MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

Pokey Little Puppy

I love the Golden book, the Pokey Little Puppy. Lately I find that I am the human pokey little puppy. I've been so busy doing my monthly newsletter, The ArtsyKidsNEWS, that I have rather abandoned this very nice blog. Please forgive my too busy schedule !

I'd love if you subscribed to my newsletter. It's free, comes in your email once a month, and always has a free book giveaway. Most important, it always has process art to share. 
To subscribe, go here: 
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Another place that keeps me busy is my process art group on Facebook. Everyone shares such amazing ideas. You can join for free. Go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/processart/

 

"Things" may be busy, but there are still many great art ideas just waiting for you! I look forward to sharing art with you.

 

MaryAnn

www.brightring.com

Enhancing Literacy Through Process Art

Enhancing Literacy Through Process Art

This I know: If you want to hold the attention of a child, read a book out loud to him. If you want to see a child become easily and deeply involved in creativity, give him crayons and paper for free drawing. We know these truths to be self-evident, for we’ve seen and done them so many times we can’t begin to count them!

Books and art have always been powerful tools for motivating, subduing, intriguing, and delighting children. Indeed, it is proven through research that success in reading is linked to early experiences reading-aloud to children and reading aloud as often as possible. As an article in the online magazine Collage says, “Reading aloud is more than saying words.” Following up reading time with related activities such as art increases a child’s love and appreciation of books, and inspires children to return to their favorites with deeper understanding and comprehension.

Because picture books are the center of a young child’s step into literacy, following up with easy art ideas that center on the illustrator’s style or technique is a natural progression requiring no great expertise on anyone’s part. Activities use materials found in most classrooms or homes. For example, crayons and blank paper are the perfect combination for a starting point. Try this with a child or small group of children, and judge for yourself: Read-aloud a favorite children’s classic picture book, such as Harold and the Purple Crayon [Crockett Johnson, author and illustrator], as you and your child enjoy the illustrations along with reading the story aloud.

Follow-up the reading time with an incredibly easy and enjoyable art activity: Simply draw on large blank paper with a purple crayon! Draw anything. There is no right or wrong way to explore art. After all, it is the process of exploration and discovering that is most valuable, not the finished product. In other words, enjoy the doing more than the end result. When the purple drawing and coloring and designing and exploring is over, the next time you read Harold and the Purple Crayon to your child, you will notice a remarkable and directly related interest in the illustrations due to this very simple activity. Your child is appreciating art and tying together the enjoyment of reading with the experience of art.

If the child was particularly enamored with the purple crayon experience,take it a step further on another day: tape purple yarn in rambling and looping designs on a sheet of cardboard or on a tabletop. The yarn will travel great distances with great freedom of creativity. Some children like to color or paint in the spaces in the looping yarn; other are content to loop away the afternoon. When the child hears Harold and the Purple Crayon once again, the appreciation of the illustrations combined with comprehension of the story will be greatly enhanced and ingrained by the hands-on process experience. The child will have a more personal relationship with the book not only hearing it read aloud, but getting to know the book through hands-on process art related to the illustrations.

One of the most loved books and most requested art ideas go hand-in-hand with this follow-up activity, requiring only paper, scissors, crayons, aluminum foil, and glue. Bits of sparkly craft items like sequins or glitter are optional, based on whatever you have on hand. The project honors the process of creativity and does not have a planned outcome. Read aloud Caldecott Award Winner, The Rainbow Fish [Marcus Pfister, author and illustrator]. Enjoy the sparkly illustrations while reading along. Talk about the shiny fish scales and the colors of the Rainbow Fish himself. As a follow-up, place small scraps of aluminum foil, scissors, paper, crayons and glue on the worktable. Invite the child to create a sparkly crayon drawing, incorporating bits of foil glued into the artwork. Though some children will try to create a sparkly rainbow fish, others will most certainly work up abstract colored designs and then snip and tear aluminum foil into bits and shapes to glue into the art. Like snowflakes, rarely are two artworks ever the same if the creative process is honored over the finished product.

Plain paper and crayons will always be the shining star of art follow-up activities for read-aloud book time or any time. Drawing on plain paper with crayon, uninterrupted by an adult, has been proven by research to benefit children in their success in all other subjects. Art for children doesn’t have to be fancy; it simply must have a moment in time to be offered to a child. Children are capable of looking at illustrations and seeing elements they may wish to explore in their own art. Children are capable of appreciating illustrations for their style, color, and appeal. Children are inspired to love and appreciate books through hands-on companion art experiences. Give them the gift of opportunity to appreciate their books as they get to know the illustrations first hand and hands-on.

 

Listed below are summaries of quick follow-up art ideas to enhance a child’s love and appreciation of favorite read-aloud picture books (found in Storybook Art by Kohl and Potter):

Corduroy - Don Freeman author/illustrator
- make prints from scraps of corduroy pressed in paint and then on paper

Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey, author/illustrator
- dip a fingertip in blue paint and make finger-dot designs on paper

Elmer - David McKee, author/illustrator
- create patchwork designs, like Elmer’s skin, with collected junk and bright construction paper background

It Looked Like Spilt Milk - Charles Shaw, author/illustrator
- mix ¼ cup white glue with 1 cup frothy shaving cream, and use to fingerpaint white puffy designs on blue or black paper

Ten Black Dots - Donald Crews, author/illustrator
- with any chosen number of black dot stickers, create a design with dots and incorporate the dots in a drawing (4 dots, wheels of a car; 6 dots, apples in a tree; 1 dot; a nose on a puppy; 20 dots, fancy design)

Gilberto and the Wind - Marie Hall Ets, author/illustrator
- draw on green colored paper with pencil and accent parts with white chalk (like the illustrator’s style)

A Tree is Nice - Marc Simont, illustrator; Janice Udry, author
- collect fallen natural materials from trees (leaves, needles, twigs, blossoms), place them under a sheet of paper, and make a crayon rubbing with peeled crayons rubbed over the bumpy design

Alligator Shoes - Arthur Dorros, author/illustrator
- a book about fancy shoes inspires kids to decorate an old pair of sneakers with felt, buttons, rick-rack, and other trims on hand; drawings or tracings of shoes may also be designed and decorated; boots, slippers, flip-flops, and so on.

More Spaghetti I Say - Mort Gerberg, illustrator; Rita Gelman, author
- mix strands of cooked spaghetti and glue in a bowl; stir in glitter or small decorative things if desired; arrange spaghetti strands on aluminum foil dry until hard and shiny. Peel away, and hang by a thread.

 

Further Recommendations

Storybook Art, MaryAnn Kohl and Jean Potter (Bright Ring) 

Discovering Great Artists, MaryAnn Kohl and Kim Solga (Bright Ring)

The Psychology of Art: A Psychology Today Book, Rhoda Kellogg (CRM; distributed by Random House)

Analyzing Children's Art, Rhoda Kellogg (Mayfield Publishing Company)

Creative and Mental Growth (8th Ed), Viktor Lowenfeld (Prentice Hall)

The Best in Children's Books: The University of Chicago Guide to Children's Literature

The Hedgie Awards offers a list of the best read-aloud Picture and Chapter books, grouped in categories such as Early Readers and Read-Alones. Visit Kids Art website and find truly creative, inspiring art ideas.

Read Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease (Penguin USA)

The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children, Eden Ross Lipson (Random House)

Copyright © 2014 Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
For questions or permissions to reprint, write to MaryAnn here, or phone 800-480-4278.

 

Related articles

ArtsyKidsNEWS October 2013 now available.

Harold and The Purple Crayon

Emily-Rose on Harold and the Purple Crayon

10 Favorite Magical Story Books for Kids

The 25 Best Art Materials for Kids (& Our Absolute Top Ten All-Time Favorites)

Ebook Give-Away! Join us and enjoy free art ideas and prizes.

Our Facebook group page, Process Art with MaryAnn Kohl, is preparing for yet another give-away of free books! When we reach 600 members, MaryAnn is giving away ten eBooks absolutely free. You simply join the group and post at least one process art idea. That's all there is to it! Of course we'd love for you to be an active member, sharing and learning with us. It's a great group! 

Sample posts:

ArtsyKidsNEWS March 2013

It's almost March, and here is the March 2014 ArtsyKidsNEWS ready to enjoy!

The following is a jpg. Click on it and it will take you to the actual ArtsyKidsNEWs in a new window. 

This month features an exciting blogger... Asia Citro... and her blog, Fun at Home with Kids.

 

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February 2014 ArtsyKidsNEWS now ready!

February 2014 ArtsyKidsNEWS now ready!

Please click on the link above to view. Free of course!!

You can subscribe here 
and you will receive the
ArtsyKidsNEWS each month.
A free book is given away to a
randomly drawn subscriber each month,
and each newsletter is packed
with fun art ideas or other special fun.

All past newsletters can be enjoyed here. 

Here's a brief sample of the real thing:

more here!

 

Glitter - December Sparkle

Glitter.

Is there any better time than Christmas for glitter? Valentine's you say? Well, certainly. But Christmas!! Glitter on eyelids, on sweaters, and in your lipstick! Glitter on pinecones, glitter on stars, glitter mixed with paint, stirred into glue, sprinkled on tape, dusted over cardboard cookies, squeezed from glitter glue bottles, one color or colors mixed together, big chunks of glitter, or tiny dusty bits of glitter. GLITTER!

