Art Activities

Literacy-Building Art Activities Literacy-Building Art Activities © Ellen Booth Church, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Easy Art Projects With Companion Poems and Lessons That Build Skills in Phonemic Awareness, Oral Language, Early Writing, and More

by Ellen Booth Church

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Y O R K

M E X I C O

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C I T Y

T O R O N T O •

N E W

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L O N D O N

D E L H I

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H O N G

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A U C K L A N D K O N G

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S Y D N E Y

B U E N O S

A I R E S

To Carol Urban, whose friendship and creative genius have been an inspiration not only for this book but also for my life!

Literacy-Building Art Activities © Ellen Booth Church, Scholastic Teaching Resources

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to Carol Urban, Ph.D., for her collaboration in the creation of the art activities, and to Jerry Levine for his “rhythmic assistance” in improving the poems.

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Professional Books, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Cover design by Norma Ortiz Cover art by Bari Weissman Interior design by Solutions by Design, Inc. Interior illustrations by James Graham Hale ISBN: 0-439-31664-2 Copyright © 2003 by Ellen Booth Church. All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Contents Welcome!

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Using This Book .

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Everyday Art 8 Collage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Crazy Clay Creations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Paint Blots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Who Can Resist? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12


I’m a Great Artist! .

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Sensory Art 13 Texture Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Matter of Taste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sniff and Sculpt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Seeing in a Different Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Rub to Reveal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Alphabet Pattern Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Mosaic Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Carbon-Paper Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Handprint Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 I Hear Art!

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Nature Art 23 Wild About the Weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Rocking and Rapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Eggshell Surprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Art of the Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Poetic Branches

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Reuse and Recycle Art 28 What’s in Fashion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 A Tisket, a Tasket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Wonderful Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Marvelous Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

You Name It!.

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Welcome!

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rt is a language. It is a way to express thoughts, words, and feelings. The process of making art allows us to give image, form, or structure to something that is often intangible. Have you ever stood in front of a great work of art and felt the artist “telling you something”? That is what young children do every day in the art projects we provide for them. Our role is to give them the materials and inspiration—then stand back and let them go!

Building Literacy Skills Just look at the skills children will be developing with these activities: Expressive language


Vocabulary In many ways, art is the first language of the beginning reader and writer. Children draw or paint before they write. They use what might seem like scribbles, lines, and blobs to represent things. But isn’t that what writing is all about? Children’s pictures represent an essential step on the road to literacy.

Descriptive language Storytelling Sequencing Phonemic awareness Rhyming

Each activity in this book starts off with a poem or song to engage children with rhythm, rhyme, and imagination (and we’ve all felt the magic of speaking or singing a rhyme to get children’s attention!). This creates a springboard into any activity while providing children with a literacy focus. In addition, children experience and build the basic skills of language and literacy in the context of an activity they enjoy—ART! By combining poems with art projects, you are creating a complete circle of learning that begins and ends with literacy—and is expressed with art materials. What an easy, fun, and natural way to build language and literacy skills! Enjoy!

Titling and naming Writing Prepositional phrases Letter writing Fine-motor coordination Alphabet Visual discrimination Matching Patterning Creative expression Sensory integration Following directions Characterization Creative dramatics Problem solving Making comparisons Predicting Expressing emotions

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Using This Book Here are some tips to help you make the most of each activity: Copy the introductory song or poem onto chart paper. Gather materials beforehand. Consider introducing the activity in circle time, then moving to the art center.


It’s It’’s the Process, Not the Product! It You might have heard the expression “It’s the process, not the product” in regard to art activities. As teachers, we know that children learn how to think and problem-solve from the free exploration of materials. As they “mess around” with the rich assortment of materials and ideas suggested in the activities, children are expressing themselves in their own way. No two projects will look the same. Isn’t that a lot like writing? A group of writers may be looking at the same object or situation but will naturally write about it in all different ways. The activities in this book are meant to mirror this creative process for children.

Conversations With Great Artists—Your Artists Ar tists— — Your Children! One of the secrets to developing language and literacy skills is simply talking to children about their art! Be specific about what you notice when children are working or are showing you their artwork. For instance, I notice you made many interesting lines across the top of the paper. They are wavy and long. You’ll be introducing vocabulary as well as helping the child focus on his or her work. Ask open-ended questions to elicit language and thinking: What were you imagining when you made this? Does this tell a story? Can you read (or tell) it to me? Can you please tell me about what is happening in your picture? Does your creation have a name (or title)? NOTE: Young children’s drawing and sculpting abilities vary greatly even within one age group. Some children are drawing representational images of people and things, while others are making scribbles and lines. All abilities are developmentally appropriate to the early stages of learning and, of course, to the activities in this book. Sadly, some children can be unwittingly unkind to others about their drawing ability. The representational artists might tell the others that they are “just scribbling”! A great way to deal with this is to introduce the work of great, modern nonrepresentational artists such as Klee, Pollack, and Picasso. Many of these great artists’ works are similar to the work that your children create! Talk to children about each artist’s individual “style.” The next time a child tells another that he is “just scribbling,” you might hear him respond, “ N o, it’s my style!”

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There are four types of activities in this book: EVERYDAY ART No matter what goes on in your art center, the availability of clay or paint and paper will keep children occupied day after day. Swirls of color, joyous or brooding, or forgiving lumps of clay to be whacked and pounded are a refuge and a great outlet for emotions. Here are some innovative ways you can take basic art supplies and give them a new literacy “twist”!


