Scroll in a Box Art Activity Based on Christ and His Mother Reading the Scriptures by Henry O. Tanner

Let’s make a scroll in a box. This project has endless possibilities to use for school projects and special days and holidays. It will also remind us of our painting, Christ and His Mother Reading the Scriptures, by Henry O. Tanner, because of course, at that time they would be reading from a scroll.

Christ and His Mother Reading the Scriptures by Henry O. Tanner, 1909, Dallas Museum of Art, public domain

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions  AND Variations, which are limited only imaginations!
• Helpful hints
• 4 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• Clean-up tips
• Molly Photo with a special announcement

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

• A box with a lid
• Paper of all kinds
• Glue, scissors, pencils, rulers, crayons, markers, etc
• Craft supplies, such as ribbon, yarn, stickers, shells, etc

Directions AND Variations:

The Scroll

1. Cut a long piece of paper to make a scroll that will fold into the size of your box (if you need to tape or glue several pieces of paper together)
2. Fold this as you would a fan to make sections that fit the box’s length and width (make the paper a little smaller than the box so it folds in smoothly)
3. Do not glue the scroll into the box until you have done any writing or other decoration on the scroll

Here are a few suggestions for ways to use your scroll in a box. I bet you can think of lots more:

• Book reports
• Favorite verses you’ve decorated
• Stories you’ve written
• Facts about an animal you’re studying
• Mother’s Day “card”
• Christmas “card”

The Box Cover

1. Choose how you want to decorate the cover of your box
2. I cut and glued colored paper to cover the original design first

Here are a few suggestions for cover designs:

• Your design may be a pretty paper you once marbled or blew colored bubbles onto
• If this is for a book report, you may draw and color a picture from the book and include its title and your name somewhere on the cover
• If it’s a history project, you might glue on a map showing the area you studied
• For an animal report you could glue or draw a picture of the animal for the cover
• If it’s a story you’ve written about the beach you might glue on some shells and color waves or lighthouses
• Try printing a leaf and then gluing on some more leaves, pinecones, etc.
• If the box is for a special day such as Mother’s day decorate with artificial flowers, etc

When the scroll and the box cover are done, it’s time to glue the scroll into the box and hand in for a terrific grade or give as a special gift to someone in your family or a friend!

Helpful Hints

• If you use thin paper for the scroll, liquid glue will pucker it. Try glue sticks instead
• Some of the 3-D elements may need to be attached with a glue gun (parent oversight of this is recommended)
• Parents or caregivers will need to make the scroll for younger children and glue it into the box. But children will enjoy decorating or writing on the scroll.

4 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. Using pencils, brushes, scissors, etc. helps children develop fine motor skills.
2. This project is a wonderful way to encourage children to use their imaginations and creativity
3. Making art refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.
4. This project gives children new ways to do school projects or to explore their interests and talents as they decide what to put on the scroll.

Clean up Hints:

• Be sure to put a plastic table cloth or large paper under your work
• Have paper towels handy
• Wax paper under things you glue keeps them from sticking in the wrong places
• Keep a wastebasket handy for trash

Special Announcement:

Starting next week and for the whole month of September Molly and I will be interviewing 6 great children’s author’s and the new books they have coming out, including nonfiction, picture books, and board books.

Here’s a picture of Molly with 2 earlier books by Annette Whipple, which I use in my art room all the time.Those eyes have her mesmerized!

Next week Molly and I will tell you all about Annette’s newest book and give you a sneak preview of some of its amazing illustrations!

Before You Go

Molly hopes you enjoy making a scroll in a box! On August 31^st our newsletter will come with curriculum connections, a museum gem, suggestions for related research, children’s books to read, and a freebie or 2! Don’t miss it. Sign up with the button above. And also receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages. Add link

 

 

 

 

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Just Have Fun, An Artsy Corgi Fun and Easy Art Activity

Summer is winding down in some areas, and before long we’ll see school supplies in the stores. So try this last messy Artsy Corgi Fun and Easy Art Activity and just have fun! Molly gives it high paw rating!