 

Silver has always been my favorite, and I know kids like all the metallics too. Gold glitter can turn a rock into a treasure, a Christmas drawing into a magical masterpiece, dough ornaments from ordinary to majestic. Never say no to glitter. Yes, you'll be sweeping, vacuuming, and picking it up piece by piece from everywhere for months, and how fortunate...just in time for Valentine's Day. Glitter, ahhhhhhh.

from Momspotted.com - glitter pinecones

 

theartfulparent blog - glitter tape trees

from Gluedtomycraftsblog.com - glitter reindeer

from coffeecupsandcrayons blog - glitter snowflake

DECEMBER Holiday ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013

It's December Holiday
ArtsyKidsNEWS time!

Included in the newsletter are 3 winners
of the "1000th Member" Free GiveAway Book Drawing included.

The following images are all jpgs and will not have hyperlinks embedded.
To see this newsletter fully active with hyperlinks working, go here:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5ede963e35560c1088968f662&id=3031360cf8

We reached 1000 members for the ArtsyKidsNEWS!
Celebration Book Give-Away
3 WINNERS are....
1.  Jes Prochaska has won Great American Artists for Kids

2. Nina Watts has won Scribble Art

3. Shirley Oshima has won Mudworks Bilingual Edition 

 

 

 

 

 

November ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013

November ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013
featuring the NurtureStore

The following jpgs show you what the newsletter looks like, but for a fully interactive one with links, go to this url: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5ede963e35560c1088968f662&id=654eb089db

 

ArtsyKidsNEWS October 2013 now available.

The October 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS is now available. Click on the painted pebbles image below to enjoy the entire newsletter.

Remember, if you suscribe to the newsletter (free of course), you will be in the running for a free book drawing each month. This month, Melinda Fant of Albany NY is the winner of Storybook Art.

Photo Credit: Halloween Rock Painting 

from TonyaStabb.com 

Enjoy a free activity connecting to
Ezra Jack Keats and
"The Snowy Day"
featured in Storybook Art.

* Conecting art and literacy helps kids love their books and want to read them more and more.  http://www.brightring.com/jackkeats.html

The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Exra Jack Keats. Caldecott Winner.

Making snow angels, from "The Snowy Day" by Keats.

Original collage artwork by grade 2 student.

 

 

 

September ArtsyKidsNEWS

You can see the very latest in leafy art ideas at this link!
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5ede963e35560c1088968f662&id=044af0a2ef&e=[UNIQID]

Posted below are jpgs of the ArtsyKidsNEWS. The links are not active in the jpegs, but if you go to the link above, you will have full access to the newsletter. 

I hope you will join the mailing list! (I give a free book every month to mailing list members in a random drawing.) 

MaryAnn

 

 

 

 

"Having Fun At Home" blog interview about art

An Interview Revisited, from the blog,
Having Fun At Home  

http://www.havingfunathome.com/2012/09/maryann-f-kohl-art-with-young-children.html"MaryAnn F. Kohl: Art with Young Children 

It's a treat to be able to interview someone you admire who is an expert in a field you care about.  That's why, even though this is a busy season in my life, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to interview MaryAnn F. Kohl, author of over 20 award-winning books about children's art and a contributor to Family Fun magazine (among many other distinctions).

MaryAnn recently sent me a copy of Scribble Art to review, and the girls and I have been having a ball trying out the activities there.  So far, we've done salt painting, made an easy piñata, and tried tissue paper collages (my favorite so far!)

The thing I love about MaryAnn's books is her obvious and genuine care for children.  It is tempting as a parent or a teacher to gravitate toward art projects that "turn out well," with end-products that make adults feel that the time has been worthwhile.  MaryAnn, on the other hand,  sees art from the perspective of a child and knows that it is the creative exploration that is often very special to children. That's why in Scribble Art, you'll find oodles of ideas for open-ended art experiences.

Who knew that there were so many possibilities for art mediums and canvases around the house?  Liquid starch, flour, sawdust- even insulated telephone cable find their way into over 100 activities that children can do independently for the sake of fun and beauty.

I'm finding it can be a great boon to have this arsenal of fun lying about the house, by the way.  The other day, as I was making dinner and needed to work uninterrupted, I found the tissue paper collages to do the trick nicely!

So let's turn now to MaryAnn and hear her perspective on doing art with young children.

1.  Can you tell us a little about the role art has played in your own life personally, both as a child and an adult?

When I was little, I was constantly coloring in coloring books and on blank paper, and at times, on the walls. My mom provided me with scissors, glue, paper, and wonderful crayons all at my reach on a shelf we called the coloring shelf. As I grew, I had some talent with drawing, though I was never super talented, but I enjoyed it enough that I was often complimented on my work. This encouraged me to volunteer to do covers for classroom books or decorate invitations for the Halloween Party. When I began teaching, I found that even the most rowdy child would quiet down and become focused when doing art, and by art, I mean actually creating unique work with materials on hand, not copying something I the teacher had made. So I made sure art was a big part of everything we did. When I had my own kids, art was important from the beginning. Playdough, painting, coloring, and collage were a constant for my kids. They are both very good at art now, and though I don't think it is because of all the activities we had specifically, I do believe that their creativity was honored which has inspired them to go forward in life with that ability.

2.  Each of your books makes a unique contribution.  What about Scribble Art do you especially like?

Scribble Art was the first book I wrote, and has sentimental connections back to my teaching years where all these ideas were tested with kindergarten through grade three children, children I knew and loved. I choose these projects because they were open-ended and I was so excited to write a book to encourage creativity for children where their own unique artwork rather than copying adult made cutesy projects. The book was published in 1985 and it is still my favorite and still selling well around the world (in 9 languages no less).

3.  What tips would you give parents for doing art with very young children?

Start small! Rather than putting out jars of paint for a painting project, start with some shallow jar lids filled with about 1/8" of paint, perhaps three colors tops. Use small brushes or cotton buds for beginning. On the other hand, using big brushes and a bucket of water outdoors will paint thousands of rocks and squares in a sidewalk. Big or small, messy or tidy, start with fewer materials in the beginning, and add more in as the children become adept at using them and learn to handle the wonder of it all.

4. As a mother, I often feel my blood pressure rise when art starts to get messy because I envision myself spending the rest of the day cleaning it up.  I would love to hear about how you dealt with the tension between creative art and cleaning up messes when you were a parent of young children.

Do messy type art on days you are ready to handle it. Otherwise, skip it for the time being. The smartest thing is to set up the art area ahead of time to catch the mess. For example, tape an old shower curtain to the floor or over a wall near their little work table, or keep a damp sponge on their work area for them to wipe their fingers; wear a fitted apron or cover rather than a big shirt with rolled up sleeves that get in the way. Plan ahead to prevent problems. Sometimes I put a loop of masking tape on the bottom of a paint cup so it won't tip over, or certainly only fill it half way, not to the brim. Ideas like this make things easier. And if possible, working outdoors is always nice and much easier to clean up. Encourage the kids to help with the clean up too. Part of being a child and being given wonderful experiences is to participate in setting up, mixing, cleaning up, etc. They love to wash the tables with a big soapy sponge!

5.  Would you also give us some tips on doing open-ended art with young children in a group setting?

I like to place materials on the center of a table that everyone can gather 'round together (usually no more than 6 at the table at a time). Everyone can reach in and use what is available, and everyone cleans up their own mess. I rarely show them any finished product they should be trying to achieve; I would rather just see what they do with the materials. Most materials shout out how they should be used, so you don't have to say much. For example, if you have contact paper peeled away and sticky, and there are cotton balls and scraps of paper on the table, the kids will automatically stick the cotton balls and scraps to the sticky background. Let the materials you choose dictate how the activity will go. Sometimes you need to give a little demo or a brief explanation so they aren't left completely in the dark with new or unusual materials. But try not to make a sample for them to copy, because they will copy it, and at that point, the whole purpose of creativity and unique thinking has gone out the window.

6.  Which of your books / activities do you especially recommend for the youngest crowd?  (2 to 5 year olds)

Preschool Art is the best book for the 2-5 year old group, but it costs more than Scribble Art, and Scribble Art would do very well for that group too. My website also offers reduced price eBooks, which is another option.

7.  Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would love for everyone who is interested to join my mailing list. I send out a very nice newsletter once a month called the ArtsyKidsNEWS, with four or five art projects that go well with that particular month. Halloween/Autumn/Harvest is coming up soon and will be sent by email, free of course, at the end of September. Each month one person wins a free art book! Sign up on my website, home page, lower right corner:

http://www.brightring.com

I'd love for your readers to visit my Facebook page too. 

Go here:

https://www.facebook.com/maryannfkohl?ref=hl

or go here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaryAnn-Faubion-Kohl/84206837844?ref=hl

Sharing... An Interview with THE CHOCOLATE MUFFIN TREE blog:
http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2012/03/top-5-process-art-ideas-from-maryann-f.html 

Top 5 Process Art Ideas
from MaryAnn F. Kohl

What are your Top 5 Favorite Process Based Art Ideas? This is a question "The Choclate Muffin Tree" Blog asked MaryAnn F. Kohl in our interview from a few posts back and thought it could stand as a post of it's own.  MaryAnn is the  author of a multitude of children's art books and I consider her an expert on process based Art,  so I thought this was a very suitable question.  
***I've included process based project links after each listing to get you started.