SENSORY ART These activities can be done with almost any material because they call on creativity rather than the medium. Here you’ll find suggestions for getting started, but you’ll see that children take off with these ideas in many different directions. Perhaps they will free a child to draw surprise, paint fear, or model joy. After all, that is the object of art! As children express themselves with art, the door opens to expressing themselves in language and writing.

NATURE ART All around us, the world offers a multitude of natural materials with which to create art. Every classroom will have a different potential for natural materials. Nature has always sparked the poet—and the same can be said for children! Use these simple yet powerful art activities as “nature’s gate” to literacy.

REUSE AND RECYCLE ART Children have the wonderful ability to see art and creative potential in “junk”! You will need lots of assorted “stuff” for children to use in their educational play. An excellent and frequently underutilized source of good materials is the local business community. See page 7 for a list of what you might find where.

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Collecting Recyclables


When you approach businesses for art supplies, clear communication of your general needs and objectives will make things easier. Write a brief letter saying who you are and explaining that you would like to discuss possible recycling and reuse of materials. Send or deliver the letter to a few businesses and set up meetings during which you can explain your needs specifically in relation to that business. Later, send a thank-you note, perhaps with a photo showing how their donation is being used. Also, share your efforts with families and ask if they can either be donors or know someone who should be asked! TRY:

FOR:

Photo shops

Empty film canisters

Restaurants

Plastic dough buckets, large herb tins, large transparent plastic jars, Styrofoam containers

Produce dealers

Wooden boxes, fruit and vegetable posters, mesh onion bags

Fabric stores

Fabric cores/bolts, scrap fabric, pattern books, thread cores

Carpet stores

Cardboard rug cores, rug samples

Appliance stores

Large boxes

Supermarkets

Cardboard display cases, food posters, large-size food-shipping containers

Electricians

Wire spools, plastic-coated wire bits

Fine carpenters

Interesting wood shapes, wood shavings

Machine or metal shops

Metal cutouts (check for sharp edges)

Department stores

Broken jewelry, odd scarves, decoratives

Printers or copy shops

Colored papers, copy overruns

Offices

Letterheads, order books, notebooks, office supplies

Doctors and dentists

Posters stressing healthy activities

Tile stores

Mixed tile scraps

Bookstores

Posters, bookmarks

Travel agencies

Posters, brochures

Paint and wallpaper stores

Wallpaper books, paint color chips

Tobacco shops

Cigar boxes

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E VERYDAY A RT

I’m a Great Artist!


Introduce different artists’ work and invite children to experiment with their colors, textures, and techniques. For added literacy fun, children can explore the titles the artists have given their work—and have fun titling their own!

I’m a Great Artist! (tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)

I’m a great artist, Look at my style Just watch me draw And paint for a while. I can be O’Keefe, Monet and Klee And, of course, I can Paint just like ME!

MATERIALS: postcards or photos from art magazines with examples of great artists’ work, posterboard or cardboard to display the examples, white paper fastened to an easel, table, or floor, brushes in different sizes, colored paints, jar of water for washing brushes SKILLS: creative expression, making comparisons, descriptive language, fine-motor coordination HOW HOW TO TO

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Share and sing the poem above and talk about how different artists have different styles. (It doesn’t matter if children know the artists named in the poem; just show them a few pictures so they can see the differences in styles.) Have children choose the work of one artist to experiment with. Show children examples of his or her work and ask them to describe what they notice. Ask: What colors does the artist use? What types of materials? Let children experiment with the style of the artist. Post pictures of the artist’s works around the art area for inspiration. Stand back and watch them paint. Remind children that they are just experimenting with a style—they don’t need to work toward a finished product yet!

Variations Invite children to bring their favorite piece of art to a circle-time meeting to share. Ask them to talk about their paintings and give them titles. Offer collage materials for multimedia works. Mix glitter or sawdust into one or more of the paint colors!

E VERYDAY A RT

Collage In the art of collage, every “found” object can be art! In this activity, children experiment with using tiny bits of things to make a greater whole.

Collaging Things


(tune: “My Favorite Things”)

Snips of bright paper and bits of white eggshells, Tiny red buttons and cinnamon stick smells, White paper doilies, with fabric and strings, These are a few of my collaging things! MATERIALS: assortment of collage materials (such as bits of colored paper, pictures, clean eggshells, buttons, ribbon, feathers, glitter, cinnamon sticks, doilies, fabric pieces, yarn, and string), scissors, white cardboard (one piece per child), white glue thinned with water, paintbrushes SKILLS: creative expression, fine-motor coordination, descriptive language, making comparisons HOW HOW TO TO

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Share and sing the poem together. Encourage children to close their eyes as they sing the song and imagine what a collage made out of things might look like. Ask: What would you do with these materials? Put out collage materials and ask children to match them to the words in the song. Say: Are there any materials here that are not in the song? Invite children to arrange collage materials on their cardboard before gluing. Ask: How many different ways can you arrange these materials? Children can sing the collaging song as they are working. Or, try making a tape of you and the children singing it, then play it! Show children how to paint glue on the cardboard and press the materials onto the cardboard. The glue remains wet enough so the pieces can be rearranged for some time.

Variations As children use different collage materials, they can add them to the song. Write the new verses and post them with the original song in the art center! Use pieces of colored tissue paper. Where the papers overlap, new colors result! If children use tissue or transparent cellophane with the two sheets of clear contact paper, they will have a stained glass-like result! Help children spread a piece of clear contact paper sticky side up. Arrange bits of colored paper and cover with a second sheet of clear contact paper.

