How to Create Martian Food Art Projects
Creating Martian food art gives kids a chance to learn and play at the same time. They can name the different Martian foods they make and come up with a Martian diet based on how they imagine Martians growing and preparing food. The project offers an opportunity to talk to kids about the difference between fantasy such as books and movies about Mars and other worlds and facts about the actual planet Mars. By providing some educational resources and inexpensive supplies, you can give the kids a memorable Martian food art adventure.
Things You'll Need
- Non-toxic bright-colored clay
- Kid's clay tools
- Clay extruders or cake-decorating pumps
- Doll bowls and dishes (optional)
- Foil
- Lightweight cardboard
- Safety scissors
- Colored paper, such as construction paper or metallic paper
- Tape
Instructions
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Explore information about Mars. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration program (NASA) website, Imaginemars2.jpl.nasa.gov, offers information about Mars for kids. Provide books about Mars for the kids to look at and talk about as inspiration for creating Martian food.
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Set up the art-project area on a table. Set out enough safety scissors, tape, cardboard, foil and colored paper for all the kids. Put out colorful modeling clay, clay tools and extruders. Extruders are pumps that push clay out in shapes.
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Give the kids lightweight cardboard, such as the kind used in T-shirt and shirt packages or as backing for binder paper. The kids can cut the cardboard into plates, bowls and cones to fill with Martian food. Give them foil, colored paper and tape to use to cover the cardboard to cover the food containers.
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Show the children how the extruders create different shapes and textures, and how to cut the extruded clay with clay tools so they can make purple Martian patties, orange star Martian cookies, a thick lump of green Martian stew and whatever their imaginations devise.
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Display the completed Martian art food the way it would look set out for a Martian feast.
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Tips & Warnings
Plastic knives and forks--or preferably, their eco-friendly versions--work well as inexpensive clay tools.
Pre-cut the foil in squares so all the kids can start their projects together. This is safer than putting out the box with the sharp cutting strip.
For young children, or a time-limited project, you can set out doll dishes for the children to use for creating their Martian food art.
You can teach children about the ways in which cultures decorate dishes and bowls. Ask them to imagine what kinds of dishes Martians would serve food in and eat from, and what kinds of utensils they might use.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit colorful clay image by Karin Lau from Fotolia.com
