How to Make Pictures Using Sand, Air & Water

Incorporate art into your science lessons about sand, air or water.

Art is not only educational, but fun. Children enjoy the act of creating, so you can take advantage of that in many different lesson plans. Unusual mediums and techniques, such as sand, air and water, can keep kids engaged in what they are doing.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board
• Scissors
• Container
• White craft glue
• Paint brush
• Colored sand
• Plastic or foil trays
• Heavy art paper
• Straws
• Ink, food coloring or paint
• Mineral oil
• Oil paints
• Water

Instructions

Pictures Using Sand

1. Cut a piece of poster board into four to six smaller pieces. You will need the strength of poster board, but a whole sheet is too big for kids to work with. Distribute one piece per child.

2. Pour craft glue into a container. Have children make some lines or designs on the poster board with the glue and a paint brush.

3. Pour colored sand into large foil or plastic trays until the sand covers the bottom of the tray. Use one tray per color.

4. Have kids turn the poster board glue-side down onto the sand. Press it down and shake it a bit to ensure the glue parts are covered with sand.

5. Let kids paint some more glue onto the poster board and put it into the sand tray of a different color. Let them continue this until the have multicolored sand images.

Pictures Using Air

1. Distribute pieces of heavy art paper to students. Paper made for watercolor painting is ideal. give each student a straw.

2. Dribble a few drops of ink, food coloring or watery tempera paints onto the paper.

3. Let children blow the paint around the paper with straws to create streaks, lines and other interesting designs. Add more color as needed.

Pictures Using Water

1. Mix each oil paint color with mineral oil to thin it out to a runny consistency.

2. Fill a tray half way with water. Dribble the oil color paints on the surface of the water. Gently shake the tray back and forth to create some waves so that the colors begin to mix on the surface. Don't let them mix too much, though; you want it marbled, not muddy.

3. Instruct students to lay a sheet of white art paper on top of the surface carefully, then pull up the paper. Since the water and oil don't mix, the paper will pick up the oil paints and the result will be a lovely marbleized color design.

4. Hang the paintings to dry. When the colors get too muddy, dump the water, refill it and add more oil colors.

References

• Family Fun; "Blow Painting";