Hot Air Balloons

Hot Air Balloons

Paper Mâché

Believe it or not...Pre K is amazing paper mâché! They handle it well and can complete it with no help! Shocked me!

So we are talking about how it is warming up and what we like to do on nice days. We talked about hot air balloons and I showed them some videos on YouTube of hot air balloons. Got them really interested and they loved how they get the hot air balloon together! Very important to get them thinking about designs now so before starting I drew a blank hot Air balloon, made copies and have them design the ballon. I showed them some with designs, faces, patterns, etc.

Once they have an idea we started. I had pre cut squares of news paper ready along with glue/water mixture. I blew up the latex balloons...GREAT TIP, for the balloon to stay still put a piece of scotch tape to the table..better if the table has paper covering it so it sticks good to the paper. Warning...don't tAke the tape off when it drys just paper mâché over the tape because it will POP! I had the kids paper mâché one side one day then do the other side the other day. stress to them that you want them to take ONE piece at a time and you want overlapping. Now my kids learned what overlapping is so definitely demonstrate that. Tell them you do not want to see any balloon showing. That is why I got color balloons and not white so they can make sure they cover every bit of the balloon.

Tricky part, to get that little lip at the bottom of the balloon, I cut prices of paper towel rolls and had them glue it on. They sat over night, I used tacky glue so it will stay.

Design time! I gave the. Their papers back for reference but I STRESS to them about making a design of some sort, I didn't want them to just throw paint on their if they didn't have an idea on what they wanted to do! Very creative children...I'm telling you! We used tempra paint, now through the painting stage I have the balloon under the paper still inflated. I do not deflate it u till the paint is fully dried! You can leave the balloon in but it stays when you deflate it too.

For hanging...I used a safety pin and put a hot in the top middle of the balloon. It will probably pop it...all good. Then I took a paper clip and hooked it through the hot and puncture another hole to get the clip out. After I did that I used Tack Glue to the holes so it doesn't rip during hanging.

Basket- I cut a small plastic cup (Great Earth Day! Perfect planning time! lol) and made an outline on color paper so it will fit perfect to the cups. Once I got the outline and did a couple different color papers and put the outline on them. The kids were instructed to pick a color BUT! they must draw something on there. They were not to scribble, the paper is already color they don't need to scribble all over it. I wanted pictures, polka dots, strips, etc. Once they were done they were to cut it out. I put the paper on the cups and stapled it.

Connecting the basket. Now this is tricky. If you want the kids to do it like I did I needed to be there to help so it took me two kids at a time. So have the other kids color or something to occupy them. I them showed them step by step how to thread it properly. Great motor skills activity!

Once it is finished BAM you got yourself a Hot Air Balloon!!

 

Georgia O'Keeffe

 

 

Georgia O'Keeffe

 

 

So I wanted to focus next on a female artist who works with something that can tie into spring. So I thought flowers are starting to bloom and they are learning that in Science so let talk about the artist Georgia O'Keeffe

 

So I talked to the kids a little about the artist but what they know is she likes to paint flowers and skulls. We talked about how she used shapes and mostly abstract shapes especially in her close up pictures.

Now originally I was just going to have them all do large flowers but talking to the boys I decided let throw in some later work of her when she started with the skulls. The boys love it! What I did was I took large white paper and on each paper I drew a large petal, or for the skull one paper had a horns and the other paper had the skull. Now the kids that get the flower I used four piece of paper, one petal for each paper. The middle of the flower is just a paper plate. For the skull I used three pieces of paper, one for the hear and one paper each for the horns.

Now they are Pre K and we are approaching the end of the year so I drew them on the paper and they cut each one out. Now some kids were done that day some had to use another half class to finish up.

So once they got the shapes cut out I had them paint each petal one at a time. Now I wanted to do something different so I made foam paint out of tempera paint, shaving cream, and glue. Glue is important because it holds the consistence together. Learned that lesson..lol So they took a petal at a time and walked to what color they wanted. I had six colors to choose from and they were separated , each color had a bowl with two spoons and two brushes, two kids at a station (color). It worked out nicely. Now I am big on this, do not mix my colors in the bowls, so they were not able to mix the color, cause they love to end up with the brown gross look so no mixing for us.

Once they were done with one they put that on the drying rack and go to their pile which I placed in the room and get another petal and repeat that until they are done. Once all four petals are done they took a paper plate and painted it black. For the skulls they just had to paint the two horns and the head.

When the pieces are all dry, the flower students had to put them together, you will need to assist them. I had the plate lying down and had them circle glue around the bumpy parts of the plate. Then one petal at a time glue on. Now each petal I gave them a strip of packing tape to secure the petal and helps it to dry to the plate too. Each petal got a strip of tape. For the skulls and I had them glue the horns on and I gave them a strip of tape for each horn (it is very helpful I suggest using the tape and glue). Once they had that on then I have them pre cut ovals for the eyes and nose. Then BAM! you got yourself a Georgia O'Keeffe flower and skull!

Georgia O'Keeffe

 

Georgia O'Keeffe

 

Currently we are on Georgia O'Keeffe, and I must say the kids love her. Not only are they happy (more of the girls than boys) about the project but that we are now talking about a female artist and not these boy artists..lol

 

This was a small one day filler I have for the kids. We are talking about Georgia but also abstract shapes. We discussed the different shapes that abstract can be.

 

What you need for this project is just...

Glue (liquid white)

Liquid water colors

 

I got a paper plate covered it in tin foil (I suggest use plastic wrap instead) had the kids take the bottles of glue and squeeze a bunch of glue on the tin foil.

 

Once they did that they chose from two color (please limit the colors because it will turn brown with more color you give them)

 

Give them very little of the color...the size of the glue blob is not large and you put too much color on it will get watery and take FOREVER to dry.

 

They used tear droppers to apply the color to the glue. It is cool to see how the paint bounces off the glue.

 

It took about a day to dry and once that I hole punch and put string through them. BAM!! Really cool in the window...looks like stain glass!

Baby Chicks are coming!!!

 

The Chicks are COMING!!!

 

At our school we have a farm that comes out and delivers us 12 eggs to look after for one week. During that week we keep them in a incubator and watch while they hatch. Super excited!

 

Well I thought it would be fun to have a count down and make our owe chicks. Now this is a cute project for Easter too...

 

First I traced their hands...I actually had them trace their hands...I cut them out...it take a good chunk of time for them too...trust me!

Second I pre cut out the chicks body, beck, eyes, legs and squares of yellow tissue paper

Third I had the kids start...they used glue sticks and covered the entire yellow egg shaped body in glue.

Fourth then crumpled the tissue paper (like they were throwing away paper) and put it on the glued paper. STRESS to them that the glue on the paper dry's really fast so they have to put on the paper quick. Also if it does dry tell them to reapply glue.

Fifth with liquid glue, have them apply the eyes, beck, hands, and legs...also give them a marker and tell them to put in the pupils!

BAM! You got yourself some chickies!!! Came out super cute...love it!