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E VERYDAY A RT

Crazy Clay Creations


Clay is wonderful not only for creating art, but also for helping children express their emotions. Are kids having a hard day? Take out clay and let them knead and “work it out” with glee.

Crazy Clay Creations! (call-and-response chant)

Teacher: With a push and pull we knead the dough. Class: Crazy clay creations! Teacher: What it will become we do not know. Class: Crazy clay creations! Teacher: It feels so good to pound and squish. Class: Crazy clay creations! Teacher: Go on and make whatever you wish!

MATERIALS: flour, salt, water, vegetable oil, flavoring or scent such as vanilla or orange extract (optional), mixing bowls, measuring cups, rolling pins, plastic knives, cookie cutters, garlic press or other sculpting tool

IN ADVANCE: Mix three parts flour with one part salt. Add one part water, a spoonful of oil, and color and scent if desired. Have children help you measure, mix, and knead the dough. SKILLS: creative expression, expressing emotions, expressive language, fine-motor coordination, problem solving HOW HOW TO TO

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Read the call-and-response chant. Have children practice their alliterative line a few times. Ask: What do you think the poem is saying? Children may like to clap along as it is spoken, or pretend to knead the clay! Pass out pieces of dough and invite children to explore how it feels to push, pull, and pound, just like in the poem! As children work the dough, call out a different emotion for them to express: Can you show happy dough? angry? shy? Introduce the use of dowels as rollers to make flat slabs. Children can cut the dough with knives and cookie cutters. Invite children to roll dough balls and ropes by hand. Show them how to twist two ropes together. They can assemble slabs, balls, and ropes to make their dough creations. Ask: What other designs can you create by mixing and rolling? Encourage children to give their crazy dough creations a name! Store dough at room temperature in self-sealing bags.

Variation Mix soap flakes with enough water to yield a doughy material. Add color and mint, vanilla, or almond fragrance if desired. When dried, these shapes make nice gift soaps.

E VERYDAY A RT

Paint Blots Here is a new way to do traditional paint-blot pictures. They all come out differently, so children are inspired to talk about what they see in each design.


Not Everything Is as It Seems! Not everything is as it seems, Clouds dance, becoming dinosaurs. Puddles swirl into rainbow tails. Shadows can walk on all fours. Paint blots lead us to magic trails. Not everything is as it seems!

MATERIALS: white paper (one sheet per child), plastic eyedroppers, tempera paint in colors that mix well together, plastic wrap (one sheet per child), markers SKILLS: creative expression, visual discrimination, fine-motor coordination, expressive language HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the poem with children. Suggest they close their eyes as you read it a few times so that they can picture the images. Ask: Have you ever seen any of these things? What shapes have you seen in the clouds?

Variations Have children shake glitter over their paint! After the pictures are dry, provide markers for children to draw details and designs on their creations.

Show children how to use eyedroppers. Have them “pick up” one color of paint and drip it onto the paper. Have them repeat with another color. Now have children place the plastic wrap on top of their paper and press gently. This will make the paints blend and swirl into interesting shapes and images that will keep changing as the child presses or moves his or her fingers. Remove the plastic wrap and set the paintings aside to dry. Ask: What do you see in your picture? Can you tell a story about what you see, or create a name or title for your picture?

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Who Can Resist? Using a specific design or technique as a jumping-off point can help get the artistic juices flowing. In this activity, children will revisit the classic crayon-resist technique and have a little literacy fun along the way!


Who Can Resist? Who can resist the swirl of color The wild wax lines on the page? Not I, said the paintbrush, As it danced across the stage!

MATERIALS: strong paper such as oaktag or posterboard, tea candles (remove from aluminum cups and extract wicks), watercolors, brushes, jar of water for washing brushes, rags or paper towels SKILLS: creative expression, fine-motor coordination, expressive language HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the poem with children. Invite them to predict what the art activity will be, based on the information in the poem. Discuss the meaning of “hard to resist” and make a list on chart paper of things children find “hard to resist”! Show children how to use crayons to draw simple designs on their papers. Ask, What will happen if I paint over the wax? Show children how to paint the paper with watercolors. The wax will resist the color and create an interesting design! Allow children plenty of time and paper to experiment with this technique.

Variations Using cooking oil and cotton swabs or cotton balls, paint simple patterns. Paint over them with watercolors. Instead of watercolors, apply pieces of wet colored tissue paper over the wax design. Smooth the papers down and then remove them to show the color that has been deposited by the tissue. It won’t stick where the wax is! Invite children to draw the things they listed on the “Things We Find Hard to Resist.”

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I Hear Art! The sound of music inspires us to feel, move, and respond. Whether the sound is beautiful music or the sounds of nature, children’s artwork is bound to reflect the mood of what they hear.

Close Your Eyes


(tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)

Close your eyes and listen, dear Feel and see just what you see hear. Does the music make you smile? Or want to draw and paint awhile?

MATERIALS: watercolors, brushes of different sizes, mural paper, a variety of instrumental music (waltzes, marches, tangos) SKILLS: expressive language, vocabulary, creative expression, sensory integration, following directions HOW HOW TO TO

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Share or sing the song with children. Ask children how they feel when they listen to different types of music: Do you feel like dancing when you hear certain music? Does some music make you feel like sitting quietly? Play a waltz or marching music. Have children listen to the music and perhaps move to it. Ask: How does the music make you feel? Do you see any special things when you close your eyes and listen? What words describe what you are feeling, hearing, or seeing?