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Clean-up tips
• Variations and adaptations
• 6 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• And as always, a cute photo of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

• Sturdy paper in various colors
• Tempera paint
• water
• Recycled squeeze and spray bottles

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash the recycled bottles
2. Add different colors of paint to the squeeze bottles
3. Add different colors of paint to the spray bottles. You will probably need to add some water too. Experiment with how much is needed to get them to spray.
4. Squeeze and spray different colors to create abstract designs on the different papers

Helpful Hints:

Experiment and have fun!

Clean up Hints:

• Cover your work surface with a plastic table cloth
• Wear old clothes or paint shirts

Variations and adaptations:

• This activity is fun for all ages
• Try adding water to the paint in the squeeze bottle for a different effect
• Try different color choices, such as using only warm or cool colors
• Try different types and colors of papers

6 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. This activity encourages experimentation with colors and designs
2. Using these spray and squeeze bottles encourages large muscle development.
3. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.
4. Making choices in creating art, enhances problem-solving skills.
5. Discussing their art and the choices they made builds vocabulary and social skills.
6. When children make choices in creating art, it enhances problem-solving skills.

Cute Molly Photo

Summer is often thunderstorm weather, and here Molly sports her thunder shirt, which helps a little to calm her fears.

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and a list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Molly hopes you just had fun with this Artsy Corgi Art Activity. In August we go back to our school year schedule and hope you’ll join us for our monthly series about art. Each series includes:

1. Fun ways to learn about artists and their artworks.
2. Kid-friendly devotion based on the artwork
3. Art activity based on the artwork
4. Newsletter with curriculum connections to the artwork and reviews of related children’s fiction and nonfiction books. And freebies!
5. We also frequently do interviews with children’s authors.

To receive these blog posts by email, click on the subscribe button above. To also receive the newsletter, click on the newsletter button, too.

We will never share your email with anyone else.

 

 

Blowing Colored Bubbles, an Artsy Corgi Fun and Easy Art Activity

Everyone likes blowing bubbles! In this Artsy Corgi Fun and Easy Art Activity you’ll add food coloring and catch those colored bubbles on paper to make pretty designs for bookmarks or cards.

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Clean-up tips
• Variations and adaptations
• 6 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• And as always, a cute photo of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

• Paper
• Food coloring
• Bubble blowing mixture and wands
• Plastic containers for bubble and food coloring mixture

Directions:

1. Pour some bubble mixture into as many containers as you have colors
2. Add a food color to each container and stir gently
3. Lean over paper as you blow different colored bubbles. Watch them burst and make designs.

Helpful Hints:

• Start with small amounts of bubble mixture, and experiment with how much food color to add

Clean up Hints:

• This is best done outside as bubbles can sometimes float off and burst in unexpected places, leaving color behind!
• Wear old clothes or paint shirts, because as you blow, some liquid spatters back on your face and clothes.

Variations and adaptations:

• This activity is fun for all ages
• Try different color choices on different papers
• Try different types and colors of papers
• Make it a game: lots of people like to run to catch bubbles. Instead while someone else blows colored bubbles into the air over a lawn, the other person tries to catch the bubbles on a paper.
• Chose favorite parts of the designs to make bookmarks and cards to give as gifts.

6 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. This activity encourages experimentation with colors.
2. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.
3. Making choices in creating art, enhances problem-solving skills.
4. Running to catch bubbles is a fun activity to enjoy together.
5. Comparing the colored spatters on everyone’s faces provides lots of good laughter!
6. Making something for others encourages compassion and care for others.

Cute Molly Photo

Molly got into the 4^th of July spirit this past week!

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and a list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Molly hopes you enjoy blowing colored bubbles, and will come back soon for our next Artsy Corgi fun and easy art activity!

 

 

 

Artsy Corgi Fun and Easy Paper Marbling

You and your children will enjoy this fun and easy technique for marbling paper. Instead of expensive materials that could be bad for you, this method uses shaving cream and food coloring. Not only is it inexpensive and nontoxic, it smells great and makes terrific designs! Molly the Artsy Corgi has put her paw of approval on it!

