Spagetti Painting

Spaghetti Line Painting

Pre K

 

SPAGETTI!!!! This was sooo fun and the kids loved it!!!! We are still on primary colors so I used blue, red, and yellow tempera paint. I have trays and lined them with wax paper (easy clean up). The night before I cooked some spaghetti, not angel hair...too thin! I put a couple strained of noodles in each color. I had one tray for two students, they had to share. STRESS to them that they are not allowed to put the wrong noodle in the wrong color on the tray even though the noodle in the end will become miscolor from the paper paint...lol. Also please please please STESS to them if they are pre K DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS TO SPREAD THE PAINT AROUND!! I had a couple kids decide to make it finger painting instead...NO! LOL But I had them do two papers and mounted the two pieces to one black paper...looks really good.

Just a suggestion, the spaghetti will start to smell after a day or two so I do not suggest to make a whole thing of spaghetti and use it for the whole week....it will smell! 

Leaf Prints

 

Print Making Project with Pre K

Leaf Prints

 

 

This project was fun! A lot of work and very messy! In this lesson I was able to teach the students about printmaking and showing positive and negative space. Also we went over the Fall season and how leaves fall.

 

 

Materials:

 

1. Different types of leaves
2. Cookie Trays
3. Gelatin Clear (found at supermarkets)
4. Black Tempra paint
5. Brayer
6. White Paper (prefer thick paper)
   

 

 

I started off asking about the season. I did this at the end of September so the leaves are starting to fall, which is good for you when you have to collect it for this project. We talked the different trees and the different types of leaves. I have this great poster that show the types of leaves and also shows pictures of how you can transform the different leaves into a figure. Kids loved that!

 

 

After the seasons talk I told them about the art of printmaking. How you print on paper and what things we use is printed on. With Pre K students you have to be careful not to bore them. Again they lose interest easy so I just find fun facts.

Night before!!: You have to prep for this project the night before. Now to create the surface you need to go out and buy clear Gelatin at the supermarket. I was able to get a big box which helped me make about 5 trays. Now this is the trickey thing about this project. I say that one tray is good for one day especially with Pre K students! The issue with the gelatin is holes! The kids like to test you and man do they! Turn around and find a brayer in the gelatin! So just think when you buy the gelatin that the tray wont last. I used my trays for three days, the first day the prints came out great! After that the prints were getting a little rough. So I say buy enough gelatin. Another idea you might think about is why not just use the surface of the metal tin on the cookie sheet. Tried and it does not come out as good. The paint doesn't come off and nice as the gelatin. Another important info is when you are done and you have a break from another class PUT BACK IN FRIDGE!!! It will get goowy and bad!

Back to the class part...Have the black tempera paint out and the brayer. Tell them or shall I say STRESS to them it is like jello and breaks easy! I know gelatin is tougher but they don't know that! lol So when they use the brayer be GENTLE! Tell them to cover the whole jello in black paint.

When it is cover tell them to pick out different shape leaves and decorate the black jello by placing the leaves overtop of the paint. When they have their design place the paper overtop of it. With Pre K I put the paper over it cause they don't know how to properly center so I placed the paper over it. I then allowed them to pull the paper off. Again STRESS to them to pull the one corner and SLOWLY peel it off. If they pull off fast the paper can rip off the gelatin. I really stress to you that the gelatin needs to be cold so it stay in tack. Once it gets warm it will start to peal the gelatin off when you use it. The face on them when it they see their print is priceless. They love it! I then had them dry and matted!



Leave People

Leave People

Pre K

 

Did this project in September where I can still retrieve leaves. I have a lot of trees around me so it was easy to pick a bunch of leaves. I also did this project the same time as the leaf printmaking. They were learning about leaves in Science so lets involve it in art.

 

Ok so I love coffee filters for art but I also am addicted to contact paper, great material for art. So I cut out square peices of contact paper (make a leaf person so you know how big you need your contact paper). The trick for me is I had all the same leaves for the arms, legs, body, and head so I didnt really have different sizes but now thinking of it I might try different types of leaves to make them look different from one another.

So have the contact paper on the table with the sticky side facing them. Then step by step have them put on each body part. I started off witht the head and worked down. Now I insist once the body is together put the other contact paper square over the leaf person so you seal it on both sides. Then once it is sealed they can glue on the googly eyes, dont glue the googly eyes on the leaf and then put contact paper over it....noooo... air bubble. Once the glue the eyes on it I let them dry and then cut the leaft guy from the ends and then BAM you got yourself a leaf guy. Now because the leaves are fresh there will be moister in the contact paper but it still looks good and comes out awesome!