Variations Play recordings of birdcalls, whale songs, or the sounds of the sea or a thunderstorm. Ask: H ow do these sounds affect what you paint? Rain sticks and wind chimes also offer interesting sounds to stimulate art.

Now, with the music continuing to play softly, move children toward the mural paper and ask them to “paint the music!” Assure them that there is no “correct” drawing. If children become stuck, invite them to beat the rhythm with their arms, or dance a little. When they are finished, invite children to tell the story of their mural. Encourage them to use their descriptive words expressed during the activity in the story. Transcribe the story or word list onto chart paper and display with the mural.

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Texture Garden Art is a delightfully tactile experience. By inviting children to express both verbally and visually, you help develop literacy skills within an engaging art experience.


Children, Children Quite So Merry Children, children, Quite so merry, How does your garden grow? With fuzzy fluff and smooth stuff, And pretty plants all in a row!

MATERIALS: squares of fake fur or velvet (or other wonderfully textured fabric) crayons, drawing paper SKILLS: expressive language, descriptive language, writing, sensory integration HOW HOW TO TO

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Variations

Present a pile of one very tactile material. (Do not show drawing paper and crayons at this point. This allows children to focus on exploring the material first before they think they have to do something with it.)

Gather materials from nature such as feathers, shells, and driftwood for more tactile inspiration.

Have the children investigate the feel of the fabric by asking, How many ways can you explore how this fabric feels? Invite children to close their eyes or rub the material on their face or arms. Ask: What words would you use to express how the fabric feels? Encourage children to use both real and made-up adjectives. Ask: Have you ever felt flowers and plants that feel like this?

Do a “mystery grab bag”! Place objects in a paper bag and have children simply feel them.Then invite them to illustrate what they felt. Afterward, have children remove the objects from the bag.

Take out the paper and crayons for children to illustrate the feeling. Ask: How can you use the crayon to create the effect of the fabrics? What does your drawing remind you of? Share the poem and then display it along with children’s work on a “texture garden” bulletin board. Encourage children to use their descriptive words to create titles for their work.

S ENSORY A RT

A Matter of Taste Snack time can lead to art inspiration. In this activity, children taste healthy foods and represent their experience with art and words!


MATERIALS: foods easily presented in small bits (seedless grapes off the stems, popcorn, nuts, seeds, orange or apple slices, red pepper strips), watercolor paper, paintbrushes, watercolor paint SAFETY NOTE: Check for food allergies before doing this activity. Also, since the children will be putting food in their mouths, use nibblesafe art materials!

Art Is a Matter of Taste If art is a matter of taste, Is taste a matter of art? Does the flavor of cookies Look all frilly and laced? Art is a matter of taste! Does the savor of fruit Seem red and yellow at heart? Taste is a matter of art!

SKILLS: creative expression, sensory integration, vocabulary HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the poem together and ask children what they think it means. Explain that “taste” can mean something you do with your mouth when you eat, but also the idea of liking or disliking something. Discuss with the children the idea that they can describe taste with words: salty, sweet, and so on. Now try taste as a color, asking: What tastes like red? What about pink? What about things like clouds, lightning, or thunder? Set up a “tasting smorgasbord” of the various foods and have children taste each food. Have children move from verbal description to painting the taste sensation. Provide watercolor paints and paper for children to represent their ideas. Ask: How many ways can you paint these tastes and foods? When children are finished, ask if there is a story that goes with the painting, and if so, have the child write or dictate it. (And, if the subject was popcorn, have them glue a few puffs of popcorn

Variations Present a variety of flavored potato chips for children to taste. (Check for food allergies first.) Have children suck on bits of ice cubes or flavored ice pops. Have children decorate rice cakes with nut butters, jelly, cream cheese, fruit, or colored sprinkles.

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Sniff and Sculpt

What does a smell look like? What words would you use to describe a smell? Combine children’s sense of smell with art and literacy skills and you’ll get some incredible sculptures!


If Smells Looked Like Things If smells looked like things, What strange odd shapes they’d be! Wiggly worms and dragon wings, Wavy motion on the sea. If smells looked like things… Could we touch them?

onto the painting!) MATERIALS: lumps of soft clay with a different nontoxic scent added to each (try liquid vanilla, peppermint flavoring, lavender, or pine oil) SKILLS: expressive language, vocabulary, sensory integration, fine-motor coordination HOW HOW TO TO

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Introduce the poem and ask children, If smells looked like things, what would they look like? Would they be spiky, rounded, pointed, or bumpy-lumpy? Pass out the different clay lumps for children to smell and discuss. As they knead, roll, and shape the clay, invite them to suggest words to describe the smells. List the descriptive words on chart paper. Encourage children to “give shape” to the smells with their clay.

Variations Place cotton balls or tissues sprinkled with various scents (perfume, vanilla, pickle juice, vinegar, mint flavoring) in empty film canisters and let each child pick out a container to sniff. Have lots of samples so that everyone gets a chance to pick one. Bring in scented flowers or herbs and have children include them in their sculptures. Consider citrus peels, or cumin seeds for unusually evocative scents.

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Seeing in a Different Way Here is a chance to use many of the art techniques introduced in previous activities. Watch language and literacy skills emerge as children explore seeing and using materials in a new way!

The Bear Looked out the Window


(tune: “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”)

The bear looked out the window (repeat 3X) To see what he could see, To see what he could see, to see what he could see, The bear looked out the window To see what he could see!

