Category: Arts & Crafts

Zen and the Art of Classroom Maintenance

By Mariah Bruehl, 18th February 2015

Each classroom has a rhythm. For my fourth grade class, the stretch from winter until spring break develops a rhythm that can only be described as challenged. I have tried to figure out the reason, but it is proving difficult to locate the culprit. Some fourth grade teachers who have been doing this teaching thing for quite some time will tell you that the students come back as completely different individuals after winter break. No reason, just some intuitive and magical neuron that all fourth graders possess. I wonder if it is me as I become increasingly aware of the testing that is right around the corner. There also seems to be some intuitive and magical neuron in every fourth grade teacher that begins to demand product after product to make certain everyone has the greatest chance for success. All of these products and assessments seem to have the direction attached that they must be produced by the end of the period or end of the day. This unsurprisingly does not leave much time for student reflection, editing or ownership. Some days I think I am making them despise school and the fundamental right to enjoy learning. To help everyone involved (including my sanity), I introduce a project that focuses on process.

At the front of the room, during our regularly scheduled math or language arts block, I stand with a handful of black pens and large white paper. I then introduce them to Zentangle. Zentangle is a drawing method with websites and blogs dedicated to it. This is the original site run by the creators of Zentangle, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts. We discuss the importance of having a project that might take more than a week to complete. We talk about letting go of exactly what you want as a finished product and just to focus on the moment as you are drawing. Then, each table group gets a sample sheet of different patterns that they could use somewhere in their design if they would like. Not all students choose to access these, but they are nice for the reluctant Tangler. The agreement is that for early finishers in other work and during down time in the room, their Zentangle can be a project they may choose to work on throughout the day. The kids love the choice and the freedom in this project. There is no due date and the only constraints are the edges of the paper. I love the quiet calm that descends on an otherwise busy and overly scheduled day. I love it so much, that I have added fine-point Sharpies to the fall supply list. I also have taken up the habit of drawing with them…I call it modeling. The pieces of art that are eventually produced are strikingly unique and could only belong to their individual creators. When a parent drops by, they are quickly shuffled by their student to their desk so that they can unroll their project and share the evolving work. Each year when I pull out the drawing paper and my stash of Sharpies, I know that our rhythm is going to get righted just a little bit more.

Included for you, as a very special parting gift, but really just for sticking with me through my monologue of classroom hiccups, are two printables to get you started. A little collection of patterns inspired by Zentangle and created by my students as well as a blank template based on artist Saul Steinberg’s “Continuous Miner”. This is a great printable to use with younger children or for the parent/teacher who is better than me and actually attempts to integrate art history and design principles into projects. Filling out a template is probably very frowned upon in the Zentangle community (it exists), but I say, if it gets someone interested, give it a try…or maybe a Tangle.

Sense of Place: Favorite Places Map Hearts

By Mariah Bruehl, 12th February 2015

Do you and your family have favorite places that you visit frequently or that you have special memories of? Most of us do. Whether they are in our own yards or across the country these places hold a special place in our hearts. Our interactions with them help shape our unique sense of those places. If it’s an outdoor place that you visit frequently, you may have noticed how it changes throughout the seasons and therefore how your feelings and experiences may change. If it’s a far away place that’s quite different from where you live, perhaps the contrast heightens your sense of place of home. We also develop a sense of place from built spaces. Our interactions in them and with the other visitors can help define our sense of community and sense of self.

Places and our interactions with them are important. Take some time to think about your favorite places and your sense of place as related to them and celebrate them this Valentine’s day with this map hearts craft.

Here’s how to do it:

Gather maps of some of your favorite places and some sheets of plain colored paper.
Cut out an appropriate sized heart template.

3. Using the template, trace the heart on to the map of each special place.

note: be sure each place that you want to feature will show on one half of the heart

4. Do the same for each coordinating colored piece of paper.

5. Cut a slit halfway through each heart along the middle. Since the map heart will fit together with a solid heart, cut the slit on one heart from the top down, the other from the bottom up.

