Collages with kids

The key to a good collage project is having good materials for the kids to look through.  I found that Real Simple, some yoga magazines, art magazines, and some family/parenting magazines tended to have images that kids could relate to and get inspired by- and images that weren't overly sexual or misogynist.  I put on some fun music while the kids made these, and then they took turns telling stories about each other's collages.  It was lots of fun, and was like two projects in one!

Self Portraits

There are lots of cool ways to make self portraits with kids.  Often detaching the goal of realism helps kids feel more comfortable experimenting with shapes, colors, techniques, etc.  Here are a few different ideas to try:  (A lot of these are mine instead of the kids', for privacy)

Scratch art portraits

See how to make your own scratch art paper here!

Masks using fabric scraps, pipe cleaners, beads, and paper cone cups

It is VERY important to bring in good fabric scissors or else this will be a very frustrating project for the kids- most kids art room scissors are much too dull to cut effectively.  MAKE SURE TO PUT AWAY PIPE CLEANERS BEFORE YOU BRING OUT THE GOOD SCISSORS.  One snip can ruin a good pair!

These were so fun I'm putting in a bunch.  These are simpy tempera paint on black construction paper.

I think they look so cool!!

We tried to leave black space between paint sections to keep the colors looking vibrant.  

As I've mentioned before, adding in some element of an unusual or unfamiliar art supply can really inspire kids.  Here, I had them choose one word from a magnetic poetry set that they felt described them.  Then they drew the feelings that word game them and glued on the piece.

Last but not least, one of my favorites- Andy Warhol-inspired portraits!

Oh my. 

The kids LOVED these.  Take a picture of each child making a silly face.  Then print out 4 side-by-side copies of it in black and white on plain printer paper.  Then color over them with colored pencils!

The frame here is made out of scraps of discarded art.  We did this a lot, and it helped us remember to get as many uses out of a single sheet of paper as we could!  (We also read The Lorax at the beginning of each week to help us remember to conserve and recycle resources!)

Under the sea art projects

This is a round-up of some of the projects we did in our Underwater Adventures week!

3-D Atlantis Maps

Another, with creative use of sticker salvage pieces

I find that little bits of materials like cool yarn, straws, and salt dough can really bring excitement and inspiration to a project.  My kids did really cool things with them!

What will these paper mache'd balloons become?

                         

Jellyfish hats!!!

Jellyfish hats for everyone!

In case it's not obvious, we cut the paper mache balls in half, cut eye holes, painted then, and then strung strips of fun things (crepe paper, bubble wrap, wacky yarn) around the edges as tentacles.  They were really fun to wear outside- the wind made the tentacles flutter!

Decoupage with tissue paper and watered-down glue

                         

A note about doing a lot of these projects in the summer- the moisture in clay, paper mache, and decoupage can get stuck in muggy weather and can sometimes even mold (especially if you make your own paper mache glue out of flour.)  Box fans overnight can prevent this, and make everything dry and take-home ready in a day or two!

Salty Watercolors

This is one of my favorite art projects for just about any age kids or adults.  Different papers react to the salt differently, so try this one out before you do it with a group.

Did you know if you sprinkle salt on a still-wet watercolor it makes absolutely gorgeous crystal shapes on it?
Here are some dinosaur silhouette sunsets I did with 6-8 year olds.

We added construction paper cut-outs on top

Make sure the salt is the last step- painting over it will ruin the effect.  Different wetnesses provide different effects.  I've found it looks best when the paper is still quite damp to the touch, but not puddling.

This effect is also fun if you draw a snowman with white crayon on white paper, then paint over with blue and add salt.  It looks like snow!

The salt transformation is really fun and happens over the span of a couple of minutes.  When it's dry you may want to brush off the salt crystals with your hand, or leave them there because sometimes it makes the picture look sparkly!

Dancing Finger Puppets

This is a fun easy project to do.  Try and make the bases out of something sturdy so the leg holes don't tear.  I made mine out of manilla folders.  This is a million times easier if you've got a sizeable hole punch- I got one once in the scrapbooking section that cut a hole the size of a nickel.  It was invaluable for eye holes and lots of other projects.  I wish I still had it!  I cut a million of these for a class using an exacto knife, and it took forever.  Also fun:  make elephants with one hole for the trunk!

These are fun puppets and get everyone giggling.

Make your own scratch art paper

Scratch art paper is really expensive and is super easy to make.  Color a piece of paper heavily with crayon so there are no white spots left.  (Also, don't use black crayon.)  Paint over the whole thing with black paint- I've had good luck with acrylic, using a sponge brush.  Try to use as little as you can while still covering the color completely.  Let it dry (usually an hour or less) and then use a pointy-ish-but-not-too-pointy tool to scratch a drawing on the paper.  I've had luck using the back of a wooden matchstick, the not-pointy end of a wooden skewer, or a pen cap.

Most kids will want to go nuts and scratch off the whole thing.  It's a good idea to make one along with them to use as an initial sacrifice, so they can make an actual design on their own.

  Try this one out first- some papers and paints work better than others, so make sure you've got a good combo before making kids color till their hands go numb.

Super fun!