MaryAnn's answer:  "My favorites change from day to day,  so this is a tough question.  But for today,  here are my Top  5 and I'm going to list them in very general terms so the possibilities are wide open."  Each of these five has a book-full of possibilities:

1. Exploring With Play Dough 

     *Today's favorite: Mixing blobs of colored play dough to make new colors

Rainbow Play Dough from Happy Hooligans
Smooshing Play Clay from MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

2.  Collage With Whatever is on Hand

      *Today's favorite: Art tissue scraps painted onto paper with thinned white glue; and other supplies like glue and beads

Tissue Paper Collage from TinkerLab

Watercolor Painting over Tissue Paper Collage from The Artful Parent

3. Wood Scrap Sculpture

       *Today's favorite:  Stack and glue pieces of wood scraps into towers or flat reliefs; paint optional

Wood Scrap Sculpture from Lilla a
W is for Wood Sculptures from Preschool Daze

4.  Painting With Liquid Watercolors or Tempera Paints

      *Today's favorite:  Draw and Color with crayons on white paper and then spray liquid watercolor on the drawing                           

Spray And Scrape Drawing from MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

Multi-Sensory Paint! from Not Just Cute

5.  Making Prints With Whatever is On Hand

      *Today's favorite:  Roll Marbles through paint blobs on a paper plate in a pie pan

Marble Painting from The Mother Huddle
Marble Rolling Abstract Art from Laugh, Paint, and Create!

*** FREE DOWNLOAD *** Chapter Six of "First Art"

Free to anyone who loves making things for kids to use, like an easel from a pizza box or a cool way to store markers! Chapter Six from the original First Art book has all this and more. Enjoy!

http://www.brightring.com/Bright%20PDFs/First_Art_Chp6.pdf

By the way, I still have some of the older versions of First Art on my website, at the special price of $10.

 

Special offer
1st edition of FIRST ART 
Only $10, and only a few left!
(no international shipping)
Shipping is $4.00 per book
reg price $14.95, sale price $10.00

NAEYC 2013 -- Washington, DC, November 20-23

Are you going to attend the NAEYC 2013 convention in Washington, DC in November 20-23? (Thanksgiving is the following week, later than usual.)

I am so looking forward to my session. I hope you can attend!! I will be hosting a panel about "How to Publish Your Teaching Ideas: Become an Early Childhood Author". The panel will be "me" speaking about my own experiences pros and cons and tips as an author and as a self-publisher and agent; Kathy Charner, Editor in Chief of NAEYC's books speaking about acquisitions and preparing a proposal; and Marianne Dambra, a new author just published "Cooking is Cool" sharing her exciting adventure to success. I think our perspectives will cover all the possibilities of authoring.

 

 

#naeyc13 

July 2013 ARTSY KIDS NEWS: The Homegrown Preschooler

The July issues of the ArtsyKidsNEWS is here! I will cut and paste jpgs of the newsletter for your browsing enjoyment. The REAL newsletter has hyperlinks to all kinds of fun info. Click to see the actual July ArtsyKidsNEWS. Remind your friends to sign up for the free ArtsyKidsNews on my website (lower right corner on website home page).

All two years of past ArtsyKidsNEWS issues are available for free. 

Hope you enjoy all the great ideas!

Artist Profile: About MaryAnn and Process Art

This article from 2010 answers some often asked questions about process art for children. Feel free to share it with parents or others in your teaching programs. 

 

 

Artist Profile

 

Process Art Inspires Artful Adventures for Kids! by Lisa Albert

Process Art Inspires
Artful Adventures
for Kids!

By Lisa Albert  

 

“Kids need space to create,” is the simple guidance that award-winning author of art activity books MaryAnn Kohl offers to parents who are getting involved in their children’s arty play.  Given freedom to explore and make choices, children are more likely to use their own ideas in creating art.  You see, too often times, adults (parents and some teachers) project a sense of what a finished piece of art should look like, which denies children the opportunity to explore and create from their own imaginations, and to learn from that exploration and discovering.

Why is process art so important? Kids learn as they explore art materials and the creative process of taking ideas from within and bringing them into existence.  Art allows for trial and error from which authentic learning can take place.  Art is open-ended and fosters individual expression and originality.  When kids have the freedom to go through the process of creating art, they are happy and they are learning.  

Process art is natural.  You need only provide children with age-appropriate art supplies and blank paper, and the stage is set for arty adventuring.  You may want to store art materials in shoe boxes or on conveniently situated shelving.  “If you’re doing that,” Kohl says, “you’re way ahead in the goal of inspiring learning through play.”  

MaryAnn Kohl of Washington State grew up in an artsy family.  Her mom was a painter.  Her dad was a book printer and was lead singer in a band.  Her grandmother was published and her grandfather had a chain of bookstores.  Kohl became an elementary teacher and incorporated her love of art into such subjects as math and science.  After her first child was born, MaryAnn quit teaching and took up writing, which was always a lifelong passion.  By 1985, MaryAnn started Bright Ring Publishing, which is still going strong today.  She has written such best-selling favorites as Great American Artists for Kids, Mudworks, Preschool Art, the Big Messy Art Book, MathArts, and the Preschool Art series.  She has downloadable e-books and free activities on her website.  MaryAnn also writes for Gryphon House, Inc., and she is currently working on a new historical fiction novel.

Respected as an art educator of international repute, MaryAnn Kohl has consulted with such companies as Jim Henson, Blues Clues, as well as major magazines.  Years ago, MaryAnn connected with Abrakadoodle at a NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) convention.  She has presented at Abrakadoodle’s annual national conference at the Crayola Factory.  

This year, she is presenting a process art workshop at Abrakadoodle’s first-ever global virtual conference this May.  “We share a common belief in the importance of active discovery learning through art,” MaryAnn remarked.  “I am delighted to reach out to Abrakadoodle’s directors and teachers with an affirming professional development experience.”  

“Art values and respects the individual uniqueness of a child,” MaryAnn said.  “If you help kids manage materials and promote exploration,” MaryAnn commented, “you are creating a roadmap of your child’s experiences.”  When smushing red into blue, your child discovers he produced purple.  Kids love to see what will happen during the creative process. Mary Ann says that kids often ask her, “But what are we supposed to make?” She responds, “There is no right way; no wrong way; just your way.” She says their eyes sparkle when they hear these words.  

MaryAnn explains that the first time a young child experiments with a new art material, don’t expect a product.  By the third experience with that art material, children refine their process and may strive to create a finished piece of art.  

Try it! Below are a couple of outdoors activities MaryAnn suggests for your kids to get into the natural “process” of art:  

Arty Plastic Pool Play

If you have a small plastic pool, line the bottom with blank white paper.  Squeeze blobs of paint on the paper.  Select round objects (fruit works great), and gently tip the pool so that the objects roll through the paint leaving prints on the paper. Perhaps your child might like to add a hand or footprint.  At the end, wash the fruit well, and enjoy a healthy snack!

Cloudy Day Impressions

Find a comfortable place for your child to lay down with a view of the cloudy sky.  What shapes does your child see?  Encourage free thinking.  Next, set out some blue construction paper, and a pot of white paint with a paint brush.  Invite your child to paint.  It might be a very literal impression of what he/she viewed, but it might also be a whimsical interpretation.  Remember to keep the experience open-ended.  Your child is in control of his/her art and will delight in the natural creative process!

Want to learn more about MaryAnn Kohl? Visitwww.brightring.com.   

To learn more about the importance of art education, go towww.abrakadoodle.com/ny05.  

Lisa Albert is the Director of Abrakadoodle, the country's leading art education program for children ages 20 months to twelve years.  Abrakadoodle offers classes at two convenient locations,New Beginnings Early Start Center in Kings Park and Dream Makers Performing Arts School in East Nort

The Book Bundle, THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who enjoyed the amazing "Book Bundle" for Spring with $130 worth of books and resources for only $9.99.  Hundreds of people bought the bundle, which means many more hundreds of children will benefit. Hooray for kids and creativity!!! If you bought the bundle, I hope you love love love ScienceArts, my contribution to the special.

 

~ MaryAnn

www.brightring.com

 

PS Sign up for my monthly newsletter! The new May edition will come out very soon. On this link, head to the lower right corner of my home page, www.brightring.com.

Learning Through Play, E Book Offer $9.99 ($130 value)

                

Every now and then the bloggers I know put together a great little package of eBooks to share at the price of only $9.99, a $130 value. Can you believe it?  

This BUY NOW link will be active from midnight Pacific Time (1 minute past April 7th) April 8th, until April 14th. The sale ends on the 14th. What an amazing deal!

 

 

March 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS

The following March ArtsyKidsNEWS is shown with jpgs. To view this newsletter with active links in your browser, CLICK HERE.

 

Valentine Creative Kids: Library Visit, Feb. 2

I hope you will enjoy these photos of kids creating openly with all kinds of materials to make Valentines to give to the Seattle Children's Hospital. We had a workshop at our local children's library on the Feb. 2, and the kids came in open-house-style. It was great fun for me, and they had fun using all the stickers, doilies, glitter glue, and more.

The workshop was put on by MaryAnn Kohl and Sarah Nelson Veleos.
MaryAnn writes children's art books, as you know  :)  , and Sarah has a new book for parents who expecting or have lost a baby. Titled: My Angel You Are Loved.

