Use a glass bottle of any size. Tear one inch pieces of masking tape.
Tape to bottle overlapping pieces. When bottle is covered, apply brown
shoe polish with a soft rag. Gently rub off excess. The results look like
an antique leather covered vase.
Easy Sun Prints
Use large sheets of bright construction paper. Take them outside in a
spot where the sun shines and a breeze won't blow them away. lace leaves
and stick arrangements. Hold the leaves down with pins or small rocks. Come
back in one hour.
Bread Painting
Using food coloring in water as paint, and a CLEAN paint brush, create a work
of art on a slice of bread. Toast if it becomes too soggy, and eat (or give to the
birds who are art connoisseurs).
Milk Art
Everyone gets a shallow bowl with a little whole milk (skim doesn't work).
Tell children NOT TO MOVE THE BOWLS! Place three drops of food coloring
(different colors) in three places. With a toothpick, dip the end in dish soap.
Touch the tip to the milk and watch the colors move.
Styrofoam Art
Use styrofoam trays. With a popsicle stick (popsicle eaten) press and draw
a design. Paint over with one color paint. Press paper over design and lift.
Let children discover the fact that letters have to be printed backwards.
Building with Cards
Remember building with playing cards? Frustrating and exciting at the same time.
Let your girls have a go at it. All you need are playing cards.
If you have old playing cards, they can have slits cut into them for another
dimension to building.
Squeeze Painting
Everyone gets a heavy duty ziploc bag. Place either paint (1-2 colors) or
for a different approach, mustard and ketchup. About 1 tablespoon each.
Zip up the bag removing as much air as possible. With the bag flat on the table,
smush the colors around.
Wave Machine
Use a tall clear plastic bottle (dish soap containers work well). Clean well.
Fill 2/3 to 3/4 full of water. Add some food coloring. Fill with cheap salad oil. Cap
tightly with no air inside. Tilt and cat the wave!
Snow Painting
Fill spray bottles with water that have been colored with food coloring
(or if you soak the innards of dead markers you can get colored water from them).
Bundle up and go outside and spray the snow lovely colors. Maybe make
a snow sculpture first, then color it.
String Collage
Soak bits of string and yarns in liquid starch. Arrange on paper (or paper plate)
in a design you find pleasing.
Whatchamacallit
This can be a group or individual project. Using collected items, boxes, tubes,
tape, string, or whatever, create a "whatchamacallit." Create a purpose for
it.
Tin Foil Sculpture
Using wads of tin foil, twist, wad, mold, poke, turn and shape into interesting
shapes.
Marble Painting
Use a box lid (like a shoe box). Put paint into paint tray (or on a paper plate).
Put paper into the box lid. Put a marble into the paint. Pick up painted marble.
Place into the box lid. Roll the marble around by tilting the lid. Try other colors
on the same paper.
Marbleized Paper
Using oil-based paints, put 1-2 drops of paint on a tray of water.
Use a few colors. Swirl gently with a toothpick. Carefully place paper, or cardboard
on the surface and lift. Allow to dry.
Frozen Bubbles
You'll need VERY VERY cold weather for this one, but it makes a great experience.
When the temperature is at least in the teens, blow some bubbles. They freeze
before landing. Some bounce, some break leaving a frozen shell. Awesome!
Bubble Pop Art
Blow bubbles and catch on paper. They break and leave a wet spot. Trace the
spot with a pencil. Continue until you have a lovely design.
Match Stick Art
Everyone is given a paper plate, a container of white glue and one box of wooden matches.
The instructions are: "Use all the matches, stay on the plate and see what you get." This
is a nice getting to know you project as it takes awhile and kids like to chat. Let dry
overnight. The next day (or even better; evening) take outside and burn them. Let the
children know ahead of time that this is a requirement. What was imagination
becomes something; then becomes a memory.
Deodorant Paints
Okay, so it's not deodorant paints, but deodorant bottle paints, I just wanted to get your
attention. Pry off the ball roller of empty deodorant bottles and clean thoroughly.
Fill the bottle with tempera paint and snap the roller ball back on. It makes an
interesting painting tool.
Air Painting
Give each child 1-2 long pieces of crepe paper. Using large arm movements move the
paper through the air. Add music if you'd like. A large space is usually
needed.
Michelangelo was not a Turtle
Maybe the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are not as big as they used to be,
but this is still a great project. To gain appreciation for the original
Michelangelo, tape paper to the underside of tables or desks. Using markers or
crayons, create a picture, or for a real messy challenge, use paint.
Michelangelo did!
Ice Painting
Mix 2 tablespoons of tempera paint into a paper cup half filled with water. Freeze.
Put out large sheets of construction paper. Peel ice paint and use. This is a cross
between water colors and finger painting. If you use only primary colors
(red, blue, yellow) the children will mix and discover colors on their own
.