6. Fit the two hearts together, making sure that the featured place shows. Do the same for all hearts.

7. Glue the back of the hearts on to a background paper in whatever arrangement you like.

8. Frame or hang as is and enjoy!

This garland and this bouquet are also fun ways to display heart maps of your special places.

Wishing you a happy, love-filled February!

Drawing Connections: Music Inspired Art

By Mariah Bruehl, 27th January 2015

As a musician and someone who deals in the visual arts, it’s not hard for me to draw a natural connection between music and art. Both deal in the same abstract qualities-texture, balance, form, design, harmony, line and emotion-albeit in very different ways. Both forms of expression seem to tap into the same space in the mind and can influence one another in a beautiful way when used together.

Here is a simple invitation to draw your own connections, first given to us by a favorite music teacher…all you need is a workspace set up with your child’s favorite art supplies, plenty of paper and a device for playing music. Have your child sit down and play them a piece of classical music they have never heard before. Ask them to create whatever the song brings to mind for them. There are no strict guidelines and no wrong answers!

This activity evoked a great discussion between my 1st grader and I about the emotion behind music and art. We were listening to Beethoven (Symphony No. 3 in E flat), and she said it made her think of puppies jumping and playing in the park with the sun shining and flowers all around. We discussed the feeling both behind the music, and the image she created and she came up with happiness. I added playfulness, hopefulness, and bold abandon too. We also talked about how our senses influence one another- a valuable tool to remember, especially when we are stuck creatively!

Here are a few other resources for you:

Integrating Math & Art: Calculating Area + Perimeter with Piet Mondrian

By Mariah Bruehl, 19th January 2015

Learning to calculate the area and perimeter of rectangular shapes is a required skill in third grade math. The integration of art makes perfect sense in learning this skill. Piet Mondrian, indeed, is the ideal artist to study when discussing the measurement of shapes.

In my third grade classroom, we began our study of Piet Mondrian with a slide show depicting his work. A website dedicated to slide shows www.slideshare.net has shows about the art of Piet Mondrian. We watched and discussed the following show:http://www.slideshare.net/duniwayart/mondrianppt

The images presented gave us a good starting point to discuss the famous painter and his later work where he used only primary colors and bold black lines. We focused on Mondrian’s paintings from 1920 and forward. These paintings are beautiful and simple. Students will easily see bold rectangles and will be able to emulate his style to create a work of their own.

Questions To Consider:

What do you notice about Mondrian’s later (1920 and on) paintings?

What effect do you think he was trying to achieve when he used bold black lines?

Why do you suppose he limited his color palette to the three primary colors?

Let’s create our own…

Materials: white art paper, graph paper, a black permanent marker, paint colors red, yellow and blue, a ruler and a pencil

If you decide to use white art paper, share how to mark centimeters or inches off along the sides of the paper. This creates a grid to use when measuring and helps young learners in drawing straight lines.

Step One:

Draft out your idea in pencil using lines and rectangles.

Step Two:

Measure the area and perimeter of some of the rectangles (3 or more). Discuss that measuring the perimeter is adding up the length of each side, which are four sides for a rectangle. We then add all the side measurements together to get the total perimeter. Area measures the inside of a shape in square units and may be figured out by simply counting the squares covered inside a shape (with graph paper) or by multiplying the length by the width of a rectangle.

Step Three:

Show the calculations and totals on a separate recording sheet.

Step Four:

Decide where you would like to put color down and where you would like to leave white space. Mondrian left a lot of white space and sparingly added primary colors. This is your choice in creating your own composition.

Voila! You have created a beautiful piece of art, learned about the fabulous Piet Mondrian and explored how to measure the area and perimeter of a rectangular shape.

Arts integration is often very motivating for students. Learners have the chance to engage in the process and thus understand at a deeper level.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7

Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7.A

Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7.B

Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole-number side lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7.C

Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning.

Source

Websites:

http://art-educ4kids.weebly.com/piet-mondrian-colour-and-line.html

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?artistFilterInitial=&criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A4057&page_number=1&template_id=SS&sort_order=1

Books:

Mondrian by Hans L. C. Jaffe

Arts with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen

Enjoy!