Valentine Workshop, Bellingham WA

Valentine Workshop, Bellingham WA

by Sarah Nelson Veleos

my angel, you are loved

A poem and journal embracing pregnancy, and celebrating baby
 

A Pregnancy Journal by Sarah Valeos with illustrations by Leanne Westman 

Process Art, let's listen

MaryAnn Kohl offers a 20 minute "listen" about process art. 

http://blogs.dctc.edu/dawnbraa/professional-guest-speakers/

Note: The pictures on the blog correspond with MaryAnn's talk about art.  http://wp.me/pUBXw-3B5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scroll down to MaryAnn's name. If you have trouble with the file loading, MaryAnn had the best luck with Firefox browser.

 

You can ALSO participate in the free book giveaway on the blog who is posting this recording.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MaryAnn Kohl

•  MaryAnn Kohl, Award-winning Author, Publisher, Art Advocate, and Educational Consultant (February 2013) GIVEAWAY, Free art activities, Facebook, Twitter, Blog

 

 

February ArtsyKidsNEWS is Here!!

February ArtsyKidsNEWS is here!!

 

The following view of ArtsyKidsNEWS for February is presented as jpgs. To view the newsletter and all its active links in your browser, go HERE .

If you would like to sign up for the free montly ArtsyKidsNEWS, go here.

If you would like to view all past editions, go here.

BIG BULK BOOK SALE Mudworks Bilingual Edition

I am taking Mudworks Bilingual Edition out of print. So to help the inventory disappear, I am offering an entire carton of Mudworks Bilingual for $2.00 per book, or $68, plus $20 shipping. Total $88.
The only stipulation is that if you resell the books, you may not ask more than half price or $7.50. The book retails for $14.95.

Email [email protected] and we'll set up your order, or go directly to the Bright Ring website and place an online order.

$2.00 per book! Full cartons only. The total on one carton of 34 books will be $88 with shipping. Those sales can be handled through Bright Ring's website using PayPal.

http://www.brightring.com/mudworks_span.html

EACH ACTIVITY IS PRESENTED IN 
BOTH SPANISH & ENGLISH 
ON FACING PAGES.

* This offer is for individuals or educators, not for store owners or commercial entities, sorry. I'm restricted from sales to retail or wholesale establishments. No international sales, sorry.

Face Your Fears: Art for Toddlers and Twos

Another new article at Barnes and Noble.com  -- Parents Expert Circle.

Written by art author and advocate, consultant, and presenter, 
MaryAnn F. Kohl 

Face Your Fears: Art for Toddlers and Twos

 

Art for Older Kids: When Exploration Isn't Enough

New post at Barnes and Noble's "Parents Expert Circle".... an article written by award-winning author MaryAnn F. Kohl, children's art author, advocate, presenter, consultant, and teacher.

Art for Older Kids: When Exploration Isn't Enough

 

B&N Parents Expert Circle

 

January 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS - Snowman Art

Hello and Happy New Year!
 
January 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS
is here! 
SNOWMEN!  SNOWMEN!  SNOWMEN!

The newsletter below is posted as pictures.
To see the actual newsletter with active links,
view here:   http://eepurl.com/s0S-1

You can sign up for the free monthly
newsletter on my website,
lower right corner:  
http://www.brightring.com
 

Thank you for visiting my blog!
    MaryAnn 

Thanksgiving weekend only EBOOK SALE $9.99 for ALL!!!

Over $100 worth of resources for $9.99

CLICK ON PHOTO ABOVE TO BUY NOW!!

This special bundle of books will be available for you to buy only over the Thanksgiving weekend. You've only got from Wednesday 21st November 2012 until midnight on Monday 26th November 2012 to buy this special offer. I've written one of the books, and have read the others, and they are fabulous. This bundle is packed full of fantastic creative and practical ideas that you can use with children. Thirteen different authors joined in, bringing you over $100 worth of resources. All for $9.99! Read the next paragraph to see what's included. You won't believe it!! (But it is true.)

The Learning Through Play
bundle includes all these
e-books and resources:

The Garden Classroom, by Cathy James of Nurturestore The Garden Classroom brings you fifty-two creative and playful outdoor activities, giving you a whole year’s worth of garden-based projects to enjoy with your children. Value $9.99 

Exploring More Great Artists Volume 2 Lesson Plans, by MaryLea Harris of Pink and Green Mama Exploring More Great Artists Volume 2 is a 79-page e-book PDF featuring 13 complete art lessons exploring the life and work of 10 great artists with full color photo directions, step-by-step instructions, and supply lists. Value $10  

 Alphabet Crafts, by Allison McDonald of No Time for Flashcards Alphabet crafts is a complete resources of letter crafts from A-Z. Value $8 

Alphabet Glue, by Annie Riechmann of Bird and Little Bird These three editions of Alphabet Glue are literary-themed e-magazines for families, filled with projects, printables, activities and booklists. (editions 7, 8 and 9)Value $12 

Play Grow Learn Issue 1, by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101 Bursting with ideas for playing inside and outside, with activities for moving, talking, cooking, creating, thinking, singing, imagining and constructing, Issue 1 of Play Grow Learn includes 62 pages of inspiration for parents and educators of children from birth to 5 years. Value $4 

Raising a Creative Kid: Simple Strategies for Igniting and Nurturing that Creative Spark, by Jillian Riley of A Mom with a Lesson Plan Just what you need to transform your environment into a creativity growth center, Raising a Creative Kid includes creative exercises following each of the sections that makes moving into a creative lifestyle as easy as possible. Value $7.99 

Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out, by Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute Parenting with Positive Guidance gives you the tools for understanding your child’s behavior and effectively teaching and guiding your child toward increased self-control while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. Value $9 

Read and Write at Home, by Erin Wing of Small Types Read and Write at Home is a collection of resources and printables to help parents establish fun literacy routines at home. Value $4.25 

Everyday Sensory Alphabet Activities, by Melitsa Avila of Raising Playful TotsEveryday Sensory Alphabet Activities is your go to solution for wriggly jiggly children who want to craft and play with alphabet activities that focus on the process along with audio from educators about alphabet learning to set things going in the right direction. Value $9 

It's Turkey Time Literacy and Math Printables for Prek-K, by Christine Lanyon of Scribble Doodle Draw It's Turkey Time Literacy and Math Printables for Prek-K brings you fun literacy and math activities teachers and parents can use to encourage learning during the Thanksgiving holiday. Value $6 

The Playful Family, by Shawn Ledington Fink of Awesomely Awake The Playful Family brings you nearly 100 ways to play and engage as a family even during the busiest times. Value $4.99 

Mudworks Bilingual, by MaryAnn Kohl Mudworks Bilingual is a best-selling Spanish / English bilingual work from the award winning author MaryAnn Kohl, with fifty of the best squishy kid-tested art activities and recipes. Value $14.95 

Arty's Art Projects, by Sally Haughey of Fairy Dust Teaching In Arty's Art Projects, Arty the gnome shares twenty five of his art projects. Value $7.99

 

 

December ArtsyKidsNEWS - holiday art ideas

To view the actual newsletter, go here:  
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5ede963e35560c1088968f662&id=b708b691c0 

When you go to the link and the newsletter, you can find links for signing up for the free newsletter to come directly to your email each month. You can also access the archive of all the past newsletters, which is now more than one year's worth.

Another bonus to joining the mailing list is that each month I give away a free book to someone on the mailing list, which is great fun.

I hope you will consider signing up, and if you already have, I'm so happy!
You can sign up on my website, lower right corner:  http://www.brightring.com

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
MaryAnn 

artsykids news december

 

Top 10 Tips to Develop Young Artists’ Creativity

Top 10 Tips to Develop
Young Artists’ Creativity 

1. "It's the process, not the product." The product is merely the end result, not the reason children create art. Children create and explore art to discover and test their own imaginations. However, primary-aged children begin to expect aesthetic results from their art explorations. The choices of materials and activities provided help them focus their creativity and allow for aesthetically pleasing results.

2. Provide basic art supplies for children that can be used freely at a small table or in a comfortable corner. (Basic art supplies include crayons, scissors, paper, tape, glue, paint, chalk, and collage items.) Provide quality scissors and good paints to encourage artistic success.

3. Keep handy containers filled with all kinds of nifty "junk" for artists to explore. Include cotton balls, ribbon, yarn, paper towel tubes, egg cartons, feathers, buttons, beads, doilies, cardboard scraps, pieces of sponges, plastic berry baskets, packing peanuts, Band-Aids, fabric scraps, labels, Popsicle sticks, small wood scraps, smooth rocks, envelopes, and anything else young artists might find interesting.

4. Surprise children with something new, simple, and fun at least once a week. Introduce a new art material; slip a book into an unexpected place; eat dessert before lunch; make a cardboard box into a puppet theater complete with sock puppets; or tape paper to the underside of a table for drawing on one's back while lying down. Change is the key; surprise is the word; creativity is the result.

5. Use a digital camera to keep a record of children's creative art. Art can then be downloaded onto a computer, printed in color to make memory books, saved on CDs to send home, or displayed in computer slide shows set to music.

6. Check out a famous art print from the library whenever you check out a book, and display it prominently. Don't be surprised to see the great master's style show up in the primary artists' work.

7. Read to children every day. This will cultivate their creativity and motivate them in art, as well as all other parts of their lives.

