Craft: Loom Weaving

Loom weaving is a great activity for 1st graders. It is simple and fun to do. We were given a piece of cardboard with 4 pieces of string to weave through. We then had to use both yarn and pipe-cleaners to create a unique design and patterns.

Before we began, we watched a video on how to weave and the different techniques to weaving patterns. The weaves couldn't be to tight, they would bow in the sides of the string; the weaves couldn't be too loose either, making the piece look sloppy.
Another way to do this piece would to be to have more string added to create more designs and patterns. Or if you could use real looms, it would make the project just as fun. If you want to do more, you could tie off the ends of the string and maybe create little bags buy sewing the sides together with yarn or pipe cleaners.

Clay: Coil Pots

Clay is a fun medium that kids always enjoy playing with. This project is designed for 4th graders. We started this project by first learning about the different fundamentals and ways clay can be used. We used air dry and created fun coil pots. To make the piece more fun, we were able to add other coils in different places to make the piece more interesting.

Another project could be to create pinch pots. You could also use clay that could be fired the various different ways: low fire, high fire, raku, saggar, or smoke firing. It would also be fun to teach them about glazing or even just painting the pieces.

Oil Patsel and Crayon resist: Under the Sea

For this project we were able to create our very own HUGE aquarium! This fun project is meant for kindergarteners. We started out by picking the pictures, designs that were already cut for us, we wanted to use for the aquarium. After we picked our pictures, we traced them on a piece of paper using either a crayon or oil pastels. Then we decorated our pictures with various designs using either crayons or oil pastels.

After we were finished coloring with the crayons or oil pastels, we took water colors and painted over the top of the crayons or oil pastels with the complimentary color. Once the paint was dry, we cut out the pieces, and our teacher then organized them in the aquarium for us.
This is such a fun project, and could be used to create many different scenes. You could create a farm scene with animals using the same technique; even a safari scene could be created or any other scene with animals. Throughout the school year, you could create various scenes to constantly change the theme throughout the room.

3D paper design: African Masks

A fun 4th grade project! For this project we first learned about African masks: the different kinds and the different meanings behind each kind. We then got to create our own masks using paper. We started out with paper plates, we then had to create designs on our masks. We also got to use paper and pipe-cleaners to add affects to our project. For the paper, we had to use a different kinds of folds: a zig-zag looking fold and a spiral fold.

Another great idea in doing this would be to use construction paper instead of paper plates, and then make sure the masks fit around the kids faces. They can then give a meaning towards their mask and wear it around proud!

Print Making

Print making can be done using different materials for stamps: Styrofoam, cork board, or anything that can be easily carved into. We used foam board, it's easy to carve into and is pretty cheap and simple to use. We started out this project by picking a simple design to carve. I picked the at&t logo. I first lightly sketched the design and then took a small dull point (a dull pencil, the tip of mechanical pencil) and carved out my design. I then took paint and painted the surface of my stamp and pressed it onto a colored piece of construction paper. I continued this four times. Then I took my stamp and carved out extra pieces, repainted it with the complimentary color, and pressed my stamp over the image I had already applied. I makes a cool affect with one color behind another. This was a very fun piece! This project is intended for 4th graders.

Anther thing you could try doing is instead of sketching on the foam board and making it easier for students is that you can lay a design over the board and trace a pencil over it to create the stamp. You could also use cork board and carving tools to carve out a more durable stamp.

Paper Collage

Harvey the Hippo: A project meant for 3rd graders.

There was once a hippo named Harvey. See, Harvey was a very loveable hippo, but he was VERY clumsy. He was constantly finding himself in silly situations and always needed help getting out of them.
This is how the story starts. We were each assigned to make a scene for this book. The line stated, 'If it wasn't bad enough, Harvey...' and then we had to finish it. In creating our scene, we had to use paper collage. We had to be creative and have a foreground, middle-ground, and background. The foreground pieces had to be larger compared to the middle-ground, and the middle-ground larger compared to the background. It gave the picture depth and an almost 3D quality. When we were done our teacher hung them on a bulletin board, that way we can read they story anyway we want!

If it wasn't bad enough, Harvey got covered in blue paint! As he was walking on the sidewalk past some houses, clumsy Harvey startled a painter. The painter accidentally dropped his paint bucket spilling blue paint all over Harvey.

Another fun project would be to do a collaborative piece with paper collage. Or instead of using paper, you can use tissue paper for the collage. Another idea would be to use magazine clippings and have them cut out the various colors to use for their piece. There are many different ways to do collage, and they all make a piece look interesting.

Painting: Watercolor

This painting project is used for 2nd graders and water color. We started out this project with gesture drawing. We first looked at our hands and drew them, without looking at our paper and not picking up out marker. After drawing our hands, the teacher put a picture of a sunflower on the board. We then had to draw that the same way, not looking at the paper and not picking up our hands. After we were finished drawing, the teacher came around and and boxed out certain areas of our paper. We then could use the various methods of water color that we were taught for this project. I used 'wet on wet' in the orange and yellow square. In the other square I used crayon resist. This project was very fun to do. Another project for this could be using different kinds of paint and trying to paint inside all the different shapes you created in the gesture drawing.