DIY Digital Gifts for Kids

By Mariah Bruehl, 22nd December 2014

DIY gifts are an engaging way to involve children in the spirit of giving at Christmas. These digital DIY gifts are perfect for the budding photographer and artist in your family, and can be adapted so all age levels can participate. Not only that, they easily become frame worthy presents that grownups will truly enjoy receiving and displaying. Below are three photo editing apps that can make everyday pictures extraordinary. You and your child could choose from photographs you have already taken, or go on an expedition to take pictures just for this occasion.

I’ve included examples of my own picture morphed into three different versions using each app. My starting picture is a shot I took when we first arrived on family vacation this summer and it is the view of the path from our condo to the beach. This place has special meaning for us since we have a family reunion (over 50 people usually!) every other summer in this same location.

The first app to experiment with is called Waterloge. I first discovered this app at a friend’s home. She had three framed pictures of local landmarks in her dining room, and I asked where she had found her artwork. It turns out, she created them herself with Waterloge! This app turns your pictures into water color paintings, and is ideal for landscapes, objects, and buildings. Wouldn’t it be neat to take a picture of Grandma’s house, the spot someone was married/engaged at, or a favorite, frequented local destination?

The next app, called Percolator, was introduced to me by an art teacher. I love it because it reminds me of a mosaic. The app is somewhat coffee themed, you can choose the “grind”, “brew”, and “serve” of your picture, but I prefer to use their examples and then tweak from there if needed. The various styles provided lead to endless artistic opportunity.

Finally we have Wordfoto (shown in title photo) I used it with fourth grade students when working on projects about their homes/families, and they loved it! This app allows you to transform your picture by recreating it out of words. Brainstorm a list of words describing your picture or the people in it, and then the app uses your word set to create your new picture.

Once you’ve altered your pictures using one of the apps above, simply have them printed as you would normally print pictures, select a frame, and you are ready to wrap a personalized, special gift!

Protractor Art: Window Transparencies

By Mariah Bruehl, 12th December 2014

So much can be learned when making art, so today I have a project that will not only brighten your winter windows but will show your child how to use a math protractor to make beautiful artwork.

Note: This project can be adapted for those under 12 by doing the calculations to make the template ahead of time. Working on a light table that shines through the papers makes this a visual delight!

Materials to make a star transparency:

2 sheets of black cardstock 8.5″x12″
A variety of colors of kite paper* including white (found here)
Drawing compass with pencil
Protractor
White pen
Scissors
White glue/toothpick
Optional: Light table

*Tissue paper may be used but may tear easily. Iron tissue flat before using.

– Draw a 7 3/4″ circle with your compass on a piece of scrap cardstock.

– Draw a 5″ circle in the center of the first circle.

– Cut out the circles to create a donut shaped template.

– Trace the pattern onto the black cardstock and holding two sheets together, cut out two identical frames.

– Mark the following points onto the black frame with a white pen: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180. Turn the frame 180 degrees and repeat so that you have marks all around the circle every 30 degrees. (the marks should resemble a clock)

– Using a toothpick, dab a few tiny dots of glue onto the frame and attach the sheet of white kite paper. Trim the edges.

– Cut 2 sheets of kite paper into thirds.

– Thinking of the frame as a clock, glue one strip of paper across each of the following points: 12:00 to 5:00, 5:00 to 10:00, 10:00 to 2:00, 2:00 to 7:00 and finally 7:00 to 12:00. Trim the edges.

– Place your work on a light box or hold up to the window to experiment with blending colors using different colors of kite paper. See how adding another color can change the effect.

– Once you have your transparency to your liking, glue the second black frame to the back to conceal the raw edges.

Take it further:

Experiment with different shaped frames, calculate the angles for a 5, 6, or 8 point star, use different angles or adhere other shapes and patterns behind the kite paper. Here I have tucked a paper doily and a paper cut out behind the frame.

Mandalas:

Fold a kite paper circle into sixteenths and cut a “snowflake”. Iron flat and glue to the frame. Layer with other colored sheets or trim papers to fit behind the cut out spaces creating a multicolored mandala.

