Monthly Archives: June 2011

Hot Rocks

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

(I’ve seen this on the web here and there, but I first saw it in the fabulous book Summer Crafts by Marjorie Galen, which I bought in a used bookstore two years ago. The book was published in 2005, and … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, color, drawing, elementary & up, outside art, preschool & up, toddler/preschool | 3 Comments

Peek-a-boo Paintings

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

Materials: Drawing and/or painting materials of your choice; drawing or watercolor paper, depending; acetate the same size as your paper (we used this); tape; paint for the acetate–this can’t be too watery–we found liquid acrylic and gouache worked well, tempera … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, books, color, community, elementary & up, literature, painting, preschool & up, toddler/preschool | 3 Comments

Inspired by Mr. Carle

Posted on June 22, 2011 by

Kate at An Amazing Child is hosting a week-long celebration of Eric Carle‘s birthday. We are lucky here not just to own and have read many, many of Eric Carle’s books, but we’ve also been to visit his fabulous museum … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, books, collage, community, elementary & up, literature, painting, preschool & up, toddler/preschool | 4 Comments

Process to Product: Bookmarks for Teacher Gifts

Posted on June 20, 2011 by

We’re not all about process around here. Sometimes, we need a handmade gift. I do try, though, to include as much chance for open-ended creativity as I can, and I like for the boys to give their teachers something a … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, color, elementary & up, painting, preschool & up, toddler/preschool | 7 Comments

(Guesting)

Posted on June 17, 2011 by

I’m over at Michelle’s site Lagniappe Academy today, hoping to show her readers that the art portion of a homeschool curriculum doesn’t have to be stressful! When I first met Michelle, her daughter was in school and I was homeschooling. … Continue reading →

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The Importance of the Proper Tools

Posted on June 16, 2011 by

I’ve always believed that kids deserve as good-quality art supplies as we can manage. This doesn’t mean the most expensive, but the tools and supplies we provide for our kids shouldn’t lead to frustration. The pencils and crayons should draw … Continue reading →

Posted in basics, supplies, toddler/preschool, tools | 5 Comments

Seaweed Printing

Posted on June 13, 2011 by

N wanted to try printing with crabs and seaweed, remember? So we gave it a try before the crabs completely decomposed–as it was, they were pretty stinky! (I’m going to repeat this here: The crabs were dead when we found … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, elementary & up, painting, preschool & up, printmaking, toddler/preschool | 6 Comments

Working With Found Materials

Posted on June 9, 2011 by

I recently purchased Beautiful Stuff! Learning With Found Materials by Cathy Weisman Topal and Lella Gandini. This is not a how-to book; it’s a documentation of how the authors and teachers worked with early childhood students, in a Reggio Emilia-inspired … Continue reading →

Posted in books, elementary & up, kids out of the studio, outside art, preschool & up, supplies, toddler/preschool | 4 Comments

Planning Ahead

Posted on June 6, 2011 by

Even though my kids have three weeks (too much!) of school left, our minds are on summer. Every summer (and family vacation, and holiday season) I check in with everyone in the family to see what we all want to … Continue reading →

Posted in all ages, elementary & up, excursions, kids out of the studio, preschool & up, toddler/preschool | 7 Comments

Sponge Roller Painting

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

Materials: Small sponge roller, large heavy-weight paper, tempera paint When we printed with scratch foam and then with hot glue plates, G seemed to most enjoy rolling out the ink. So the next time I was at the craft store, … Continue reading →

Posted in color, painting, toddler/preschool | 1 Comment