Display their sculptures in a “Sniff and Sculpt” Museum! MATERIALS: colored paper, glitter, found objects (manipulatives, small objects from outdoors such as leaves, pebbles, and so on), colored cellophane (available in art supply stores), glue, posterboard or oaktag paper SKILLS: expressive language, visual discrimination, descriptive language, storytelling HOW HOW TO TO

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With children in a circle, arrange materials on posterboard. Sing the song together as you pass out sheets of cellophane. Have children look at the arrangement through the different colors of cellophane. Ask: How does the colored cellophane change your view? What do you see now that you didn’t see before?

Variations Provide inexpensive kaleidoscopes to stimulate creativity. Observe the shadows produced by common objects held in front of a powerful flashlight or projector light.

Invite children to arrange the found objects in different ways on the posterboard. Ask: How many different ways can you arrange these materials? What do you see when you put materials together? Encourage children to look for shapes and designs that suggest images to them. Together, glue pieces to the posterboard to create a collage. Introduce different colors of cellophane and invite children to view it through the different colors.

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Rub to Reveal The “random rubbing” technique can be repeated over and over using different materials. The process of looking for detail strengthens essential visual discrimination skills—the same skills children use to learn the differences between letters.


MATERIALS: crayons (without paper wrappers) in a variety of colors, masking tape, thin white paper, pieces of lace or embroidery with a distinct, deep pattern SKILLS: visual discrimination, matching, alphabet, sensory integration HOW HOW TO TO

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In advance, place pieces of the lace or embroidery on a tabletop. Center the paper over the material and firmly tape the paper in place (have one prepared for each child).

Rub to Reveal (tune: “Are You Sleeping?”)

What is hiding? What is hiding? If you rub, you will feel Something very bumpy Something very lumpy Rub to reveal Rub to reveal.

Ask children to rub their fingers over the paper and guess what is hidden: Is there a pattern? Is it all over, or just in one area? Is it smooth or bumpy? Introduce the song and sing it together. Ask children if they know what the word reveal means and ask, How can we use crayons to reveal the hidden objects? Show children how to rub a crayon all over the paper to reveal the pattern, asking, What do you think it is? Remove the tape, lift the paper, and compare it to the hidden material. Ask: Is it what you thought it was? Lift the material and lay it on top of the crayon pattern to see how similar they are. Ask: How are they the same or different?

Variations Cut out letter shapes from heavy cardboard or craft foam. Children can make collages out of the different letter rubbings. Place coins under the paper. Include foreign coins! Have children create squiggly patterns using twine or string; the twine can also be used to shape letters or numbers.

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Alphabet Pattern Printing


Patterning is an indispensable literacy skill! Working with patterns enables children to develop and use the early reading skills necessary to decode text.

The Alphabet Pattern Song (tune: “The Alphabet Song”)

A-B-C-D-E-F-G Won’t you make a print with me? H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P We can make new words to see! Q-R-S-T-U-V W, X, Y and Z Can you read the words to me? Read the patterns as you please. MATERIALS: white paper, tempera paints in various colors, paper towels, paintbrushes, objects for printmaking such as puzzle pieces, paper clips, sponges cut into different shapes, spools, leaves, firm flowers, and plastic numbers or letters SKILLS: visual discrimination, patterning, sequencing, creative expression, alphabet HOW HOW TO TO

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Spread newsprint on the floor or table. Provide each child with an object with which to make prints. Say: Look at the surface of the object. How does it feel when you rub your fingers over it?

Variation With different sizes of objects, children can use seriation skills to order the pattern from small to large.

Have children use brushes to apply paint to one surface of the object. Place the object paint-side down on the paper, lay a sheet of paper towel over the object, and pat. Remove the paper towel and object to reveal the print. Continue with different objects and different colors of paint. Remember, you can put more than one color of paint on a print! Have children create repeating patterns with different colors or shapes in lines or rows. Now children can create a code with their prints. Invite children to choose a different print to represent each letter of the alphabet. Make an alphabet chart showing the new alphabet symbols. For example: A = spool print, B = paper-clip print, and so on. Invite children to spell their name with prints!

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Mosaic Stories Historically, mosaics have been used in friezes to tell stories. Many materials can be used to construct mosaic patterns. This activity involves gluing bits of colorful materials to paper. Children can use this technique to create their own story frieze!


Pictures Tell Stories They say, “Every picture tells a story,” So what is happening here? Do the pieces talk or move? Do they express what you want to hear? Look close—our mosaics are speaking to you. Do you see our message clear?

MATERIALS: construction paper in different colors, glue sticks, different types of grains and seeds, split peas and/or lentils, colored rice (mix dry white rice with a few drops of food coloring until color is evenly distributed, and let dry) SKILLS: creative expression, storytelling HOW HOW TO TO

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Using the glue sticks, have children draw a simple design on the paper. Help them pat one type of grain onto the glue and gently blow or shake off the non-adhering grain. Add more glue to the paper. Have children pat a different grain on the fresh glue. Repeat until the paper is covered. Use the poem to introduce this next phase of the activity. Ask each child what his or her picture is about, and take dictation. (Don’t worry if the pictures are not representational. Children will be able to “read” their work to you anyway!) Hang the poem and mosaics in the hallway. Include the corresponding dictations under each mosaic.

Variations Mosaics are good for pass-along art! Each child starts a mosaic and passes it to the right.The next child adds to the new piece until the work has moved all around the group. Give each child just one material or color so they can track their additions. Make edible mosaics by pressing food such as dried fruit, sunflower seeds, or nuts into peanut butter or cream cheese on a piece of bread or a rice cake. (Check for food allergies first.)

