Portrait making is not always fun for kids in fifth or sixth grade. They become a bit self-conscience and sometimes sabotage their efforts in an effort to stay humble. Drawing a friend or the... Learn More
I once asked my daughter what her least favorite art project was and she said making portraits, especially self-portraits. Are you surprised? Truth is, as parents (and teachers) we adore... Learn More
Drawing elephants can get a little tricky but this drawing focuses on the contour shape. Add a trunk and chunky legs and Kinders will have no problem appreciating their efforts.... Learn More
Zebras, like giraffes – are great for children to draw because once they add stripes to whatever shape they create, the drawing will be instantly recognized. For the drawing, I... Learn More
Drawing a giraffe is a rewarding experience for a child as they are always successful. With a long neck, stubby horns and the famous spots, giraffes are easily identified by... Learn More
Giraffes truly are the most beautiful creatures. Eyes adorned with swooping lashes, graceful necks that bend and reach and those adorable knobby knees. No wonder giraffes are the animal of... Learn More
Wildebeests (or Gnu’s) are a strange looking animal that are quite noisy. They look like they are made from the spare parts of other animals with a tail like a... Learn More
My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me by Maya Angelou If you love hearing Maya Angelou speak, reading this book is the next best thing. Her lovely, poetic voice follows the... Learn More
folk art stylings, African art is colorful, dynamic and easily adaptable to most age levels. This lesson takes two 1⁄2 40-minute class sessions. For the first class, we painted the... Learn More
This is a great project to incorporate into an African or Mammal Unit. Hippos need to keep their eras and eyes above the water level so they can keep alert... Learn More
For this lesson, my goal was simple: create a line drawing, using thick and thin lines using an image associated with Senufo Mud Cloths. Because I expected the students to draw... Learn More
Imagine living in the African rainforest amongst chimpanzees? Studying, sleeping, watching. Jane Goodall’s story, beginning with her curious girlhood days to her travels throughout Africa, ignites the imagination of children.... Learn More
Some of my favorite lessons to teach in the art room originate from a book. Searching through old and recently published children’s books is both inspiring to me as a... Learn More
I always wanted to do a papiér maché project. To me, it’s the quintessential kid’s art project. But here’s the deal: they take time, patience and space. At least this... Learn More
Using the figurine, I drew a basic sketch on the white board and showed different options the kids could choose to take. Use the handout to guide your students or... Learn More
Sometimes it’s fun to draw with a paint brush. That’s exactly what my fourth graders did as they studied various tree shapes for an upcoming project. They also learned that... Learn More
Have you ever wanted to do a super simple clay project but with a group of older kids? My time was always super short with the kids. I had about... Learn More
While most weaving lessons I have done have been for younger grades, this was the first paper weaving project I did with upper grades. The details are finer: narrower paper,... Learn More