Blog Posts

Cat at Night Art Project

The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar is a perfect read for the art room; beautiful illustrations, easy text and a great example of silhouettes. I spent an afternoon coming up...Learn More

55 Min

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Animals, Art and Literature, Line Drawing, Pastels & Crayons, Tempera Paint

Fancy Glitter Fish

I love seeing the expressions on the faces of my second grade students as they arrived into the art room and view the whiteboard. Eyes wide, big smiles and yes,...Learn More

45 Min

Related categories: 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Fish and Sea Life, Line Drawing, Pastels & Crayons, Summer Art, Watercolors

Prepping for Your First Art Class with Kinders (yikes!)

I received a question from a reader yesterday asking for advice. She teaches upper elementary and middle school but now will welcome Kinders into art class for an hour each week. Not feeling...Learn More

Related categories: Art Room Management, How to Teach Art, Kindergarten Art Lessons

Chengdu: Panda Bear Art Project

I received this book in the mail a few months ago and as soon as I opened up the package and saw sleepy Chengdu, I knew my first graders would love him. Chengdu...Learn More

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Animals, Art and Literature, Chalk Pastels, Video Tutorials

Father’s Day Portraits Art project

For the last art project for my third/fourth combo class, I asked the teacher if she had any requests. She didn’t hesitate to say that she has no idea what...Learn More

1.5 Hrs

Related categories: 4th Grade Art Lessons, Line Drawing, Portraits, Spring Art

Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall Art Projects

Sometimes books take me away to that creative place where I just want to break out the tissue paper and pastels and get busy making art. The illustrations in Dan...Learn More

Related categories: 2nd Grade Art Lessons, 3rd Grade Art Lessons, 4th Grade Art Lessons, Art and Literature, Collage, Fish and Sea Life, Line Drawing

Sky Color Expressive Art Project

Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds celebrates the creative process with endearing illustrations and simple, but powerful words. I read this book to my K/1st grade combo class and set out...Learn More

40 Min

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, Art and Literature, Line Drawing, Quick Art Lessons, Watercolors

Colorwheel Clowns

Second grade is perfect grade level to introduce primary and secondary color mixing plus creating tints. It’s the tint factor that creates the WOW in this painting lesson as it...Learn More

1.5 Hrs

Related categories: 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Color Wheels & Theory, Line Drawing, Tempera Paint

Pinch Pot Animals for Kinder and First Grade

At the request of one of my Kinder teachers (who showed me a very cute ceramic cat and bird inspiration piece), I created a seemingly simple pinch pot animals lesson...Learn More

60 Min

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, Animals, Ceramics & Clay, Kindergarten Art Lessons