Japanese Cherry Blossoms

This was a perfect project for my second graders. We studied some examples of Asian Art and more specificly Japanese Cherry Blossoms. We used watered down acrylic paint dripped on the paper (12x6in) and then each student got half of a straw and they blew through the straw to move the paint around to make their branches. I had to keep reminding them to take breaks and some needed some guidance in getting the right angel, but you can see the awesome variety! The next class I showed them the same pictures as before but pointed out different techniques in creating the blossoms. I put red, neon pink, pink and white for them to experiment with painting their flowers after I did a little demonstration of a few different ways to get started. I was so impressed with how everyone got into painting the flowers!!

Christmas Cards for Soldiers

This is the first round my 2nd graders made for a special request of cards for 5 soldiers deployed. Too cute- their messages made me want to cry!

Veteran's Day poppies

To honor the veterans visiting our school on Monday I had my students create art using poppies as the main theme... Here is a sampling if how they turned out! I was excited:-)

2nd grade

Prek/kindergarten

3rd grade

4th grade

Red Ribbon Week Lunch Bags

Our counselor at one of my schools asked me to have the kids decorate some lunch bags for a sack lunch picnic during red ribbon week (anti-drug week). So far here are the three grades I've done:-) I think they've turned out great!

Kindergarten- we don't give a "hoot" about drugs!

Prek- don't get "wrapped" up in drugs!

(Sorry for the upside down/sideways pics...I'm mobile)

First grade- we're "toadily" against drugs!

Kandinsky Trees- second grade

Loved how this project turned out!!! It took about two 40 minute classes to make. The circles are based off of Kandinsky's famous circle painting.

 I actually am doing this project at my other school with pre-k and kindergarten, but I think it was a perfect project for second grade level!

2nd Grade: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I actually stole this idea from the art teacher at my mom's school when I was studying to be an art teacher (amazingly talented art teacher), which I believe she got it from The Incredible Art Department. We painted all sorts of different colored paper and then cut those up to make these beautiful collages based off of Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar. The kids loved every step of this, my only struggle was getting them to cut the details out rather than draw them with pencils, so I started to precut some things to give them ideas, and that helped.

*Last year I did this with my third graders, and they did an awesome job in about 3-45 minute sessions.