It has arrived, my favorite theme of all time… ART week is here! My kids asked to do an “Awesome Art Theme” (their wording) during the summer of 2020, which will forever be remembered as the “Covid Summer.” We had a blast, and I can’t wait to share what we explored and created. I write this post one year later, a few weeks before I re-enter the classroom as a Grades 1-8 Art Teacher at a local private school. I share these activities with you in honor of this new adventure. Cheers!
Reading about ART!
There are so many great art-related books out there, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Since I’m going back to work as an art teacher this fall, I’ll work on a list of recommendations!
Melted crayon art!
Using old, broken, or unused crayons, collect a rainbow array and unwrap. Use a hot glue gun to adhere to the top of a fresh white canvas (or cardboard, if you don’t have canvas). Blow dry until the crayons begin to drip and melt. Make sure to do this over a drop cloth or something to protect the table/floor.
This activity is still very popular with kids of all ages. It’s fun for them to watch the crayons melt and take on a new form, and see the colors blend together. This is a great opportunity to talk about the color wheel, and primary, secondary & tertiary colors.
Sidewalk chalk paint!
Need: cornstarch, water & food coloring
Mix equal parts water & cornstarch in a larger bowl. Split the mixture into separate cups and add food coloring of your choice. The texture is a lot like milk
Enjoy painting in the garage, on the sidewalk or even on the fence! It does wash off when you’re finished. Here is Deacon’s (age 5) Jackson Pollock inspired chalk paint art. Beautiful!
Handmade sketchbooks!
My boys (ages 8 & 5) were able to create these with just a bit of help. We joined a virtual class through our local library and learned how to make these lovely books, but I’ve included some links on my Awesome Art Pinterest Board as well.
Need: empty cereal box or lightweight, thin cardboard, printer paper, scissors, tape, glue stick & ribbon. We also created watercolor paintings for the covers (optional).
We then took our accordion-style sketchbooks outside and quietly observed nature (leaves, rocks, trees, etc.) to create simple drawings. Tip: this is also a great activity for Paper Week!
Process Art!
Process Art focuses on the movement and methods involved in making the artwork rather than the finished product. It is wonderful for small children who are new to exploring art materials and have few inhibitions when creating. It’s also wonderful for older children and adults as a form of self-expression and art therapy.
Finger painting without the mess! Place paper in a baking sheet, squirt dots of tempera paint in various colors across paper, cover with plastic wrap
Yarn painting! Simply dip cut pieces of yarn into paint (tempera or acrylic work great), place them carefully on canvas or paper, and pull or drag them slowly to see what kinds of marks emerge.
Walking rainbow science!
Need: water, paper towels, 6 clear cups, and red, blue and yellow food coloring (we used liquid watercolor which also works)
Arrange the cups in a circle (as shown) and add food coloring to every other cup (one red, one blue, and one yellow for the primary colors). Fold paper towels into long rectangles and create a snake-like formation, making sure the paper towels dip into each cup. Let sit for several hours. Observe how the primary colors “crawl” up the paper towels and mix in the clear water cups to create secondary colors! We also did this activity for Rainbow Week! I love when similar activities connect & apply in multiple contexts.
Artsy snacks!
Rainbow ice cream sandwiches
The kids discovered the recipe and I have to give my husband props because he totally took this one on. Check out my Awesome Art Pinterest board for the recipe!Food art
I love this activity, because it can be made out of any type of food you want, and the kids can turn it into any type of “art” they desire! Here are my kiddos making abstract sculptures and turtles out of fruit, cheese & toothpicks. So fun!
Art therapy!
Painting our emotions using the book In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
Need: watercolor paint, brushes, water & paperAs I read the story aloud and shared the illustrations, my boys were inspired to paint what they were feeling using different colors and brushstrokes to convey those ideas & emotions
Tip: talk about how art can be abstract and doesn’t have to be a picture of something, but can use elements like lines, shapes, colors & patterns to make beautiful art that describes a feeling or makes us feel a certain way. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to make art.
Kinetic sculpture!
We read a book about artist & creator of the mobile Alexander Calder and were inspired to create these whimsical sculptures
Need: scissors, carboard with holes punched, construction paper (scraps work fine), pipe cleaners or wire, beads, colorful tape, cut up straws, pom poms, and other craft suppliesFirst, decorate the cardboard base using markers. I used an awl to punch the holes in the cardboard (adults should do this part). The holes are for adding pipe cleaners, which become the foundation for the 3D structure.
