KinderArt® Blog - Art Lessons and Lesson Plans for Kids (Toddler, Preschool, Elementary and Beyond)

Homemade "lava lamp"

2013-05-13T14:00:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater, KinderArt.com What you are about to read is part science activity, part art project. It's also a great deal of fun for all ages. First, gather: Vegetable Oil Water Food Coloring Alka-Seltzer Tablets A Bottle Once you have gathered all your supplies, it's a good idea to protect your work surface. We used an old picnic tablecloth. Next... Pour

Colorful Acorn Caps

2013-04-10T15:21:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater, KinderArt.com We have a lot of natural objects at our home studio. Sticks, twigs, rocks, chestnuts... you name it. But what we always seem to collect, more than anything, are acorns. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw a post on the Kiwi Crate website that answered the question: "What can I do with all these acorn caps?!" Have a look... What you need:

Magazine collage bunnies

2013-03-25T18:23:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater My friend Anitra is one of the most creative people I know. An artist and art instructor who specializes in working with those who are gifted or those who have special needs, Anitra has a knack for coming up with clever ideas that make use of found objects. A while ago, she sent me a stack of Easter cards made from recycled materials. I came across these little gems the

Torn construction paper rainbows

2013-02-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater These days, a quick visit into any department store is enough to remind us that Spring is (finally) on the horizon. Images of leprechauns, shamrocks and pots of gold are interspersed with solid chocolate bunnies, pastel colored baskets and those gloriously sinful cream eggs. With all these thoughts of warmer weather and upcoming holidays in our minds, we decided to

LOVE Art!

2013-01-15T11:36:00.001-04:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater With Valentine's Day drawing ever near, I thought I would highlight a few of our favorite KinderArt.com sweetheart art lesson plans... Enjoy! Bright Banners Using paper and markers, students will make bright banners for Valentine's Day! Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/val1.shtml Bottle Cap Locket Cheri Lord shows you how to create clever lockets for

Happy holidays and giving back

2012-12-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Thank you for making our season so bright :) This year, to celebrate, we have decided to make donations to two terrific organizations - with the help of all of you who purchased and downloaded our printables this year. We are taking ALL of the proceeds from our downloads and donating half to ARTSSMARTS (Canada) and the other half to THE ART OF ELYSIUM (USA). What

A box of wonder, delivered to your door.

2012-12-04T11:06:00.000-04:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater At KinderArt.com, we're all about creativity. So, you can imagine my excitement when I learned about a company who would deliver a box of creative activities to my door every month. Designed for kids ages 3 to 6, Wonder Box is a subscription based product offered by the friendly folks at Education.com. Like most kids, my pre-school aged daughter LOVES receiving mail.

Paint like Piet Mondrian

2012-11-26T08:45:00.000-04:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I've always been fascinated with the primary colors and geometric lines of Piet Mondrian's neo-plastic paintings. Mondrian was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His abstract designs have had a huge influence on graphic design, architecture, and interior design. He was best known for his stylized, geometric designs of black and white grids filled

Printmaking? Yes you can!

2012-10-15T18:12:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Printmaking is a form of artmaking that can be attempted and accomplished by children of all ages and abilities. The technical stuff... Printmaking involves the creation of a master plate from which a single, or multiple images are made. Simply put, the artist chooses a surface to be the plate. This could be linoleum, styrofoam, metal, cardboard, stone or any one

Little Boxes

2012-09-25T12:12:00.001-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I've never met a cardboard box I didn't like :) The other day, while cleaning out some recyclables, we came across a small box that was just crying out for paint. After cutting off the top, slicing away holes for windows, making a cut for a door and adding an "open air" roof with a strip of leftover cardboard, we began decorating using acrylic paint. Here's how our

No mess fingerpaint prints

2012-09-12T11:26:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Finger painting is great. Really it is. It's a terrific, tactile activity for little hands. But, for those days when you might not want to create a colossal mess, here is a lovely alternative which is (almost) as much fun. You will need: A sheet of poster paper or cardboard. White computer paper. Paint (we used tempera in the primary colors) Tape Plastic wrap What

Rave Review

2012-09-06T09:43:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Our KinderArt Kits (available at Etsy) have been reviewed at the Life with 2 Boys blog. Stay tuned because between September 17th and 30th, you will have a chance to win one of two KinderArt prize packs. Yay! You can read the full review here: http://www.lifewithtwoboys.com/2012/09/keeping-kids-creative-sponsor-spotlight.html Until next time, Keep creating! Andrea

Homemade play clay

2012-08-20T19:05:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I'm always searching for the perfect homemade play dough recipe. Though I've often come pretty close (we have a terrific recipe (actually we have a few) on KinderArt.com) I wasn't always 100% happy with the results. Either the recipe was too complicated or the dough was not soft enough. Then, I came across this version from TodaysParent.com which I tried and loved. I