Keith Haring Lines Figure

 

Keith Harring Lines Figure

Pre K

Lines and Primary Colors

 

Lines lines lines..color color color...I wanted to start with the basics...this was my first art project of the year. I wanted to find a fun and exciting artist to show the kids and I picked the perfect one...Keith Haring! Reading native and live around the college I went to I thought hey he is local lets try him. The kids love him and they still rememeber him! I showed them what his art work looks like how he expressed himself on wall of building and subways. He would use zig zag lines, straight lines, wavy lines, dotted lines, etc. 

Once I gave them a quick bio on the artist I showed them a two mintue video, which if you just youtube Keith Haring there are some interesting videos. The one I chose was the one he went to a school and helped them decorate a wall and also shows his works and how famous he got. The kids were very interested.

After that I told them they will be making their own figure...themselve! I have this huge roll of brown paper so I had the kids traced. This was tricky so if you think your kids can trace in partners try...What I did was had the kids stand in line and then trace them quickly. It works if you have the paper already pre cut. Trace then roll up and take another roll and trace... I only have 10 kids in my class so I got it done quickly.

I took the rolls home and cut the figures out...I know..pain but I got it done cause I did trace exactly to them. Next class I taped the figures on the floor with their names on the tape. They came in and went to their figure. I also was teaching lines and primary colors so on each figure I gave them a blue, yellow, and red oil pastel. They were instructed to draw a bunch of different types of lines. We went over lines during the Keith Haring bio. We discussed the different types of lines and I also read a really great line book, "Lines that Wiggle". Great book! So the kids did a great job and drew all types of lines with the primary colors. and then BAM they got themselves a crazy figure!

Self Portraits Popping in!

 

 

 

Bubble Gum Self Portraits

Pre K

 

I did this project for back to school night. I wanted to do a funny theme "Looks who's Popping In!". The parents loved it!

 

Material:

1. Construction Paper
2. Head cut out (Flesh tone colors) PRE CUT
3. White eye balls PRE CUT
4. Color circles for eyes (Blue, Green, Brown) PRE CUT
5. Pupils, small black circle's PRE CUT
6. Pink Balloons (found at Wal Mart in party section)
7. Glue Sticks



First thing we did was look in the mirrors and tell what they see. Example: I see two eyes, one mouth, two eyebrows, etc. Once we go over what we see on a face I then went to each kid and ask what color eyes they have. I then gave them a paper and then a pre cut head. Now I had different color flesh tones and I told them they can choose whatever color flesh tone they would like. I then drew a black line about 3 inches from the botton and told them to glue the head on the paper and have their chins right at the black line. (Reason for black line is to write their names clear at the bottom.)

Once we have the heads on we then started with the eyes. I gave them two pre cut white circles and first asked where they go. I made some funny places of where they go and the kids responded to no! But to make sure all know where to put them it was helpful. They glued the eye balls on and then they had to tell me what color eyes they have. Give them pre cut out color circles and them they to put in the middle of the white eye ball. Then I gave them the pupils. They love that word and it is a cool fact to them when you tell them that is where you see through.  After the eyes are on then I told them to look in the mirror again and ask what are the hairs that are on the lids of our eyes and right above our eyes. They answered lashes and brows. Then I gave them markers of any color to be different and had them put on their lashes and brows.

Now the eyes are done, I asked them what else is on their face. They then told me nose and mouth. I then had them with marker make a nose and mouth. I let them make whatever shape nose they want. Some might say I dont know how to make a nose so I do some examples for help but nost knew how to draw a nose and mouth.


Once the face is on it is time for hair! Now this is great motor skills for them. I gave them a peice of construction paper that realtes to the color of their hair. Then I showed them and STRESS to them how to rip the paper. For the girls I showed how to rip long strips of paper for their long hair. For the boys I showed to rip some peices but not to small. I STRESS to the boys that it should not be smaller then your finger nail. I gave them example sizes for yes and no. It worked...trust me! They listen real well and once they get the peices they glued them on. Now I didnt correct them because this is their work but some boys took their hair all the way down to their chins which was funny and cute!

Once that is done I think drew a solid black line under the face and told them to write their first name. Now being Pre K and the begining of the year some have no clue to do that. I told them TRY! Most know how to and some just did skribble but it is awesome to see the change from then to now. While they are doing that I would blow the pink ballon up.

Now for you the teacher or parent....For the balloon to stick I cut out white squares for a paper. I then stapled the end where you blow to the paper...it wont pop it you stable the tied end. Once that is stapled you then with tac glue put a dab on the white paper and have the kids hold down the balloon for 10 MISSISSIPPI. Funny thing is they count with Mississippi. I told them not to pick it up becasue the glue is still wet and will come off. Once the ballon is on and dried you can hand it up! BAM!!

Bulletin Board September Idea

Love my Phillies!! I made a large Phanatic and put each kids name on a baseball. Came out real cute!! I put this up for the first month in September...still hopeful for them Phils... :)