8. Encourage art outdoors in many ways on many days, rain or shine. Make a crayon rubbing of the sidewalk or the bark of a tree, and keep looking for other textured things to capture in rubbings; weave a fence with plastic contractor's tape; draw with sidewalk chalk; plant flowers; or look at the clouds and imagine shapes and forms.

9. Ask good questions. Say, "Tell me about your art" or, "What were you thinking when you were creating this?" Open-ended questions open the lines of communication for children to discuss and evaluate their own artistic endeavors.

10. Allow free time for children to imagine and pretend every single day, through art, by listening to or reading a book, or by simply watching the clouds.

700th mailing list subscriber WINS FREE ART BOOK

Cara Apple is the 700th subscriber

  to the ArtsyKidsNEWS,

and has won one of my favorite art and dramatics books,

Making Make-Believe.
*Free art ideas from this book on my website. 

 

Congrats, Cara!

Your book is in the mail!!

Sign up on my website and

you can receive the ArtsyKidsNEWS

and a chance to win the

December free book giveaway.

(sign up in lower right corner of my website)

 

 

Jack-o-Pie poem for kids: Using interpretive voices.

Jack-o-Pie Poem & Activities originally posted at gryphonhouse By MaryAnn Kohl   I adore engaging in hands-on art experiences with young children, but I also love getting kids excited about dramatic play! This Halloween idea is a sure-fire winner for children from preschool through Grade 2. When I work with kids around Halloween, I bring this favorite activity that involves drawing jack-o-lantern faces on orange paper circles taped to Popsicle sticks. These funny faces then become props in reciting a little poem involving interpretive voices. Children get to hold up the faces during the poem to act out the fun. This also gives them something to hold on to during the dramatics! Jack-o-Pie I am Jack-o-Happy I am Jack-o-Sad I am Jack-o-Sleepy I am Jack-o-Mad I am Jack-o-Pieces I am Jack-o-Small I am Jack-o-Pie, the best of them all! [Repeat at least three times] Introduce During Circle Time Recite the poem above once or twice through. Ask the children to repeat the poem after you. Show a different orange pumpkin face for each speaker/character in the poem, such as a happy jack-o-lantern, sad jack-o-lantern, sleepy jack-o-lantern, mad jack-o-lantern, broken jack-o-lantern, small jack-o-lantern, and a pumpkin pie jack-o-lantern. Mix It Up! Hold up various jack-o-lantern faces from the poem out of order and ask the children to shout out who the face is. Jack-o-Happy! Jack-o-Small! Jack-o-Sleepy! and so on. Keep shuffling the jack-o-lantern faces and show them to the children over and over, allowing them to name each face again and again. Next, encourage the kids to use interpretive voices to describe the faces, such as a happy voice for Jack-o-Happy, a tiny voice for Jack-o-Small, and a tired yawning voice for Jack-o-Sleepy. Be prepared for the children to really enjoy the voices, so give them plenty of time to try them out again and again. Some kids may want to stand up and use the interpretive voice alone rather than in the group. Go with this idea as suits your group.   Make Your Own Jack-o-Faces Kids will need orange paper, scissors, black marker or crayon, tape or glue, and a Popsicle stick or tongue depressor. Have the children divide into groups of 7, to construct the seven Jack-o-Faces. Each child can cut one of the seven faces from orange paper, add the facial features for that face, and glue or tape it to a Popsicle stick (like a masquerade mask). No eye-holes need be cut. Gather Together Again Ask the children to bring their Jack-o-Faces to the circle. Have the first group of children line up before the others, following the order of the poem. Read aloud the poem and make sure each child holds up his or her “face” at the right time. Now, ask the children to create individual funny voices for their pumpkin faces. Once again, recite the poem. The happy pumpkin uses a very happy voice. The sad pumpkin uses a crying voice. The mad pumpkin uses an angry voice. Jack-o-Pieces sounds broken and the words are staccato. The small pumpkin has a tiny voice and Jack-o-Pie has the strongest voice of all! Invite the children to say the poem in order, holding up their Jack-o-Faces in front of their own face as they use their interpretive voices. When complete, they may sit down. Then, repeat with a new group! Follow-Up Activity Ideas Matching Game: In a box, place 7 Jack-o-Faces to match with 7 words/names, like big, small, pie, pieces, etc. Match the Jack-o-Faces with the words that describe them. Sentence Chart: On a sentence chart, feature sentences from the poem, such as, “I am Jack-o-Happy.” Make sure the sentences are out of order. The children can then put the sentences in the correct order of the memorized poem, saying it out loud as they work. Little Jack-o-Faces can also be used to help match to the sentences. Puppet Show: Use the Jack-o-Faces to create your own puppet show, repeating the interpretative voices used to recite the poem. Jack-o-Face Books: Children can draw one of the Jack-o-Faces on each page of a short handmade book. Encourage them to invent new faces and voices, like Jack-o-Fish (bloop bloop) or Jack-o-Baby (wah, wah, goo goo). They can draw, write, or cut out faces to glue in the book. See Where the Children Take You! I have seen one child act out the entire poem on his own. I have seen kids invent new personalities and jack-o-lantern faces to add to the poem, often rhyming. Open your mind to letting kids carry this to a new level, and you may be surprised what they come up with from this simple poem!   Additional Ideas to Expand the Theme: Orange and black paint at easel Play dough with black triangles and other shapes in a dish at the art table Collage materials for interesting jack-o-lantern face designs Decorate real pumpkins Carve pumpkins, with help if needed Count pumpkin seeds Cook pumpkin seeds Collage with pumpkin seeds Jack-o-lantern masks from paper plates, with additional decorations MaryAnn Faubion Kohl is the author of 20+ award-winning books of activities for children. Two of her newest titles are First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos and Art with Anything. MaryAnn invites you to subscribe to her free ArtsyKidsNEWS monthly e-newsletter packed with lots of art ideas and book giveaways.

Art is as Natural as Sunshine and as Vital as Nourishment

October ArtsyKidsNEWS 2012

Today's post is a jpg of my
October ArtsyKidsNEWS

The links are not active in this jpg. If you click on any links, it will open the newsletter jpg in a larger view, but the links will not be active otherwise.

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Leaf Paint and Print for Fall

I'm awfully busy with hubby' recovery, but wanted to post something for fall. This leaf print is so beautiful........  
ENJOY! 

Leaf Paint & Print

Collect fresh green or supple autumn leaves. Paint a leaf with watercolor paints, and then press paper on the leaf to lift a print.

Materials

drawing paper or construction paper

large fresh green leaf or supple autumn leaf

permanent black marker, optional

watercolor paints and paintbrush

 

Process

1. Place a large leaf on a covered workspace. Paint the surface of the leaf surface with watercolor paints. Use one color or many. While the leaf is still wet, press white paper on the painted leaf, patting and pressing with your fingers to help the paper pick up the paint.

2. Lift and peel the paper from the leaf to see the leaf print transferred to the white paper. (Sometimes the leaf sticks to the paper and needs to be peeled away.)

3. Continue making prints, adding several leaf prints to one larger sheet of drawing paper or use a new sheet of paper for more prints.

4. When the prints are dry, some artists like to draw around the leaf shapes with a permanent black marker.

 

Variation

* Tempera Paint Leaf Print
Follow the same steps with tempera paint mixed with liquid starch. Brush paint on the leaf (the colors will be bright and glossy) and then press a sheet of paper on the leaf and rub the paper gently to absorb the print. Lift the paper to see the print. Try colored paper or fabric to see leaf prints in new ways. (If you don’t have liquid starch, tempera paint works fine alone.)

August ArtsyKidsNEWS - Mud Art Activities!

The August ArtsyKidsNEWS is out
a little early this month,
with artsy mud activities.

View it here!

The newsletter image below is a jpg-copy
of the current August edition.
The actual newsletter is HERE.

Sign Up and receive the "news" each month,
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with a free book giveaway randomly chosen from list members.

This month's winner is Holly Becker,
who won  
S C R I B B L E    A R T 

Scribble Art

Sign up here for the ArtsyKidsNEWS 

July ArtsyKidsNEWS is here!!

July ArtsyKids NEWS shown below as JPGS.

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Splish! Splash! It’s Time for Summer Water Fun!

Splish! Splash! It’s Time for Summer Water Fun!

from the Gryphon House blog!

By MaryAnn F. Kohl

Summer is an endless stretch of time for kids to fill. Make it special for them by doing things together. You won’t need anything special – just a little time and cheerful energy to fuel the fun! The bonus to these activities is that you are building memories together. And don’t forget how much fun water activities are for kids! Hot weather is water weather! Here are some ideas for active water fun in your own backyard:

• Play in the sprinkler or with the hose (extra fun: eat watermelon first, and then wash off – and cool off)

• Scrub it up! Kids love to wash and scrub! Fill buckets with soapy water, add sponges and rags, and let them wash their bikes, the swing set, rocks, and the lawn furniture. Have a hose ready for rinsing. Let the sun sparkle on the clean and shiny new world!

• Toss water balloons at targets (or each other)

• Play sponge toss – take soaked sponges and throw them at a designated target (that includes mom or dad!)

• Squirty-Cup-Head Game! Fill a big squirt bottle with water. To play, everyone sits side by side on the ground with a plastic cup on his or her head, backs to the “squirter.” The “squirter” takes the squirt bottle and tries to knock the cups off each person’s head. When all cups are off, the squirter takes his place in the line-up with a cup on his head, and a new person takes a turn at being the squirter. Everyone gets a turn!

