Materials

• Large piece of paper for the background
• Paint
• Paper towel
• Pencil/ eraser
• Glue stick
• Paper (construction paper, cardstock or you could try copy paper)

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Paint a background or use a large sheet of construction or thick paper.  Our daughter used paper towel to create a simple, textured looking sky for her image.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Sketch out your image.  The smaller the details, the smaller you will have to rip your pieces of paper.  We outlined our image in marker for you to see it more clearly in the video, however, it is easier to hide your lines when you don’t.

• Rip your pieces of paper.  We suggest you go with pieces about the size of the pad of your fingers- depending on your age and abilities, you can rip them smaller like our daughter did.  This is a perfect activity to use up scraps and end cuts from other projects!

• Glue your pieces into place, covering your lines.  Some children find it helpful to do the perimeter and then fill in the inside.

• Use different shades of paper to create the appearance of depth.

• Allow to dry and hang up your piece!

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Purpose

• Developing one’s fine motor skills
• Applying a technique to a seasonal project

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.

Materials

• Paper bags
• Paint
• Paint brush/tools
• Hole punch
• Yarn
• Plastic needle
• Stuffing material (Old phone book pages, newsprint, plastic bags etc.)
• Optional:  Leaf template

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Go out into nature with an adult and look at the shape of leaves for inspiration.

• Open your paper bag, spread it out and cut off the bottom section.  Grocery bags are perfect for this purpose, but you can also use a shopping bag.

• Draw your leaf shape.  If you need help,  we have a free leaf template in the Materials section.

• Cut out your leaves (you need two) and flip them over so that you are painting on the side without any print.  Paint your bag as your like.  The kids enjoy this scrape painting technique with an old gift card.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Cut out two copies of your leaves.

• Line your leaves up (we used some binder clips to help hold them together) and punch holes around the edges.  We went with approximately 2.5 centimetres/ 1 inch apart, 1 cm in from the edge.

• Tie your yarn on and sew around the edges- you could up and down with a straight/ running stitch or wrap it around to the next hole as a whip stitch.

• Sew around the edges but leave out a few holes so you can insert your stuffing.  We used phone book pages ripped into strips, but you could crunch up any recyclables that you might have or scrunch up a grocery bag.

• Sew your leaf shut.  Hang your leaves up on display.  Follow the same process to make a pumpkin or any shape that you like!

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Purpose

• Recognizing some of the symbols of the season.
• Developing one’s fine motor skills.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.

Materials

• Small box (like a shoe or boot box)
• Photo of yourself (we had a slightly larger one printed inexpensively)
• Good scissors
• Paint
• Decorating items
• Glue
• Popsicle sticks
• Exacto knife (to be used by an adult)

Directions

• Think of a theme for your diorama- you might be in space like ours, under the sea or in a jungle!  If you use a photo of yourself in costume, this might guide your creation.

• Have an adult cut off the lid of your box with a good pair of scissors.  Paint the background of your box to match your photo.

• Cut out a photo of yourself, mount it on a popsicle stick with a little space left at the bottom so you can stand yourself in a slit once your background is completed.  You will form the foreground.

• Draw and cut things out of  the top of your box or  thick paper such as cardstock to make a background and middle ground.  This would be a good time to explore perspective with your child/ students.  Do items that are further away appear smaller?  Those closer, bigger?

• If you need help getting things to stand, here are a few tips we have used and my students employed with success as well: 1) Use the edge/corner of the box to glue onto, like we did with the silver planet. 2) Use a popsicle stick, glued to the back of your image and the back of the box or other items.  2) Do the same with the egg section of a egg carton. 3) Use folded up paper to glue in between 4) Create further slits and back your work with popsicle sticks. 5) Fold the bottom of your image over and glue the bottom of it to the bottom of your box. 6) Suspend items using fishing line.

• Insert yourself into the scene, after an adult has cut a slit for you.

• Cover the outside of your box, should you like.

• Display your photo box.

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Purpose

• Learning about foreground, middle ground and background.
• Learning about perspective.

Safety Notes

• Be sure to use scissors and a glue gun with direct, adult supervision.
• Follow product directions.
• An exacto knife is to be used only by an adult.

Materials

• Thicker paper (watercolour paper, cardstock etc.)
• Paints
• Items to create texture (kitchen utensils, old credit cards, sponges- use what you have and your imagination)
• Background paper
• Solid colour paper
• Old magazines
• Additional items (buttons etc.)

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Paint your papers and allow them to dry overnight.  Or use old art pieces that you already have and are okay with cutting up.  Create the appearance of texture within your paper by scraping it with an old fork, an old credit card or by using a sponge on it for example.  Use your creativity.  This style of collage is probably familiar to you as it was used by Eric Carle on tissue paper.

• Paint your sky background- what else might you see peeking on the sides of your page- perhaps a sunflower or two?  Allow it dry.  Our daughter went with the technique of blotting and blending the paint with a scrunched paper towel.

• Think about shapes that you could put together to create your scarecrow- what shape might the face be?  The scarecrow’s clothes?  One technique that was often successful when I taught collage was to trace out your idea on the back of your page or make patterns like our daughter did.  This eliminates the lines on the front of your work in case you need to erase it and allows for you to manipulate the shapes within a space before committing!  A ruler can be helpful and if you need help making circular shapes, use lids, bowls etc.

• Once you have cut out all the coloured pieces of your scarecrow, position your finished shapes on your background page and manipulate them prior to gluing them on until your get your scarecrow to look as you imagined it.  Remember that a scarecrow is often mounted on a broomstick with another (or a piece of wood) for the hands- how can you show this?  Will you cut your “straw” out of paper or perhaps even add a bit of real straw that you can often buy at craft stores this time of year for the stuffing?  Can you incorporate the appearance of texture from magazines into your work too?  Pair your work with some solid colours to balance out your painted pieces if you like.

