I have a few Valentine card ideas for kids, but this is definitely my favorite. Start with some pretty patterned paper and you’re guaranteed lovely results. MATERIALS • Heart Punch, 2″ size • Cardstock paper, Valentine colors, 8.5″ x 11″ • Scrapbook paper (Valentine pads found in stationary dept.) • Glue stick (Note: The above list includes referral links. If you … Read More
This winter art project is about learning to mix different shades of green. Keep the drawing simple so there’s plenty of time to experiment. MATERIALS • Multimedia Paper • Crayola Watercolor Mixing Set • Crayons • Hole Punch • White paper, scraps • White glue DIRECTIONS 1. To begin, I asked the students to draw at least three triangles … Read More
This lesson on how to draw a winter town is fun for those that enjoy drawing buildings. I’ve found it especially helpful for students to use grid paper. • View and download Draw a Winter Town Tutorial 1. Draw ground line and four building rectangles. 2. Add a roof lines as shown. 3. Divide buildings with floor lines and … Read More
If you are looking ahead for a Chinese New Year activity, then I’ve got you covered. How about a fun collaborative coloring project for your entire class? My 2019 Year of the Pig mural is made in the style of ancient Chinese paper cutting, and is a breeze to put together. All you need to do is: • Print out all … Read More
My favorite thing about this winter snowflake art is the plastic trading card sleeves that instantly make the art look laminated. Hides any imperfect gluing too. MATERIALS Watercolor paper Art Trading Cards Liquid watercolor paint Salt Card stock paper, white Snowflake punch, vintage Glue stick Scissors Plastic trading card sleeves DIRECTIONS Use liquid watercolor paints on watercolor paper cut to … Read More
My students needed some easy snowman drawing directions, so I make this diagram. Simple adjustment of the face and buttons can add a lot of dimension. Consider making a snowman art show with lots of these guys all lined up looking around and in different directions. So much more fun than every one just looking straight ahead. MATERIALS Drawing paper, … Read More
And then color and paint your gingerbread man with some yummy colors. Really young students may need a form to trace as all his rounded lines are more difficult to draw than straight lines. Older students though may enjoy adding more detailed frosting and a shadow to the sides so he looks more dimensional. MATERIALS • Multimedia or watercolor paper … Read More
This could be the world’s easiest way to make a cute polar bear drawing. I like using markers to keep the whites white, but any media will do. MATERIALS View and download Snow Bear Tutorial Drawing paper Black, red and blue markers DIRECTIONS Draw the snow bear according to the tutorial. Trace all the lines with a black marker. … Read More
Make your own homemade snow globe with just a plastic cup and some Model Magic. Add a Santa hat for some extra holiday fun. I saved this homemade snow globe project to introduce kinders to Model Magic for years and loved it. The cups kept their snowman creations safe and air tight so they stayed nice a fresh for quite … Read More
Learn how to draw a nutcracker that touches the top and bottom of your paper and you’re guaranteed to always fill the paper. I drew these with kinders through 5th graders for years, and found it worked well for everyone. Older students ended up taking more time to add details, and more of a background (windows, doors, gifts, etc.?). There … Read More
Here’s an easy Christmas card idea that makes a very colorful image. Just change the colors and it works for many different celebrations. Making holiday cards with kinders may sound like a fairly simple task, until you factor in all the details. Is it doable with a wide range of abilities? Is it flexible for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or neither? … Read More
These DIY pop up Christmas cards are easy to make, thanks to the fact that you can now get circle paper punches in a variety of sizes. Just be sure to cut all the circles and flakes ahead of time. Don’t make the mistake I did which was to think I could punch out plenty while students worked. Stress is … Read More
Mosaic art for kids can happen with simple beans, thanks to all the varieties available. The earliest examples of mosaics have been found at a temple in Mesopotamia, which means this is one of the oldest art forms around. SUPPLIES • Cardboard, 2″ x 2″ or similar rectangle • Dried beans, four or five different types • Craft glue • … Read More
Looking for some simple turkey drawing inspiration? Here are some variations I’ve tried over the years. Marker, watercolor, tempera and poster markers – they all start with this PDF tutorial that you can download below. If you choose to paint, large paper (like 18″ x 24″) is fun for younger students as it gives them room to draw all those … Read More
Here’s how to color a turkey, and end up with a very cool looking work of art. Sgraffito is the art of scratching color away to reveal something underneath. The idea is to draw a turkey, trace it with a black marker to make the lines stand out, color it well, cover all with a black pastel, and then scratch … Read More
If you’ve totally run out of Halloween drawing ideas, then you’ve come to the right place. This cat in a pumpkin is both easy and cute, the best combination. I like having students draw and color on a 6″ x 9″ paper so it’s easier to fill in the background. It helps your supplies to last longer and also fits … Read More
Halloween symbols can be pretty fun to draw. Here’s a worksheet with some ideas, and a page full of boxes to help arrange them in a creative way. This handout was made to help young elementary students see some basic Halloween symbols and draw their own collection on a frame filled page. MATERIALS Halloween Symbols PDF Tutorial (Download here) Black … Read More
How about a mummy craft that is easy, cute and made from just two materials? A pipe cleaner and a little gauze is all it takes to make this little guy. MATERIALS Matchbox PDF Tutorial White cardstock paper Printer Markers, I love the Stabilo brand Tape or glue stick White Pipe cleaners, 1 per student Pipe Cleaner video, or diagram … Read More
Teach students how to draw a “Crankenstein”, thanks to this very funny new children’s book by Samantha Berger. Super simple and cute. Turns out that you only need a few elements to draw a Crankenstein. Angry eyes, a wiggly mouth and hunched shoulders all add up to one very angry kid. Add a little green paint and you have a … Read More
Students trace an old CD to help draw the head of this not-so-scary vampire drawing for kids tutorial. Would you like to personalize this vampire a bit? No problem. Just change the hair length and color to make it look more like you or someone else. Still learning how to draw arms and legs? No worries here as the red … Read More