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Carbon-Paper Messages In this age of copy machines and computers, many children have never seen carbon paper. In this activity, they can make multiple copies with the simplest of materials. This technique inspires the writer in children, as they use the homemade carbon paper to write their names and send messages to friends!

Magic Messages Literacy-Building Art Activities © Ellen Booth Church, Scholastic Teaching Resources

(tune: “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”)

Did you ever write a message, A message, a message? Did you ever write a message? That goes this way and that? Goes this way and that way and this way and that way, Did you ever write a message? That goes this way and that?

MATERIALS: posterboard or oaktag paper, white paper, crayons in several colors, masking tape, pencils SKILLS: creative expression, writing, fine-motor coordination HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the song with children. With crayon have each child rub color all over a small piece of posterboard or oaktag paper so that the wax layer is thick and dark. (You might have the children sing the message song as they do so, because this can be time-consuming!) Tape each crayon-covered sheet (crayon-side down) onto a blank sheet of paper. Tape firmly so the papers don’t slip. Have children use the pencils to draw a picture. Coach them to press down on the pencil when drawing. Remove the tape and top paper to reveal the copy!

Variations Invite children to write letters, words, and messages. Have children press the design or message with an unsharpened pencil or a dowel to write a “secret” message that will only be revealed when the copy paper is uncovered!

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Handprint Characters Young children’s bodies define their world to a great extent. They can have lots of fun using that body to not only create artwork but to be part of the artwork. In this activity, children use their handprints to create characters for storytelling!

The Handprint Story


(tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)

I’m a little handprint, Hear me sing. I can be a person, animal, or thing. When I get decked out Hear me shout Just read my story and hear me out!

MATERIALS: drawing paper, mural paper, masking tape, tempera paint, paintbrush, flat tray, markers SKILLS: fine-motor coordination, creative expression, storytelling HOW HOW TO TO

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Lay out sheets of drawing paper (one per child). Use the brush to spread a thin, even layer of paint on the tray. Invite children to place their hands on the paint. Then have them press their hands on the paper. Allow the handprint pictures to dry as children wash up. Then encourage them to examine their prints. Ask: How can you draw with the markers to create characters from your handprints? What is your character’s name? Tell a story about your character! Take children’s stories as dictation and record on their papers.

Variations Using an ink pad, have children print their fingerprints. Ask: A r e all your fingerprints the same? How are yours different from those of another child? Use these to make smaller characters and stories! Have children apply stripes of different colors to the tray so that the handprints

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Poetic Branches In this activity, children use a common piece of nature to inspire their own simple poems!

Branches


Shiny and strong, Shimmer and shake Sometimes you bend, And sometimes you break.

MATERIALS: small tree branches or sticks in all lengths and thicknesses, collage materials (fabrics, yarn, glitter, cotton balls, pieces of ribbon, bits of paper), glue, oaktag paper SKILLS: creative expression, descriptive language, phonemic awareness, rhyming HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the variety of sticks. Allow children time to examine the sticks before beginning the activity. Read the poem to children, encouraging them to reread it along with you. Ask: Do any of our branches fit the descriptions found in the poem? Point out that the letter S is used several times. Invite children to suggest other S words (slippery, snaky, soft, sap, sharp) to add to the poem!

Variations Decorate the sticks to celebrate the seasons—colored leaves in the fall, white ribbons or artificial snowflakes in winter, small flowers in spring. Consider using one of the children’s sticks as a “talking stick” to pass. (Whoever is holding the stick gets to talk.)

Create art with the branches! Children can decorate the branches with the art materials, glue their branches onto oaktag sheets, and then let them dry. Tell them that they will be writing their own branch poem, using the finished product as inspiration. Inspire children to use the format of the poem as a basis for dictating their own. Say: Just think of words to describe the branch and what it does. Write their poems on the oaktag sheets.

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Wild About the Weeds Weeds aren’t always a nuisance. Children can use nature and poetry as inspiration for creating art.

Weed Haiku


Wind blows the flowers A seed reaches the blue sky Wild about the weeds.

MATERIALS: objects gathered from outside (dried leaves, weeds, small branches) or from a floral shop (dried flowers, gravel, tiny shells, moss), small plastic bowls or colorful jar lids, soft clay, nails, ribbon or yarn, glue SKILLS: creative expression, phonemic awareness, descriptive language HOW HOW TO TO

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Copy the haiku onto chart paper and discuss its unusual structure. Explain that haiku has three lines and a 5-7-5 pattern of syllables. Say the poem together several times so children can hear the rhythm of the syllables. Clap the syllables together. Point out that there are many words that start with the letter W and have children circle the W’s they see. Fill the bowls or jar lids with clay to form a base to hold the weed arrangement. Sprinkle clay with gravel or shells, or drape with moss and gently press into the clay. Stick branches and weeds into the clay and use glue to trim with ribbons or yarn.

Variation Have children glue weeds directly onto the front of a folded piece of thick paper and then write a note or poem to a special person inside.

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Rocking and Rapping Children love to gather pretty stones and rocks. This activity uses children’s rock art as a stepping-stone to creating a class rap!

If Rocks Were Creatures


(rap beat)

If rocks were creatures What would they say? Hello, world, what’s up today? If rocks were creatures What would they do? Rap and snap and play kazoo!

MATERIALS: variety of rocks and pebbles, fabric, ribbon, colored pipe cleaners, permanent markers, paints, self-sticking adhesive clay SKILLS: creative expression, phonemic awareness, expressive language, rhyming HOW HOW TO TO

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Print the rock rap on chart paper for choral reading. Invite children to clap the beat of the rap as you say it several times together.