• Fill a plastic or galvanized tub with water. A child’s wading pool will work too. Add plastic cups and bowls, turkey basters, spoons, and buckets. Let the kids go at it, pouring and playing. Going barefoot and wearing swimsuits adds to the fun. For extra intrigue, add some food coloring to the water for mixing enjoyment.

• As long as the kids are outside, make Wacky Bubbles together! Start by mixing together 1/4 dishwashing liquid (Dawn and Joy work the best), 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and have a wacky bubble blowing experience with a wacky variety of bubble blowing tools: plastic funnels, six pack soda rings, and plastic cups with holes punched through the bottom make a good start. Add your own ideas.

• When the kids run out of steam, change the bubble mixture into an art project! Pour some of the bubble mixture into a cup and add a few drops of food coloring, liquid watercolorpaints, or poster paint. Blow rainbow bubbles into the air with a bubble blower, and then catch them on a white sheet of paper or paper plate! When the bubble pops, a most amazing bubble print is left. When the paper dries, use markers or crayons to outline the bubble shapes, creating bubble art masterpieces!

• If a little quiet time is in order, create in the shade! Design beach jars under the shade of an old oak tree! You will need a peanut butter or mayonnaise jar for each child, some plastic funnels, and a worktable or blanket on the grass. Gather some containers of sand, shells (whole or crushed), and small gravel or pebbles, even colored craft rice or salt. If possible, cut some fish or seashore shapes from colored foam sheets from a craft store. Mix blue food coloring in water, and set aside. Each child fills his jar with layers of sand, shells, gravel and pebbles, and then places the foam cutouts on the inside of the jar against the glass. When the jar is full, pour blue water slowly into the jar, covering the layers. Tighten the lid on the jar, and the beautiful beach jar is ready to place in a window to catch the sun.