Car Track Prints
Put out a laaaarrrrrge sheet of paper. Put out paint trays (or paper plates with a
dab of paint). Put out small trucks and cars with interesting tire treads.
Let the children run the cars through the paint then onto the paper.
Later, have a car wash!
Scented Cards
Make a card that will have cutout cardboard shapes glued to it. We'll say
hearts for this card. BEFORE attaching hearts, smear glue on the front of them.
Lay on a sheet of paper and sprinkle powdered jello over the glue. (Strawberry
or cherry is nice for hearts.) Dump of the excess. NOW glue the hearts to the card.
Foil Prints
Very gently crinkle a sheet of aluminum foil. Un-crinkle the foil and place on the table.
Paint a design or picture on the foil. When done, take a sheet of paper and lay it over
the picture. Carefully rub the paper. Children will feel the paint underneath. Lift up.
Ta DAH! You might even get two prints, or another transfer print off the first print.
Experiment!
Cutting and Paper Collage
Don't underestimate the power of simple paper cutting, especially if you have access
to the fancy edged scissors. Even pinking shears cause great excitement for the
children. Supply a variety of paper weights and colors, wallpaper pages, a few
catalog pages and glue. The only instruction is: "Create something."
Blow Painting
Place a blob of paint on paper. Using a straw, blow the paint around. Experiment
with two blobs of different colors at the same time so colors mix, or separately,
so they don't mix. Try explosive bursts of air so the paint splats in a star pattern.
WARNING: Be warned that the children do tend to spit and the straws will drool a
little, but that's okay, let 'em. Also, watch for hyper ventilation.
Tissue Paper #1
Use any cardboard shape, we'll use a heart. Have available tissue paper about
1.5 inch squares already cut. (Organizational hint: have them in margarine tubs
sorted somewhat by color.) Using liquid starch as glue, paint the heart and lay the
tissue in interesting patterns. Colors will overlay and become new colors. Glue
heart onto card or use in a mobile (just examples).
Tissue Paper #2
Use the same tissue paper and starch from TP#1. This time, paint a
cleaned baby food jar. Put the papers on it and create a votive candle
holder.
Tissue Paper #3
Use the same tissue paper from TP#1, glue and cardstock. Cut cardstock in half
(to make 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 pieces). Fold pieces in half to make cards. Crumple pieces of
tissue paper, roll between palms of you hand, to make small balls. Glue the balls, in any
pattern or shape, to the front of your card. Write your message inside.
Toe (& Foot) Painting
Are your children "too big for finger paint"? (Just a hint: you're never
too big for finger
painting.) Suggest a toe & foot painting using finger paints. It's great fun for getting
silly, and can lead to interesting experiences. It can lead to discussions
on handicaps.
Natural Dyes
Natural dyes can be used to color fabric. l Here are some examples:
Yellow: yellow onionskins, daffodils, crocuses
Green: grass, broccoli, spinach
Blue: blueberries
Red: beets
Brown: coffee, tea, walnut shells
Place in enamel pot and cover with water. Boil for 5 minutes or longer if darker shade
is desired. Strain and cool.
Soap Crayons
Put one cup of laundry soap in a bowl. Add many drops of food coloring.
Slowly add water by the teaspoon until the soap is liquid. Stir well. Pour
into ice cube trays (fancy or plain). Set in sunny, dry spot for a few days to allow
crayons to harden. Great for writing on bathtubs.
Pine Cone Painting
Cut paper to fit inside oatmeal container (or other covered round container).
Roll a pine cone in paint. Drop into container, cover. Shake, rattle, and roll.
Try another color.
Gum Drop Sculpture
Put out gum drops and toothpicks and let 'em rip. Only rule: you can only
eat ONE!
Marshmallow Fluff paint
Put a blob of marshmallow fluff on fingerpaint paper. Dampen fingers and smear it around.
Add a drop of food coloring (maybe another drop of color in another corner).
Continue mixing. Create a picture. When dry it becomes smooth and shiny.
BUT ONLY IN A COOL DRY PLACE, NOT A SUMMER ACTIVITY.
Slllooowww Spin Art
You will need an old record player. Poke a hole in the center of a paper plate.
Put it on the record player. Turn it on to a speed of your choice. With markers,
make lines on the plate.
Tips and Hints
Add liquid dish washing detergent to tempera paint. It will make it bubbly and easier
to wash off hands and out of clothes. It will also help paint adhere to slick or glossy
surfaces, such as glass, plastic, metal, tinfoil, and waxed cartons.
Add evaporated milk to give paint a creamier consistency and glossy look.
Add coffee grounds, salt, or sand along with white glue to paint to give it a rough,
coarse, gritty texture. Adding sugar will give it a sparkling appearance when dry.
Toothbrushes (clean old ones) make great brushes for splatter painting or just a
different texture.
