Spring Art Projects for Teachers
Most children enjoy art projects. Unfortunately, teachers know that art projects can be time-consuming -- taking valuable time away from the core subjects -- and expensive. For these reasons, it's important to choose projects that are not only educational, but use readily available and inexpensive materials. Shake off that cabin fever this spring and do some creative art projects with your students.
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Butterfly Garden Stakes
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Make homemade butterfly garden stakes to illustrate or expand on a lesson on insects, metamorphosis or if you have raised live butterflies in the classroom. Not only is this project easy for most ages, but it uses inexpensive materials. The end product makes a great Mother's Day present, especially when inserted into a potted plant. Pass out card stock templates of open butterfly wings, and have the students trace them on colorful construction paper. Or, let the students draw freehand. Tell the students to decorate the wings in whichever medium you prefer. Pastels have a soft effect, while markers create bold butterflies. Then, have the children fold the butterfly in half. Pass out wooden barbecue skewers (or long plastic straws if you have younger children) and have the students tape the butterflies to the top of the skewer, along the fold line. Then, glue a fuzzy pipe cleaner (cut them ahead of time to the size that will fit the butterfly template) over the taped part of the stick to form the body of the butterfly. Note that these butterflies are best used with indoor plants or used outdoors only on sunny days.
Fingerprint Flowers
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Show the children how special they all are by showing them that they each have a unique fingerprint. Then, turn those fingerprints into colorful spring flowers. This is a good art project for young children. Have the children draw and cut out the shape of a flower with petals large enough to hold a fingerprint. Use colorful construction paper. Then, have each child dip a finger or their thumb into acrylic paint and press one fingerprint on the tip of each petal. Let the flowers dry, then tape them onto wooden craft sticks. Then, have the children decorate a paper cup with markers. Insert the flowers into paper cups filled with dried beans. If you are doing this with very young children, make sure they don't try to eat the beans.
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Bottle Bird Feeder
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This is a good extension to a science lesson on birds or migration. Begin by taking the students outside to find birds. Identify the birds, and talk about what birds do in the spring. Tell the students that the birds eat a lot in the spring because they are busy building nests. Ask each child to bring a clean, 1-liter plastic bottle to class with the labels removed but with the lid, along with a wooden spoon. Spend a day painting the bottles with acrylic paints, then let them dry. Seal the paint with a spray sealant. After they are dry, have a parent volunteer cut two holes in each bottle (use a craft knife) large enough for the stem of a wooden spoon to fit through. The holes should be directly across from each other. Then, cut a hole directly above one of the existing holes so that birdseed can spill out onto the spoon. Have the students insert the wooden spoons into the bottles, making sure the round end of the spoon rests under the extra hole. Then, use a funnel to fill the bottles with birdseed. Tie a string around the lid to hang the bird feeders.
Nature Collages
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Use natural items found in your school yard or brought from home to create works of spring art. The natural pigments in bright green leaves and colorful flowers will leave an imprint on unbleached muslin or white card stock. Spread the flowers and leaves out on the paper or fabric, and then cover them with another layer of fabric or paper. Give each student a wooden block and show them how to pound on the fabric or paper to transfer the color. Uncover the flowers and leaves and brush off the plant remains to reveal the imprint. These make wonderful gift cards or even T-shirts. Because this activity is noisy and involves fine-motor coordination, it is best done with older children outdoors.
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References
- Photo Credit child's art image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