The word summer simply means fun! Doing things together will make the days spin by and before you know it, fall will be in the air, kids in school, and memories will fill the hearts and minds of all. As the song goes, “These are the days, my friend! I thought they’d never end….”

~~~ 

MaryAnn Faubion Kohl is the author of 20+ award-winning books of activities for children. Two of her many titles are First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos and Mudworks Bilingual Edition: Clays, Doughs, and Modeling Experiences for Children; The Big Messy Art Book is a favorite for summer outdoor fun.

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ONCE A MONTH NEWSLETTER

FULL OF ART IDEAS!

It's called the ARTSYKIDSNEWS.

 Click here to see 

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June ArtsyKidsNEWS: Art Inspired by Flowers

Here is a copy of the recent ArtsyKidsNEWS focused on FLOWER ART FUN!

This is only a photo of the newsletter.
To view the complete interactive newsletter in your browser,
CLICK HERE.

 

Mudworks Bilingual: Bulk Purchase Special Announcement

To take advantage of this amazing offer, contact the delightful and ever enjoyable
Eliezer Gonzalez at [email protected]
He is ready to help you with bulk purchases of Mudworks Bilingual at a huge discount. 

 

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[email protected]

 

 

May ArtsyKidsNEWS : Warmed Crayon Drawing from Play Create Explore blog

Today I share the MAY edition of the ArtsyKidsNEWS.
You can sign up to receive it in your email
by going here (my website mailing list sign up)
or here (Mail Chimp ArtsyKidsNEWS sign up).

*** Notice: Sign up for the newsletter,
and the FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY in JUNE,
for members only. You don't have to do anything.
Just be a member. Random drawing! ***

The newsletter below is shown with JPGS, so the links are not active. 

Go here to see ALL PAST NEWSLETTERS:
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Alexander Calder Sculpture: MaryAnn F. Kohl (from the Gryphon House blog)

Visit a recent Gryphon House blog post about how MaryAnn suggests being inspired by Alexander Calder, making Wire Sculptures!

http://blog.gryphonhouse.com/2012/04/10/wire-sculpture-for-kids-inspired-by-alexander-calder/

Wire Sculpture for Kids
(Inspired by Alexander Calder)

April 10, from the Gryphon House blog

By MaryAnn F. Kohl

Kids of all ages can be inspired by the great masters of art: inspired to create in their own ways; inspired to learn more about art, the masters, and history; inspired to discover; inspired to invent and experiment; inspired to learn more about everything; inspired to dream.

Alexander Calder is an artist that kids easily relate to because his sculptures are playful, colorful, and, well, they are SCULPTURES, and kids love to create sculptures!

Here’s some fun information about the great American artist, Alexander Calder, you might enjoy sharing with your kiddos.

 

About Alexander Calder
July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976

Alexander Calder, called Sandy by all who knew him, was born in Pennsylvania and came from a very artistic family: his great-grandfather and his father were both sculptors, and his mother was a painter. When Calder was young, he and his sister used to play with toys and gadgets that Calder made. In 1909, when Calder was in the fourth grade, he sculpted a dog and a duck out of sheet brass as Christmas gifts for his parents. The sculptures were three-dimensional and the duck was kinetic because it rocked when gently tapped. When he grew up, he continued to create such things as games, toys, jewelry, sculptures, drawings, paintings, costumes, movie sets, and more. Through his construction of wire mobiles, he became the founder of a new art form – kinetic sculpture, which means ‘sculpture that moves.’ He created sculptures in sizes from very small to tremendously large, as well as mobiles (suspended moving sculptures), standing mobiles (anchored moving sculptures), and stabiles (sculptures that do not move). Calder is the most famous kinetic sculptor in the world. 

From Page 58, Great American Artists for Kids by Kohl and Solga.
© MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga 2012

See samples of Calder’s sculptures at www.nga.gov.
Learn and see more about Alexander Calder at www.calder.org.

How to Introduce Kids to Calder and His Sculptures

First, show the kids some of his works on the Internet or in a book, or if you are lucky enough, visit his work in person at a museum or exhibit. Help the kids to take special notice of wires and see the possibility of movement in his work. Teach them the word “kinetic.” Even a two-year-old loves new words!

Examples of Calder-Inspired Sculptures

  

Kinetic Sculptures with Pipe Cleaners

For kids to try their hands at an easy Calder-inspired sculpture, you will need:

Materials:

• Pipe cleaners (or other craft-wire on-hand)
• A base (such as a rock or a block of foam insulation or foam packing. Other ideas: a can of gravel or sand, a cup of playdough, or a colander turned upside down.)
• Decorations (any items you have on hand, like: buttons, paper scraps, stickers, beads, paint chips, bottle caps, hardware nuts, macaroni noodles, etc.)
• Glue or tape for sticking things together (or other ideas like ribbons, string, or stickers)

* You can see I’m always saying “or”, “or try this, or try that, or what do you have on hand?” because there are so many options, and no right or wrong way to do these creative sculptures. Sometimes the special things you and your kiddos find together will inspire the sculpture to take on new life and design in ways MaryAnn Kohl never thought possible, so have some fun!

Basic Steps:

1. The kids push the pipe cleaners into the base, or wrap around a base such as a rock. If using Styrofoam, push the wires in deep so they will be strong and hold up well.
2. Bend the wires into designs and shapes, or leave straight. It’s inspiring to cut the wires into different lengths with scissors. Pipe cleaners cut pretty easily.
3. Add decorations! Buttons will thread right onto the wires, and it’s easy to sandwich the wire between two gluey scraps or two stickers. Pony beads thread well onto the wires as do macaroni noodles and hardware “nuts”. Have fun choosing from whatever is on hand. You can always add cotton balls or even lumps of playdough! No rules! Wide open ideas.
4. Wiggle or blow on or shake or otherwise enjoy the movement of the wires and decorations. Movement = Kinetic.

Note: One of the brain-challenges of this sculpture is bending and arranging the wires so the sculpture will not fall over.

What else?

Did you ever think of hanging the sculpture upside down so it becomes a kinetic mobile? Consider adding strings or ribbons too! This project is absolutely wide open for creativity and possibilities. In fact, I once saw a child hammer nails into a block of sculpture and then drape yarn from one nail head to another and say, “Look at my Calder!” That could work here too! Or add some golf tees or toothpicks. Or, or, or.

I love this kind of project because it is completely dictated by the materials on hand and the willingness of the child to explore.

The project above is "a twist" on the pipe cleaner idea: 
Colorful craft wire wrapped and wrapped around itself,
and stapled to a block of wood  -- Calder in a different direction!

Shown below: Kids work with pipe cleaners and Styrofoam to build Calder-inspired sculptures at the annual Art Night, Mountain View Elementary School, Ferndale, WA, 2011. Each child creates in his or her own way, exploring and discovering through the process of art. The finished product is fun too, but it is the process that captured their creativity and individual thinking.

 

 

MaryAnn and a young friend in North Carolina are shown below, each creating a Calder-inspired sculpture with wire and foam insulation (cut into small blocks). May 2011.

 

MaryAnn F. Kohl is the author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. Connect with MaryAnn online on Facebook, Twitter, and her own blog!

 

April Art with the Rain (from ArtsyKidsNEWS)

The following post is a huge jpg. To see the actual newsletter, go here: 
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5ede963e35560c1088968f662&id=eb5f97abf2

This edition of the ArtsyKidsNEWS is for APRIL
with ideas for using the rain to make art. 

If you would like to receive the monthly ArtsyKidsNEWS in your email,
go to www.brightring.com
and sign up for MaryAnn's mailing list.
(Lower right corner of home page) 

or Sign Up HERE! http://eepurl.com/kwZQL

A Repost From the Gryphon House Blog: Reading Scenes Photography Fun

This is a guest blog post directly
from the Gryphon House Blog,
reposted below:

http://blog.gryphonhouse.com/2012/03/13/reading-scenes-lets-take-pictures/

Reading Scenes: Let’s Take Pictures!

13 MAR

by MaryAnn Kohl

When I was a very little girl, my dad brought me a new book every week from the bookstore where he worked. Most of them were Little Golden Books, and I still own every single one. Those books brought magic into my life and lovely daddy-daughter time to me as an imaginative little girl. I treasure both the books and my time with my dad who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 50.

One of the ways I used to like to play with my books was to set up my toys in scenes and arrangements based on favorite stories, like playing dolls, but more. I was building the scenes from my books, like setting the stage for a great play or story. I would move the characters around and make them talk, reliving the book and adding my own twists to the story.

When I was satisfied with playing, I would bring out my Brownie camera (this was film, not digital, everyone! It was in the 1950s!) and take a picture of the scene. The pictures took about a week or more to develop and be returned to me. The waiting wasn’t so hard, as there was plenty to do to keep busy during the interim.

When the pictures arrived, I selected which scenes would go into my scrapbook, really just a notebook with photos taped in, and tape them in. Though sadly I don’t have any of those pictures today, I do have the memory of my play time with my books as the inspiration and my dad smiling over me and asking me to tell him about the photographs in my notebook. Retelling the stories was a good part of the enjoyment.

So I’d like you to try this, your kids will love it! I call it Portraiture, an idea from the book, Storybook Art, authors MaryAnn Kohl and Jean Potter, and also in a different way from Great American Artists for Kids by MaryAnn Kohl and Kim Solga.

Portraiture

To Do:

1. A child (children) reads a favorite book (listen to a book or read it on their own).
2. A child (children) sets up a scene with whatever toys, figures, blocks, and so forth on hand.
3. Take a digital picture of the scene.
4. Choose to move the scene about and take a second or third picture to tell a story in sequence, but most kids are happy with one picture.
5. Print out the picture.
6. Save it in a notebook or scrapbook.
7. Take dictation about the picture from the child if they are very young, or encourage them to write something about it if they are old enough.

More:

Some kids like to actually dress-up in costumes and put together some background or props to re-enact a favorite book or one of their make-believe times. Do the same: Pose, take a picture, print it out, save it in a notebook.

These pictures show scenes as well as children dressing up and posing:

The squirrel is reading the baby frogs a bedtime story. The two children who posed the scene gave a short dictation of what was happening to the squirrel and frogs.

Jake and Sydney posed themselves in costume with props to show how difficult it is to have a cup of tea when the toys are not behaving.

Foil figures squeezed from aluminum foil can make fun characters to pose in a story. This foil man has found himself a marker and is setting out to draw his own personal story on white paper.

 

This post was contributed by MaryAnn Kohl (pictured on the left at about the age of Brownie cameras  in the 1950s). MaryAnn is the renowned author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. MaryAnn enjoys speaking internationally and working with groups of children all over the US. Articles by MaryAnn can be found at the Barnes & Noble Parents’ Expert Circle as well as her own blog. MaryAnn lives in Bellingham, Washington.

 

March 2012 ArtsyKidsNEWS

My blog post today shows you picture clips (the links won't work in these clips) from the March ArtsyKidsNEWS.

If you would like to subscribe to this once a month mailing with art ideas for kids of all ages, go to my webpage, lower right corner, and sign up! Join the creative fun!

Your email will be safe with me, and I only send the mailing once a month.

I would love to have you join.

 

MaryAnn

 

 

Visit MaryAnn's Pinterest Boards

Have you found Pinterest yet? I don't know if you'll love it or never forgive me for telling you about it .... ??   :)

If you like saving great ideas from the Internet, Pinterest will help you do it.

My boards are here:  http://pinterest.com/maryann_kohl/

My favorite board is "Art for Kids from Great Blogs"

 I hope you will visit my boards to see some amazing art ideas as well as other things I'm saving to enjoy, make, or share. Click on any links in this blog post and you will be swiftly jettisoned to Pinterest! 

~ MaryAnn
www.brightring.com

PS Have you signed up for my montly newsletter yet?
Go to my webpage (lower right corner), and sign up for my mailing list.
You'll get one newsletter a month
and I'll never share your email with anyone.

 Thank you for reading my blog! Love to hear from you so leave comments! And if you have a Pinterest page with art ideas or other creative activities, I'd love to "follow you".

From the Chocolate Muffin Tree: Happy Birthday to Me! Balloon Sculpture

Hello, Blogging Friends: Today is my ... ahem ... BIRTHDAY, rather a milestone one actually, and thanks to one of my favorite blogs -- The Chocolate Muffin Tree -- I have a complete post (translate: no work for me, I'm copying hers) to share with you: Balloon Sculpture  based on my book "Storybook Art". I suppose I could write my own blog post, but this one is so great! And it's my BIRTHDAY!  And it's 4am! And so... Thanks for the post, Melissa. I promise to do a guest post for you in February or any time in exchange for posting this one.

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 - My ? Birthday!