There are really no rules beyond this! Let kids build and create. Kinetic sculpture is about movement and balance, a fun concept to explore during the process.
Land art!
This activity is as simple as heading to the beach or even your back yard, collecting items from the natural environment like leaves and rock, and creating! Tip: ahead of time, look at work from artists like Andy Goldsworthy and be inspired.
Painting with ice!
Need: an ice tray, water, food coloring & paper
In the ice tray, add a variety of food coloring mixtures to create different colored “paints” (a.k.a. ice cubes) and freeze overnight.Preferably in the sunshine, use the frozen paints to make watercolor-type creations on paper! This can be a very calming process.
Graffiti art!
After visiting an art gallery exhibit (see below), my boys were inspired to try graffiti art at home!
Need: large paper, marker, drop cloth, spray paint in a variety of colors, masks & gloves (if you have them)
There were really no instructions for this one other than how to keep the space clean and our bodies safe from the fumes. It’s a good idea to do this one outside or in the garage with the door open, like we did. Wear a mask, and focus on the direction of the spray nozzle. Try starting with an outline using marker, and let kids experiment with the process. They absolutely loved this one!
Out & about!
American Graffiti exhibit at Schack Center for the Arts in Everett, Washington
We had a blast exploring this free exhibit, featuring many different street artistsAll masked up in 2020!
Schack is a wonderful resource for art teachers in the Greater Seattle Area (listed below) that I highly recommend for teachers & parents
I find that young people always love learning about street art. Banksy is a great artist to explore when learning about this genre.Ask your kids, “Is graffiti art really art? Why or why not? What makes something ART in your opinion?”An outdoor, hands-on art exhibit!
We happened to stumble upon this local artist’s hands-on showcase at Richmond Beach one day during Awesome Art Week, and we sure are grateful that we did!This exhibit was called “Garden Ghosts” by Mercer Hanau, pictured here. The boys got to try it themselves and these are the results!
This artwork involves a process using pretreated fabric sheets and objects against the sunlight to create these beautiful, silhouette-like prints.What a cool opportunity!The Olympic Sculpture Park!
We visited this Downtown Seattle park on a sunny day and really enjoyed exploring the large-scale sculptures, many of which invite viewers to walk around and through. The kids loved this outdoor “gallery” where they could touch and sometimes climb on the artwork! Tip: bring a sketchbook and sit down and draw some favoritesAwesome Art Week is the best!
Media & resources
For more ideas on how to incorporate ARTFUL activities into your DIY summer camp or home learning fun, visit my Pinterest boards and Instagram page. From an art teacher & mom, here is a short list of my most-used, favorite resources for teaching art to kids.
Creative Galaxy. If you happen to have Amazon Prime, this is a great one to pop on the TV when you need a break. It’s all about teaching creativity, elements of art & design, and fun crafts that you can actually do at home. I love that it refers to little viewers as “artists.”
Schack Center for the Arts. Located in Everett (just north of Seattle), I love this place for it’s open-to-the-public and FREE art gallery, the wonderful field trip experiences they offer to schools each spring, and the lovely Art Docent workshops the volunteers provide to parents and teachers in the fall. I can’t say enough great things about this place. Check them out!
Seattle Art Museum resources for families offer online galleries, family-driven workshops, and in-person experiences for kids and classrooms. Also check out their storytimes and programs for teens.
Deep Space Sparkle. I am a longtime follower of the creator of this company, Patty Palmer, and her wonderful, fun, whimsical lessons that are easy to implement both in the classroom and in your home (I’ve done both). I also own and love her book, Draw, Paint, Sparkle.
Cassie Stephens Art Teacherin’ in Tennessee. I’m including Cassie’s YouTube channel here because she is so inspirational to me, and one of my all time favorite art teachers. Her channel offers classroom management tips and tools, art lessons, and even a series of videos she made during the pandemic that feature ordinary household items turned into incredible, themed art lessons. She’s also very engaging and funny. Hashtag goals.
The Anti-Racist Art Teacher. I have only just begun to explore this resource and I’m already hooked. Find everything from art lessons driven by equity and inclusion to tips on how to have courageous conversations with kids. This one should be on everyone’s radar.