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Clean-up tips
• Variations and adaptations
• Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• Don’t miss a link at the end to my post on Sally Matheny’s blog, Tell the Next Generation. It’s called Children’s Activities: Using Picture Book Layers
• And as always, a cute photo of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

• Old baking sheet
• Computer paper, cardstock, construction paper, etc.
• Foam shaving cream, gel doesn’t work
• Food coloring
• Knife or spatula
• Stiff cardboard or plastic square
• A thin stick, such as the end of a paintbrush handle
• Paper towels

Directions:

1. Spread a thick layer of shaving cream over the baking sheet, kind of like frosting a cake!
2. Drop food colors in drops all over top of shaving cream
3. Use stick or end of paintbrush handle to swirl colors on top of shaving cream
4. Lay paper on top of design and gently pat all around it so the paper touches the shaving cream. Do not push it into the shaving cream.
5. Peel paper off and lay flat on paper towels
6. Use the cardboard or plastic square to scrape off and discard the shaving cream
7. Sometimes the food color smears a little, but it just adds to the design!
8. Repeat with other paper until the shaving cream design gets too dry
9. To make a new design, scrape up the used shaving cream from the baking sheet and discard
10.  Then spread a new layer of shaving cream and repeat the previous steps for new designs

Helpful Hints:

• After patting the paper, leave for a few seconds more to absorb the colors
• Also wait for a few seconds after removing the paper before scraping off the shaving cream

Clean up Hints:

• Cover your work surface with a plastic table cloth
• Have lots of paper towels for the scraped-off shaving cream. This shaving cream will have food coloring in it.
• Have a lined wastepaper basket very close for all the paper towels filled with globs of shaving cream and food coloring

Variations and adaptations:

• This activity is fun for all ages, and even the discarded shaving cream is pretty, with swirled-in food colors
• Try different color choices.
• Try different types and colors of papers
• Try using a fork or comb to swirl the colors
• Use the designed papers for cards or covers for reports, etc!
• If you have larger baking sheets, make larger papers to use for book covers or wrapping paper

4 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. This activity encourages experimentation with colors, designs, and tools.
2. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.
3. Making choices in creating art, enhances problem-solving skills.
4. Discussing the process of making art and their choices builds vocabulary and social skills.

I hope you’ll check out my article “Children’s Activities: Picture Book Layers,” on Sally Matheny’s fantastic blog, Tell the Next Generation to find lots of ways to enjoy picture books with your children! :

Molly hopes you enjoy marbling paper with this fun and easy technique, and will come back for our next Artsy Corgi fun and easy art activity.

Molly posed for me on some rocks near our house , and we enjoyed these warm-colored wildflowers nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and a list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Splat Goes the Paint in this Fun and Easy Art Activity

Grab a wooden spoon and splat some paint! It’s messy, but so much fun, and summer’s perfect to put on some old clothes and head outside to make a colorful art masterpiece . . .  or 2 . . . or 3!

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Clean-up tips
• Variations and adaptations to extend the activity, make it more challenging, or simplify it for younger children.
• Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

Let’s get started.

Supplies:

• Large paper, any color
• Tempera paints in various colors
• Wooden spoon

Directions:

1. Lay large paper on a firm, flat surface
2. Squeeze puddles of various colors of paint around the paper
3. Splat down on the puddles with the flat side of the wooden spoon
4. No need to clean the spoon between colors, just keep splatting the puddles, allowing colors to mix. I did wipe the spoon off between different sheets of paper.
5. Repeat the process with other sheets of paper and colors if you wish

Helpful Hints:

• If it’s at all breezy, you’ll want to weigh the table cloth and papers down. This is what happened before I did that.
• The best splash effects happen if you splat up and down and don’t mush the spoon around

Clean up Hints:

• Tempera paint is washable, but if it’s your patio or deck, you may want to put a large plastic table cloth under the splatting area. Paint does fly around and may not completely rinse off wood or concrete
• Keep paper towels handy for cleanup as you paint
• A wastebasket or plastic dish tub is great for keeping trash picked up and ready to throw away
• The paint is thick and dries slowly, so find a safe place for your creations to dry

Variations and Adaptations:

• If you put a sheet of paper over the paper with the puddles before splatting, It’s less messy, but doesn’t make the splash design as well. I kept splatting and the design improved.
• If you put two or three different colors close together, you’ll get colorful mixtures.
• Do papers with just cool or warm colors plus white
• Do papers with just the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue
• Wear your bathing suit for this activity, then run through the sprinkler to cool and wash off
• Cut papers into smaller pieces for cards, posters, or keep large pieces to use to cover your books in the fall.