Variations Have a Rockin’ Rap Party where children introduce their creatures and teach their rap to others! Invite children to use shells instead of rocks.

Present the rocks that will be used to make the “creatures.” Demonstrate how to stick rocks together with the adhesive, and create features using the markers. Arms, ears, and tails can be formed from pipe cleaners and fabric. After they have finished making their creations, invite children to give the creatures names and to tell their stories. Children can use the rhythm and pattern of the rap to create their own rockin’ rap! Or, replace the third and sixth lines with children’s ideas.

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Eggshell Surprise Children love to make “surprises”! Use sturdy plastic eggs instead of the natural kind— and watch as children hatch new ideas.

A Riddle


I am hard on the outside And delicious inside Empty me out and make a surprise! What am I?

MATERIALS: plastic Easter eggs (one per child), clay, colored tissue paper, sequins, buttons SKILLS: creative expression, rhyming, expressive language HOW HOW TO TO

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Read the riddle poem together and ask children to guess what it could be about. Write children’s ideas on chart paper for reference. Share the empty shells with children. What do the shells make you think of? How can you use art materials to “make a surprise”? Invite children to use the art materials to create their own surprise inside the shell. Have children share their surprises with the group.

Variation Have children decorate the outside of their eggs. Place all eggs together in a basket for a colorful display.

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The Art of the Garden Planting flowers from seed takes weeks but grass seed will grow over a long weekend! All this greenery will certainly sprout the poetry in your group.

Our Secret Garden


What happens in this tiny place? Who planted it with care and grace? Our secret garden is filled with art Please “step” right in and rest your heart! MATERIALS: plastic food containers at least two inches deep (take-out salad-bar containers are great for this), Styrofoam trays to fit below the garden trays, potting soil, plastic utensils, grass seeds, wheat and/or marigold seeds, pebbles, twigs or tiny toys, small plants, water, plastic wrap SKILLS: fine-motor coordination, creative expression, descriptive language, rhyming HOW HOW TO TO

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Share the poem. Ask: Can we make a garden? How about a secret indoor garden? Show the different materials you have collected and invite children’s suggestions as to how to use them. Begin the indoor garden by spreading lots of newspaper over a table or the floor. Poke two or three holes in the bottom of each garden tray. Ask children to match gardens with a tray base. Have children fill the garden tray with an inch or so of soil. Children can shape the soil into hills and valleys, then position and plant a small plant or two. Have them add the twigs and toys, and perhaps place pebbles to create a path. This might be a place to begin making up stories about the garden.

Variations After the garden starts to grow, invite children to begin writing their own poems or stories about their “secret garden.” Ask: What is happening here? W h o lives here? Gather photographs of Japanese Zen rock gardens and have children create their own meditation gardens with rocks and fine gravel. Use forks to “rake” the gravel.

Help children add a small amount of water to the soil. Sprinkle grass seed over the gardens. Place a few marigold or wheat seeds in one corner of the gardens. Cover the gardens loosely with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm. If you do this on a Thursday, there is a good chance that you will have green grass by Monday!

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You Name It! This is a construction project in which the only goal is to complete something that pleases the artist. Drawing on this sense of freedom in their work, have children think of titles for their collage containers.

You Name It!


(poem: “Pat-a-Cake”)

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, what to make? We’ll paste things together and give them a shake. Bumpy stuff, smooth fluff, fancy and plain, When we are done we’ll give it a name!

MATERIALS: empty cardboard oatmeal (or potato-chip) cylinders with lids, glue or glue sticks, scissors, bits of yarn, ribbon, colored or printed paper, artificial flowers, sequins, plastic jewels (keep each material in a separate container), pebbles (a handful per child) SKILLS: expressive language, descriptive language, writing, patterning HOW HOW TO TO

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Variations Have children decorate paper milk cartons or other small boxes.

Have children explore the decorative materials. Invite them to sort and classify the materials into different groups that are similar in some way. Ask: Which materials go together? Can you put them in groups?

Bring in cardboard cores from paper towels or gift-wrap rolls and have children decorate these.

Ask children to think of descriptive words to name the groups. Children can use both real or made-up words, such as crumply, smooth, or scritchy-scratchy! List children’s words on chart paper and save for later work with writing titles.

Have children enliven the front cover of a small notebook by gluing on various objects.

Give each child a container, glue, and decorative bits. Share the poem. Have the children select a few decorative pieces at a time and glue them on. When dry, put pebbles inside the container and put lid on. Ask: What will you call it? Tempt children with the descriptive words collected at the start of the activity, saying, How can you use some or all of these words to give your work a title? Write each child’s title and name on his or her plastic lid. Invite them to shake the containers!

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What’s in Fashion?


Colorful things to wear are almost always popular with children, especially if they can say, “I made it myself.” In this activity, children will work with prepositional phrases and words—and create the latest “IN” look!

Sewing Song (tune: “In and out the Windows”)

Here is what’s in fashion, in fashion, in fashion. Oh, her is what’s in fashion— It’s our latest look!

MATERIALS: plastic embroidery needles pre-threaded with colorful yarn (long enough for necklaces), beads in all shapes and sizes, dry ziti, O-shaped cereal, large buttons, bits of plastic straws, fashion magazines SKILLS: prepositional phrases, expressive language, vocabulary HOW HOW TO TO

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Talk about fashion. Share some examples of unusual designs in fashion magazines. Ask: What do you notice about some of these looks? Do you think you could make something as wild and wonderful? Show children the collection of materials they can use to create fashions. Discuss the materials and invite children to brainstorm how they might use the materials to make fashion accessories. Demonstrate how to thread the items with yarn. As you work together, sing the song. Ask: What other words can we put in the song? Ask children to suggest new phrases to add to the song such as: over and under, next to and between, front and back, sew over and under the button, slide one thing next to another.