Books:

The Christmas Craft Book – Thomas Berger
Rose Windows and how to make them: coloured tissue paper crafts – Helga Meyerbroeker

Enjoy the holiday season with your children by making something special together!

The Art Cart

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th October 2014

As the girls get older I am making a slight shift in my outlook on creating spaces for them… With younger children I recommend a more curated collection of materials that can be rotated in and out according to their interests. Yet, as I set up this new space (more will be revealed in the upcoming Playful Learning Spaces Workshop) for my 10 and 11 year olds, I decided to take a lot of our supplies out of the storage closet and bring them into the light of day and on display.

Older children are able to handle more choices and need easy access to interesting materials. They can quickly become interested in exploring an idea, yet just as quickly move on if they don’t find what they need. The goal of any space created for children continues to be the encouragement of independence and exploration.

For the older artists in our lives there is a shift from teaching them how to use and explore a variety of materials to experimenting with materials in order to solve design challenges. They come to this space with their own ideas and inspiration for projects and their time here is spent making the image they have in their mind a reality through trial and error.

It is just that kind of problem solving and persistence we want to see develop within our children. Creating spaces that feel safe (so they are comfortable taking risks) and enticing (to get the ideas flowing) is a small thing we can do that makes a big difference in their lives…

In many ways it has become a maker lab, because, makers gonna make, especially if they have an inviting space…

At this point we have discovered many different tried and true art supplies, which we like to have on hand (although we always love new recommendations). Being well-stocked and organized comes in handy for last minute school projects and when spontaneous DIY inspiration strikes.

Colored pencils
Crayon rocks (just for fun + great for little hands)
Chalk and eraser
Markers (these were my favorite chart paper markers when I was in the classroom)
Window markers
Dry erase markers
Gel pens
Sharpies (perfect for using with watercolors)
Modeling clay
Sidewalk chalk
Glitter
Variety of stamps (alphabet are a must)
Pom poms (why not?)
Popsicle sticks
Wooden clips
Wire
Fabric paint and pens
Paint brush assortment
Watercolors (below cart)

More Art Area Inspiration…

How to Set-Up an Art Cart by Tinkerlab
DIY Crafting Station by Handmade Charlotte
Kids Art Space by The Artful Parent

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

The Daily Draw

By Mariah Bruehl, 29th October 2014

Drawing is a language of expression. It is a way for children to make their individual creativity visible. Children can represent ideas with drawing. They can write stories, preserve memories and convey any anxieties they may be experiencing. Through drawing, children can transform a thought into an image.

The Daily Draw is a way of making drawing; free drawing and motivated drawing, a part of our children’s everyday lives.

Set aside 15 minutes for drawing everyday. We do ours after morning snack. Every other day my children will free draw. On the other days, I will provoke them with drawing prompts.

We’ve created a set of drawing prompts which will encourage your child to draw by helping to provoke their imagination and creative expression. The cards are purposefully open-ended; focusing on the drawing process rather than the finished product.

There are five pages for you to print onto cardstock or laminate. Once you’ve prepared the cards, place them in an inviting basket or tray alongside some drawing implements and a sketchbook (or clipboard).

You can download the drawing prompts here.

PAGE 1 | PAGE 2 | PAGE 3 | PAGE 4 | PAGE 5

If you are looking for some practical and truly inspiring reads that will help you to see the rich possibilities in children’s art, look out for these books next time you are at the library:

It’s Not a Bird Yet – Ursula Kolbe
Teaching Children to Draw – Karla Cikanova
The Language of Art – Ann Pelo

Connect Literacy to Wonder: Letter Drawings

By Mariah Bruehl, 27th October 2014

Can letter-sound correspondence be learned from imaginative play?

Yes! Here’s how.

Most young children learn the alphabet and corresponding letter sounds through repetition and memorization. These children also have incredibly creative minds, which are primed for playful and magical thinking. One Waldorf literacy activity taps into the imaginative while teaching letters and sounds – the foundation of literacy learning.

