEAUTIFUL art together.

Art Docents usually start coming into the classroom mid October, but my blank hall space was eating me alive so I took an afternoon (about 3 weeks ago...sorry for the post-delay) and we created some beautiful and simple Fall Art together!

I got this idea from Deep Space Sparkle under 2nd grade art ideas. Go check out Patty's ideas! She is amazing!!

Supplies Needed:

Tissue paper cut into rectangles (mine were about 3" x 5")

Sharpie pens

Construction paper, I chose light blue to look like the leaves were falling through the sky

Liquid glue, watered down

Paint brushes

Outlines of fall leaves for students to trace, I found mine in google images

First, we read a book about fall leaves, we discussed fall leaves, colors we see and notice. Then I introduced the art project. And YAYYYYYYYYY!!! Were they ever excited!

Step One: Students trace leaves carefully on to the tissue paper. Surprisingly the sharpies did not tear the tissue paper AT ALL!

Step Two: (I missed getting a picture of this step) Student carefully cut around the outline of the leaf. I had my students leave a tiny border and not cut right on the sharpie outline.

Step Three: Students place their cut out leaves onto the construction paper then use the glue + water mixture to paint on the glue, gluing the leaves in place. I modeled this step for students a few times. I showed them how to start at the top and in nice long strokes paint down the leaf so it wouldn't get bunched up or messy. They did AWESOME!

Step Four: Let dry. We finished just before recess (yes I planned that!!) and they were not quite dry when we came back. We left them on our desks to completely dry, then I hung them up in the hall for everyone to gawk at :)

A beautiful and simple way to add color, art, and fun to our hallway.

PS. Don't you love the hanging space we have for our art? Every classroom has a similar space that our school put up outside our classrooms for art. They are those long wire-like hanging systems from IKEA. We use clips to attach the art and the sign in the middle lets people know which class the art comes from!