Variations Have children make slip-on bracelets using elastic cord instead of yarn. Give children pipe cleaners to make colorful rings. Punch holes in lengths of grosgrain ribbon so children can create belts by weaving yarn through the holes. Make them long enough to tie around children’s waists. Collect styrofoam packing. When the class first examines them, consider giving them a fun name: Let’s call them “knerbles”! They can be easily strung to create necklaces and bracelets. To make hats, cut slits in paper plates so children can thread ribbon or elastic through. Have them decorate with collage materials and colored feathers.

Have a fashion show! Children can sing this variation on the song: Come and see our fashions, our fashions, our fashions, Oh, come and see our fashions, That we made today!

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A Tisket, a Tasket Plastic berry baskets have almost completely replaced the old split-wood baskets, but both can be used as the start of artistic creations.


(tune: “A Tisket, a Tasket”)

A tisket, a tasket A pretty little basket I wrote a letter to my friend And sent it in my basket!

MATERIALS: plastic or wooden berry baskets, lengths of ribbon, colored twine or thin fabric strips, paper strips, glue, small artificial flowers, pictures of insects IN ADVANCE: Dip the ends of the ribbons in glue and let dry to make them easier to thread. SKILLS: letter writing, expressive language, creative expression, fine-motor coordination HOW HOW TO TO

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Show children the berry baskets and ask them how they might use them to create letter baskets: How can we decorate the baskets so they can hold our mail? What materials can we use? Children can weave strips of ribbon, paper, or fabric in and out of the lattice of the baskets. The ends can be left long, for decoration. As children are working, chant or sing the song. Help children notice that they can weave from top to bottom or side to side or both. Explain that there is no one correct way to do this. Help children make handles, drawing ribbons from the four corners or from the center points of the sides. Provide writing materials for children to create letters, cards, and pictures to place in their baskets.

Variations Create an area for the baskets so that children can “send” and receive mail! Read or tell the story “Little Red Riding Hood.” Ask: What did she carr y in her basket? Use strips of colored tissue or crepe paper. They may be “puffed out” of the lattice rather than drawn tightly. Empty cigar boxes might be available from a tobacconist. Children can make wonderful treasure

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Wonderful Wood


So much is made from plastic that many children haven’t had the joy of creating with wood scraps—it’s a tactile experience no child should miss! In the process, children can use their brainstorming skills.

Wood, Glorious Wood (tune: “Food, Glorious Food”)

Wood, glorious wood, Smell, hear it, and touch it. Wood, glorious wood, What can we build with it?

MATERIALS: wood in all shapes, sizes, and textures, white glue, watercolor paints, cardboard bases NOTE: Visit the shop of a fine woodworker or even a lumberyard. Collect small cutoffs of lumber and dowel, scrap ends of molding, wood shavings and curls. Ask an aide or parent to examine all the wood bits and discard any that could cause splinters. You might also check with a lumber mill for course sawdust and wood chips, as well as full, round cuts.

Variation Color the wood bits with watercolor paint, before or after gluing.

SKILLS: expressive language, fine-motor coordination, sensory integration, predicting, problem solving HOW HOW TO TO

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Provide piles of wood scraps. Encourage children to close their eyes and feel the wood with their hands, asking, What does it feel like? Have them smell the fresh wood, asking, What does the smell make you think about? Make a list of the images that the sensory exploration elicits. Sing the song together and invite children to think about what they might make with the wood. Refer to the list for ideas! Allow children plenty of time to explore the different woods before you give them the glue. This will allow them to truly experience the wood before they feel they have to make something with it. When they are ready, provide glue to hold the wood in place and let dry. Use the words on the list to create titles for the scuptures.

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Marvelous Masks Materials that would otherwise be discarded make great masks, costumes, and castles! Children can use their creations as the springboard for creating roles for a class play.

Many Marvelous Masks!


(call-and-response chant)

Teacher: With boxes and bags, any which way Class: Many marvelous masks! Teacher: We create roles for our own little play! Class: Many marvelous masks! Teacher: Each character’s name will start with an M! Class: Many marvelous masks! Teacher: So we’ll always remember just what to call them!

MATERIALS: large paper grocery bags, fabric, paint and brushes, glue, paper plates and cups, ribbons, feathers, flowers, assorted junk materials SKILLS: storytelling, characterization, problem solving, phonemic awareness HOW HOW TO TO

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Put out your collection of marvelous materials and invite children to explore. Ask: How can we use these materials to make masks and costumes? Introduce the call-and-response chant on chart paper, asking children to practice the alliterative line. Ask: What do you notice about the words in the line? Does anyone in the class have a name that starts with M? Say, Let’s make masks for playing and acting! In each bag, cut (or help children cut) holes for eyes, nose, and mouth. Have children decorate the bags. You might use paper cups (for ears), paper plates (for owl eyes), feathers (for birds), and synthetic fur (for cats and dogs). After the masks are made, say the poem together again and invite children to brainstorm M names for their characters. Then use the masks for dramatic play.

Variations Cut the top and bottom from cardboard boxes and cut armholes. Attach two fabric strips to allow the box to hang from the child’s shoulders.Then have children decorate, decorate, decorate! Scenery can be constructed from boxes, tubes, and cylinders.

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