Balloon Sculpture and a Book

Would you ever think of making Balloon Sculptures?  (Besides the twisty animal kind)  Well, we made Balloon Sculptures! This idea comes from the book Storybook Art by children's art author MaryAnn Kohl (and it happens to be her Birthday today!....Happy Birthday! and with balloons too!).  This is a wonderful book filled with 100 Hands-On Art Lessons that incorporate Great Picture Book Illustrators.  This particular project appealed to my daughter immensely because she LOVES balloons and sculpture projects. We first read the book, Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, which is the book that goes along with the balloon sculpture.  The illustrations by Mark Buehner really made the "Balloon Farm" of the character, Harvey Potter, come to life!!  The book itself with the imaginative story by Jerdine Nolen Harold and colorful illustrations was a hit for my 5 year old! I think any child would be intrigued by this book!

For the project you'll need:

all sorts of balloons

double sided tape (we used tape pockets----rolled tape)

square of cardboard or matte board

also string or rubber bands for extra support

(we just used tape and I could see string and rubber bands being helpful!!!)

Here is one of our finished sculptures:

Here are all the balloons we gathered: twisty animal balloons, water balloons, small balloons , and birthday balloons.

C wanted to play with the balloons (and we did!) You can see the joy on this girl's face before the project was ready to begin!

I had a bunch of tape pockets (rolled tape) ready in preparation for the project and used a piece of scrap matte board for a base, but you could use any kind of cardboard. To begin, C first started stacking the balloons!

She wanted to stand on the chair, because I think she imagined it to be really tall!  We found it wouldn't stack very high!!!  I talked about using the skinnier twisty balloons for support on the sides and that helped.  It would be fun to make a Balloon Hanging Sculpture too! Here is our Balloon Sculpture again.

I never would have thought to make a sculpture with balloons, but then take a look at this Google Search forBalloon Sculptures if you click here! There are zillions of them!! These will definitely inspire you to create Balloon Sculpture or at least have a n appreciation for them! Here is one Balloon Sculpture to a awe you with from Balloon Sculptor: Jason Hackenworth. Pretty Amazing, huh?

We had a lot of FUN creating this balloon sculpture and we may just do more with all this inspiration! 

Other Ideas with Balloons:

Next time we might Draw on our Balloons before we start sculpting with them!!! 

We might make some Homemade Stress Ball Balloons too!

Making a Balloon Yo-Yo  would be FUN!

A Hot Air Balloon toy has been on our list for a long time!

Printing with Balloons looks like a cool way to paint! 

We'll be creating another project from Storybook Art so stay tuned!

 

Alexander Calder Sculpture

Alexander Calder Stabile Sculpture

Using only pipe cleaners, a rock (or other base like a chunk of Styrofoam), build a "stabile". Add whatever you have on hand. We had buttons and paper scraps and beads to add to ours. Any kind of wire will work, including the new plastic-coated wires in craft stores (in colors).

This idea is found in "Great American Artists for Kids" by Kohl and Solga.

 

Marvelous Homemade Paints: 20+ Recipes

Today I am sharing paint recipes from
the book First Art.
I worked with two toddler teachers/parents
Dana Bowman and Renee Ramsey putting it together.
First Art  is a book of art ideas for toddlers and two's.
This excerpt lists 20+ paint recipes, all homemade!!

 

Marvelous Homemade Paints: 20+ RecipesThe ingredients for a treasure trove of paint mixtures are right around the corner in the kitchen, laundry, and bath! Children will be intrigued, challenged, and delighted by painting with mixtures made from soap, flour, corn syrup, and other marvelous ingredients. Try these recipes any time, or when something new and different sounds like fun.

 * View inside the entire old version HERE!

PS This book is now in a full color edition.

Marvelous Homemade
Paints: 24 Recipes

Cold Cream Paint

muffin tin with 6 sections

cornstarch

cold cream

water

measuring spoons

food coloring

paintbrush

 

In each cup of a six-sectioned muffin tin, put 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch, 

1/2 teaspoon (3 g) cold cream, and 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) water. Use a 

paintbrush to stir in a different color food coloring into each cup. Use as 

you would any paint. This also works as a gentle face paint.

 

Egg Paint

colored chalk (bright pastel chalk)

old ceramic bowl

round rock

spoon

muffin tin

teaspoon

water

1 egg

bowl and fork

paintbrush

 

Break pieces of chalk and put them into an old ceramic bowl. Grind them into 

powder using a round rock. Spoon the powder into muffin tin cups. Separate an 

egg, setting aside the egg white and putting the yolk into a bowl with 2 

teaspoons (10 ml) water. Whip the egg yolk and water with a fork until it is 

a frothy yellow. Add drops of egg-water to the ground colored chalk. Stir 

with a paintbrush until the mixture is a smooth, thin paint.

 

Cornstarch Paint

liquid tempera paint

cornstarch

measuring cup

spoon and bowl

 

Mix 1 cup (240 ml) liquid tempera paint and 1 cup (125 g) cornstarch in a 

bowl to make a thick paint that sticks well to paper.

 

Cornstarch Vinegar Paint

white vinegar

cornstarch

food coloring

measuring cups and spoons

spoon and bowl or baby food jar with lid

 

Mix together 2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar, 2 teaspoons (7 g) cornstarch, 

and 20 drops of food coloring (more or less is fine) in a bowl (or shake in a 

baby food jar). This makes enough paint for one child.

 

Corn Syrup & Food Coloring

food coloring

corn syrup

cup and spoon

 

Pour corn syrup into a cup and mix in food coloring. Paint on white paper. 

The painting dries to a shiny, but sticky, result.

 

Frozen Liquid Watercolors

Liquid Watercolors 

small paper cups

freezer

plastic spoons

 

Pour Liquid Watercolors into small paper cups and put them into the freezer. 

When they are partially frozen, put plastic spoons into each cup. After they 

freeze, remove the paper cups. The spoons become handles.

 

Flour Paint

flour

liquid soap

water

measuring spoons and cups

spoon

bowl or large jar

food coloring drops or paste, or powdered tempera paint

 

Combine 3 cups (375 g) flour, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid soap, and 3/4 cup 

(180 ml) water in a bowl or large jar until the mixture is a thick paste. Mix 

in food coloring until you have a desired shade.

 

Fragrant Paint

fragrances and spices (see suggestions below)

paint

spoon

 

Add fragrances and scents to paint. Some suggestions are shampoo, lemon or 

almond extract, peppermint extract, scented hand lotion, perfume or cologne, 

fruit drink mix, chocolate powder, and coffee. Adding spices adds texture and 

fragrance. Suggestions include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, sage, or 

others.

 

Textured Paint

textures (see suggestions below)

tempera paint

spoon

 

Add textures to tempera paints (or any of the paint mixtures in this book). 

Some possibilities are coffee grounds, sand, salt, sawdust, pencil shavings, 

oatmeal, or crumbled leaves.

 

Jell-O Paint

water

gelatin powder

bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid

 

Add water to any gelatin powder, such as Jell-O, so it has the consistency of 

watercolor paint. Use as a fingerpaint or a paint for brushing on glossy 

paper, freezer paper, or finger-painting paper. This paint is great for 

"scratch & sniff."

 

Milk & Food Coloring

milk

food coloring

bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid

 

Mix milk and food coloring together in a bowl or in a jar with a 

tight-fitting lid. Use as a paint for toast, bread, cupcakes, or other edible 

painting projects.

 

Mud Paint

sifted soil

water

cup

paintbrush

 

Mix sifted soil and water in a cup, stirring with a brush. Use it to paint on 

paper, fabric, or wood.

 

Milk Paint

powdered milk

cornstarch

measuring cups and spoons

bowl and spoon

warm water

food coloring drops or food coloring paste

 

Mix together 1/2 cup (75 g) powdered milk and 2 teaspoons (7 g) cornstarch in 

a bowl. Gradually add in 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water until the paint is 

smooth. Then add in food coloring.

 

Paste Paint

flour

water

measuring cups

saucepan and mixing spoon

stove or hot plate (adult only)

food coloring or tempera paint

 

Mix together 1 cup (125 g) flour and 3 cups (720 ml) water in a saucepan. 

Boil on a stove or hot plate until the mixture is thick. Mix in any coloring, 

such as tempera paint or food coloring, for a paint that will keep its 

texture when dry.

 

Shampoo Paint

shampoo

measuring spoon

water

bowl and spoon

electric mixer

food coloring, optional

 

Mix 3 teaspoons (30 g) shampoo with a little water in a bowl, and then whip 

with an electric mixer until it is thick and creamy. If desired, add food 

coloring.

 

Shaving Cream & Glue Paint

shaving cream

white glue

measuring cup

bowl and mixing spoon

food coloring

 

Mix 1 cup (30 g) shaving cream with 1 cup (240 ml) white glue in a bowl. Add 

in food coloring as desired. This makes a puffy paint that works well on 

cardboard or paper.

 

Shiny Milk Paint

sweetened condensed milk

tempera paint

bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid

 

Mix together sweetened condensed milk with tempera paint in a bowl or in a 

jar with a tight-fitting lid. When the paint dries, it will be shiny.

 

Slick Paint

tempera paint

white glue

bowl and spoon

 

Mix together an equal amount of tempera paint and white glue in a bowl. This 

mixture works well on glass and other slick surfaces such as aluminum foil.

 

Snow Paint

flour

salt

water

measuring cups

bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid

tempera paint or food coloring, optional

 

Mix together 1 cup (125 g) flour, 1 cup (250 g) salt, and 1 cup (240 ml) 

water in a bowl or jar. This makes a white paint that looks like snow when 

used on dark paper. Add tempera paint or food coloring, if desired. This 

paint dries hard.

 

Tea Paint

tea bag or instant coffee

water

measuring cup

bowl or cup

 

Soak a tea bag in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, or add instant coffee to the water. 

Make it dark or light, for color variation. Use this paint for painting on 

plain paper or for shading.

 

Tempera & Starch Brush On

tempera paint

liquid starch

measuring cups

bowl and spoon

water

 

Mix together 2 cups (480 ml) tempera paint and 1 cup (240 ml) liquid starch 

in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. Add water slowly while mixing, until 

the paint is thick and spreadable. Use it for painting on any type of paper, 

cardboard, or wood.

 

Vinegar Watercolor Paint

white vinegar

baking soda

measuring spoons

small bowl and spoon

cornstarch

glycerin

plastic bottle caps from 2-liter bottles

liquid food coloring

 

Mix together 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar and 2 tablespoons (30 g) 

baking soda in a small bowl; it will bubble. When it stops bubbling, add 1 

tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) glycerin, mixing well. 

Pour the mixture into bottle caps. Add several drops of food coloring to each 

bottle cap. Allow it to dry overnight to make a watercolor paint similar to 

those found in watercolor paint boxes. (Double or triple this recipe to make 

more colors or to fill more caps.)

 

a little more from First Art .....

Painting Goes Wild! 

Collect and create homemade paintbrushes using imaginative materials such as 

feathers, bristles taped together, fern leaves, a sponge on a stick, or 

cattails. Each adds surprise to a painting experiment.

Materials

newspaper or a plastic tablecloth

tempera paints

Styrofoam grocery trays

paper, in a variety of sizes and types

tray

homemade brushes (see list)

Things to Use as Homemade Brushes 

broom bristles (break a few bristles off an outdoor broom and tape together)

cattails with long stem

dish mops, dish scrubbers, or dish sponges

fern leaves

inflated balloons

long feathers

pine branches with needles attached

small sponges clipped in a clothespin or tied to the end of a chopstick

socks or mittens on one hand

 

Prepare (Adult)

* Protect the work area with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth.

* Place several colors of tempera paints into Styrofoam grocery trays and put 

them on the table.

* Place a sheet of paper in front of each toddler.

* Put several types of homemade brushes on a tray for the children to choose 

from.

 

Process (Child)

* Dip a homemade paintbrush into paint, then brush the paint on the paper.

* Try other brushes as desired.

* Paint with homemade brushes at the easel, on top of paper on the floor, or 

paper taped to the wall.

 

First Art Tips

* Place a loop of masking tape on the bottom of each paint tray to keep it 

attached to the table. Sometimes the homemade brushes can stick to the paint 

and lift the trays if they are not taped.

* Children can become very opinionated about what should or should not be 

used for painting. Don't be surprised!

* Plastic liter bottles cut in half make great cups for paint. Save the tops 

to use as funnels.

 

* Easel Variations--

Painting at the easel is a basic and important art 

experience for toddlers and twos. To stimulate creativity, change the paper 

or paint at the easel. For example, encourage the children to paint on 

grocery bags or a sheet of paper with a hole cut out of the middle. Or they 

can try painting on a big sheet of newspaper or an old poster with the 

graphics showing. Paint on clear Plexiglas. Try a new paint recipe or 

different brushes. Use chalk or crayons, pencils, or pens. Paint with water 

on cardboard sprayed with chalkboard paint, or paint with water on plain 

cardboard or wood. Paint on little sheets of paper with small brushes or big 

paper with oversized brushes. Paint on fabric squares.

 

The sky is the limit, and variety is the spice of every child's creative life!

 

 

Little Artsy Critters in the Forest

Look what my daughter Megan Kohl
painted for me for Christmas!
"Free Art Class" by Megan Kohl

December 25, 2011