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!

Giant Peaches and Jellyfish

Dibs on that for a band name.

Nannying co-conspirator/ward and I had just finished reading James and the Giant Peach and were feeling inspired.  We made this giant peach out of paper mache over a balloon!  The base you see here is made of a cylinder of recycled cardboard, and is for drying and painting purposes.

Though we had initially planned to make a fun mobile with birds carrying the peach with strings, it was logistically overwhelming and one of us (!) was anxious to move on to other things.  So after enjoying the peach in all its glory for a few weeks, we cut it in half...

And made 2 jellyfish!  We punched holes around the perimeter with scissors and stuffed strips of different-sized bubble wrap into them.  Crepe paper is also fun, as well as that shimmery foam packing material that comes in sheets.  For added fun, cut 2 eye holes about 2 inches from the bottom and wear it as a hat!  The tentacles will trail behind the kids as they run and dance, plus they look freaking adorable.  I have pictures of this from when I used to teach art, and will post them one day.  For now, just take my word for it.

This jellyfish lived in a lamp for a little while, but these also look fun hung on a string from the ceiling.  The tentacles move in the breeze!