Coffee garden

2012-08-16T15:29:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Today we had an urge to create a painting of a garden. I thought it might be nice to include a little texture in the piece so first, I thought about going outside and scooping up some dirt. Then, I noticed a bag of ground coffee sitting on the counter... We began by painting the sky and ground using watercolor paints. When that was finished, we dripped some glue

Magnification - times two

2012-07-24T08:13:00.003-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater My last post (Water, Scraps and Science) showed you how to make your own magnifying glass using plastic wrap, water and a bucket. Today, I thought I would provide some photographs of how our experiment here at "KinderArt HQ" turned out. Our materials: A cardboard coffee can (with the wrapper peeled off), plastic wrap and two elastic bands. We made

Water, scraps and science

2012-07-08T14:26:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Are you ready for a cool and creative science project that requires nothing more than a few simple household materials? Simply gather a large plastic ice cream bucket (or an old plastic paint bucket or pail), clear plastic wrap from the dry cleaner (or food wrap), an elastic band or two, a source of warm water, a knife [adult assistance required!], a magic marker and

Tubes, Tissue Paper and the Sun

2012-06-30T08:36:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Are you looking for a fun way to capture the sun? Simply gather some paper towel tubes, a drinking straw (or wooden dowel), tissue paper, glue, string and a pair of scissors. Ready, set go and cut the paper towel tubes into small slices about 1/2" wide. Next, poke a hole in either end of each slice and string yarn through the holes. Then, glue colorful tissue

Found object paper flowers

2012-06-10T18:06:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater From Vincent van Gogh to Georgia O'Keeffe, artists throughout history have been inspired by blossoms. Today, we decided to use some items from around the house to create a colorful flower masterpiece. We began by painting some muffin liners that were a little too small for baking. Then, we glued a number of the painted liners onto a small, painted paper plate. We

Denim Rings from Faded Blue Jeans

2012-05-27T20:22:00.002-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Have you got a few pairs of faded blue jeans kicking around? If so, before you throw those old denims in the rag bag, consider creating some creative jewelry. Simply gather the jeans that nobody wears, a pair of scissors, a needle and some thread (or glue if you prefer) and a set of colorful paints. Cut the belt loops off the old jeans. Try wrapping a loop

Paper Plate Fish

2012-05-19T21:48:00.001-03:00

We've got a great lesson plan on KinderArt.com which shows you how to create wild and wonderful fish out of pie plates. Cool, right? The other day, J decided to make a simplified version, using small paper plates, paint, glue and a couple of plastic gems. First, she and I cut out the some fin and tail shapes. Then, she painted all the pieces (including one small round plate). When

Leaf Bursts, Stone Painting and other Nature Based Art Activities

2012-04-30T20:23:00.000-03:00

Today, we have a post written by guest blogger Leah Mebane. Leah and her family are the creators of a natural paint company called Earth Paint. Here, Leah shares some creative ways you and your students and children can use natural paints. Nature Based Art Activities There are many ways to bring nature into your child’s life by making natural crafts with elements found on a walk through the

Make your own musical instruments (from recycled materials) to celebrate Earth Day!

2012-04-15T14:26:00.002-03:00

Guest post by Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou Is it possible to create a whole band from recycled materials? Yes! And it’s also a great way to explore music at home or in the classroom while showing that reducing, reusing and recycling can be a blast! So, rummage around in your recycling bin and craft cabinet and pull out some supplies. Here are some great musical projects that you can

Painting eggs for Easter

2012-04-04T13:22:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater After reading the book, I Need an Easter Egg by Harriet Ziefert, the KinderArt kid asked if she could paint an egg, just like the bunny in the story. "Of course!" I said. We gathered our paints (tempera), paintbrushes, tissue paper and our favorite stuff - Shimmer N Shine Glitter Glaze. Meanwhile, Jantje carefully prepared four eggs by poking holes in either end and

Easter Eggs - Three Ways

2012-03-31T14:44:00.004-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater With Easter fast approaching, I thought it might be nice to post a few cool egg decorating techniques. All of these ideas make use of the following dye recipe but you could always use a store-bought variety instead. ALL PURPOSE DYE RECIPE Gather: 1/2 bottle of food coloring; 1 tbsp white vinegar; stainless steel pot; water; eggs Fill: the pot with enough water to

Margarine Lids, Nails and Scrimshaw

2012-03-24T18:34:00.000-03:00

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Do you have a few plastic margarine or yogurt container lids hanging around? Would you and your students or kids like to try your hands at a modern adaptation of an indigenous North American craft? If so, simply gather some margarine or yogurt container lids, a pen or pencil, a few nails, black or dark blue paint, brushes, an old rag and a touch of white glue.