In any elementary classroom, you will see the alphabet with a picture for each letter: “A is for Apple,” “Z is for Zipper.” A staple activity in the elementary Waldorf classroom takes this concept further. First, a story generated from a single letter of the alphabet is told to the children, and then children write that single letter and draw a picture emerging from it.

This activity helps pre-readers and beginning readers form mental images that correspond to each letter, much in the way that handwriting programs aim to have children internalize the formation of each letter.

In creating letter drawings, children look at the shapes of the letters themselves, and associate those with pictures that they can draw. For example, if a child is learning the letter M and its corresponding sound, he or she can draw a picture of a mountain, with the letter M as an integral part of the drawing. When your child creates an original drawing like this, he or she forms a very personal connection to the letter and to the sound it makes.

To begin this activity, start with a simple story. For example, if your child is working on the letter S, you might tell a little story about a silly snake named Sally. Then, you would draw Sally, with a very pronounced S-shape, with your child. The story itself can be simple and short, but try to incorporate words that repeat the letter sound (alliteration). You can start by thinking of a picture that looks like the letter you are working on – a letter S can very easily look like a slithering snake, a letter U can transform into an umbrella, or a C can turn into a sleeping cat.

After you tell a story to your child, or come up with one together, ask your child to draw the letter in the air with a finger. You can have some fun and ask him or her to draw the letter in the air with an elbow, or a foot, or other body parts. This allows children to use their whole bodies to connect to the letter they are working on.

Once you’ve written the letter in the air in a few ways, you and your child can begin on creating a picture to correspond with that letter. Waldorf teachers start with a drawing and then show where the letter hides – a W in an ocean wave or a Q in a quilt – but you can approach this in any way you feel most comfortable.

Perhaps you write the letter and then draw a picture around it. You might also ask your child to write the letter, and then together you can discuss what sort of picture might emerge from that letter. It could connect to the story you told your child, or maybe your child will have another idea to run with. Whatever is drawn, it is important that the letter and surrounding picture match with the letter’s corresponding sound – the goal is for your child to associate the letter with the sound, using the story and picture as guides.

When your child connects the letter symbol and its corresponding sound to a story and an image, that letter becomes real and animated, and will stick in your child’s mind. This activity helps to connect phonics to storytelling, to art, and even to movement, making for a holistic reading experience.

Picture Book Project: The Bear’s Song

By Mariah Bruehl, 16th October 2014

Having three children under the age of seven in the house amounts to a lot of picture book reading! Every now and then we come across a picture book that instantly becomes a favorite. One of our recent finds is the book “The Bear’s Song,” which is written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. The beautiful illustrations alone make this picture book a favorite, but my children also love the heartfelt story of clumsy Father Bear searching for his curious son, who has followed a bee into the city in hopes of finding a bit of sweet honey. Every page is filled the brim with detailed drawings, making it fun for children to search for baby bear and his coveted bee on each page.

Being big fans of dress up, we thought it would be fun to make a few bear masks and jump into the story ourselves by playing a little hide-and-seek. Would you like a make a mask too?

All you need to gather is:

Bear Mask Templates (one and two)
Brown paper (optional)
Scissors
Glue
Yarn
A hole punch or a bit of tape

1. Download mask template and print it out on to heavy paper. We chose to print ours directly on to brown paper, but if you only have white paper, you can color the mask brown when you’re done using markers or crayons.

2. Cut out all of the pieces. Helpful hint: Cut mask out and then fold in half and cut the eyes out together at the same time.

3. Fold the nose of the bear down over the front of the mask.

4. Glue the pieces in to place using the pictures as your guide. We wanted our nose to hang down past the end of the mask, so we glued the darker nose piece onto the lighter brown nose piece first, and then glued only the top half of that piece to the mask nose.

5. Tape a piece of yarn or string to the back of the mask next to the outer corner of each eye and tie around child’s head. For better security, punch holes and tie string to mask.

We had a fun afternoon making these and playing a silly game, and I hope you do too! Do your children have a favorite picture book?