• Add any embellishments to your work- like buttons, beads, ribbon etc.

• Display your work!

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Purpose

• Recognizing common symbols associated with each season.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and a glue gun with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

Materials

• Cardboard (The IKEA sheets are easier to cut than some cardboard- giving the kids the ability to do some of it on their own)
• Paint
• Brushes/ Sponges or cardboard scraps
• Paint pens or markers
• Good scissors
• Large bowl or plate (bugger than your face)
• Elastic

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Sketch out your ideas on your cardboard sheets.   Make sure to make doubles of each- one for the front and another for the back!
• Paint the large portions of your work with paint.
• Add details with paint pens, permanent markers, beads, paper, rope etc.
• Here are some of the ideas that we came up with:

1) Rocket Ship Costume

2) Popsicle Costume

3) Plant and Watering Can Costume

4) Running Shoe in Gum Costume

5)  A Christmas Tree Costume

6) A Birthday Cake Costume

7) Candy Costume

8) Pencil and Paper Costume

• Trace around a large plate or bowl to make your mask hole.  Have an adult cut out this portion out for you.  To secure this to your head, use large elastic which you can purchase at dollar stores, drug stores, fabric and craft stores.   You can also use the elastic to join the two pieces of your costume together over top of your shoulder on each side, (gluing on the inside of the cardboard pieces) and adding a bit at the waist on each side.  Another option is to glue your pieces to an old or thrifted shirt.

• Once Halloween is done, tuck your costume away for the next year for a younger sibling, gift it to a smaller neighbour etc.!

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Purpose

• Re-imagining items for new purposes.
• Recognizing different aspects of various seasonal celebrations.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.  Items such as an exacto/craft knife should only be used by an adult.
• Cord, yarn, rope etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.  Remove costume when on playground equipment etc.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

Materials

• Baseball display cube
• Paint pens (we like the Posca brand)
• Cardstock and whatever types of paper you have on hand
• Scissor
• Pencil/ paper
• Glue

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Think of an idea for your cube.  If you want, sketch it out on paper beforehand.  When you are creating, think about what you would put onto the background- back of the cube.  What will you create for the foreground- the front of the cube?  Your paper cut-outs will form the middle ground, glued onto the little parts where the the baseball stands.   What might you see surrounding your scene?  You can add this to the sides.  These are just thinking points, go with whatever strikes you!

• We used POSCA paint pens which did really well on the surface and allow for the children to create finer details than a traditional brush.  You can outline your details with a permanent marker like a Sharpie if you like, like our son did with on his city scene!  Remember to shake your paint pens prior to using them, so you can have good coverage of your paint.

• Allow each side to dry before moving onto the next, gluing your paper pieces last.

• Display your work!

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Purpose

• Thinking about what makes the background, middle ground and foreground!

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Follow product directions.

We made it based on some Christmas ornaments we made years ago: 

http://make-it-your-own.com/clay-portrait-ornaments/

Materials

• Wooden plaque (You can purchase these at craft stores, dollar stores or online)
• Model magic (our suggestion is to use a coupon or look for sales that happen at Michaels or other stores)
• Clay board
• Rolling pin
• Circle cookie cutter  (you could also use a lid or the opening of a cup)
• Clay tools (optional)
• Drying rack
• Glue gun/ glue
• Stamps
• Ruler
• Pencil/eraser

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Create your face base out of model magic to match your skin tone.  We did this by rolling out a piece on a board and cutting out a circle with a cutter.  Older children could shape their face with their hands and/or flatten out a ball.  If you don’t have a circle cookie cutter, simply use a lid or the opening of a jar.

• Add your details to create yourself in layers- what colour are your eyes, hair etc.

• Once you have made your face, allow it to dry on a cooling rack.  Depending on the heat and humidity in your area, this could be overnight or longer.

• Glue your face onto your plaque and allow it to dry.

• Lightly draw a penciled line to stamp the letters of your name.  Once your ink is throughly dry, you can gently erase it.

• Display yourself and it you like add a written component with this printable: unique

Variation

You could also do this project using white model magic and paint your creations like this one from Art with Mr. Giannetto:

https://youngschoolart.blogspot.com/2015/10/2nd-grade-clay-day.html

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Purpose

• Working with different materials.
• Celebrating each person’s uniqueness.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use a glue gun with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Follow product directions.

Materials

• Pizza pan server (we got ours at the dollar store)
• Pencil and white eraser
• Paint pens (we like the Posca brand- good for peg dolls and rock painting too)
• Permanent black pen

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Sketch out your face on your pizza pan server.  (For older children, you may find children’s drawing books or You Tube videos helpful for this type of drawing for tips about how to draw faces with scale, proportion etc. in mind).  Use a pencil lightly at first to allow for easy erasing and a good quality white eraser.  (In the classroom, I would often cut them in half or thirds)

• Trace over your work with paint pens if you want to give your work a bit of a pop of colour!  Allow each layer to dry.  The Posca brand work well in that you can paint over the layers with the coverage that they give and if you have an unintentional bit, you can paint over those too quite easily.  The larger portion surrounding the face you could do with traditional paint.

• Once dry, display your portrait- our son created his like a mask, but you could flip it the other way (with the handle up, making it easy to hang on a wall in the classroom etc.)

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Purpose

• Sharing information about ourselves.
• Creating a likeness.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Follow product directions.