4 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. When children make choices in creating art, it enhances problem-solving skills.
2. Art gives children opportunities to explore their interests and talents.
3. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes.
4. Creating colorful art reminds us of the beauty God has given us in the world

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and a list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Molly hopes you enjoy splatting paint. She had to stay in during the splatting, but here she is inspecting my painting.

Molly and I hope to see you right back here soon for another Fun and Easy Art Activity. Sign up for our blog, and never miss our art activities!

 

 

Easter Painting Activity for Children

Here’s an Easter art project for children that uses fun and easy water color techniques to make a colorful cross picture for cards or framing.

The cross design reminds us that on Good Friday, Christ died for us so our sins can be forgiven, and we can become part of God’s family.

So let’s get started!

Supplies:

• Watercolor paints, brushes, and small containers to hold mixed paint
• Watercolor paper is best for the special effects
• Heavy white paper still allows a nice design (I’ll show you how)
• Coarse salt
• Wax paper torn into small shapes
• Plastic wrap
• Other techniques to try: paint spattering, drops of lemon juice or rubbing alcohol, grains of rice, leaves

Directions if using watercolor paper

Note: once your paper is wet,  you have to have everything ready and work pretty quickly

1. Work in a place where you can leave your painting to dry before moving it. Put a plastic table cloth under your work.
2. Before wetting the paper, use masking tape to form a cross on your paper (keep it a little rough looking). The masking tape allows you to paint right over it. When the paint dries, and you remove the tape, you’ll have a white cross, with beautiful paint patterns all around it.
3. Choose and mix 3 or 4 colors for the background in the small containers  (I thought mine were dark enough, but would probably make them darker next time. Watercolors dry lighter than you expect)
4. With a large brush wet your watercolor paper all over with clean water  (don’t make it sopping wet, just a light layer or sheen)
5. Brush the colors around your paper; drop some in with a brush or right from a container
6. Let the colors move around and swirl together for a couple moments  (too long makes colors muddy and you need wet paint for the next steps)
7. Sprinkle salt or rice around your paper
8. Place a few pieces of wax paper or leaves around, overlapping them
9. Scrunch up pieces of plastic wrap and place on areas of paint

Leave everything to dry (it may take several hours if you had lots of paint puddles). Once dry you can try spattering paint.

   Directions if using heavy white paper

1. Form a cross on your paper with masking tape as before
2. Decide what design you want for a background
3. Choose and mix 3 or 4 colors as before
4. Do Not wet your paper, but you’ll still need to work pretty quickly
5. With your brush paint your design., allowing colors to mix and blend
6. The salt, wax paper, etc don’t work well or even much at all on this paper, but spattering works just fine. 

Leave everything to dry an hour or more depending on how wet your paint was. Once dry you can try spattering paint. Old toothbrushes work well for spattering.

Once either project is dry remove the tape, and any papers, leaves, etc,. Brush off the rice and/or salt and enjoy your creation!!

Now mount your creation on colored paper for all to admire or on cardstock to send Easter blessings to family and friends,

AND remember, Jesus didn’t remain on the cross or in the grave, but rose from the dead on Easter morning!

Hallelujah!!

Before You Go

Molly the Artsy Corgi and I hope you enjoyed this project. We’ll be back soon with more great art, devotions, and art activities! Sign up so you don’t miss any of the fun. And you can have even more art fun if you sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.

Butterfly Creations, A Fun and Easy Art Activity for Creative Kids

Butterflies are colorful creations, that we like to draw or paint in our own pictures. But it’s hard to make their wings exactly the same on each side of their body. In this project you’ll have fun making a butterfly that’s colorful and also exactly the same on each side!

In this post you’ll find:

• A supply list
• Directions to make the butterflies
• Clean up hints
• Variations and extensions
• How this activity helps children develop mentally, physically, and socially
• A related and kid-friendly devotion

Supplies

• Sturdy paper
• Paint in different colors
• Markers or crayons

Directions

1. Fold the paper in half and then reopen it.
2. On one side of the paper only, squeeze out drops of paint where an upper wing and a lower wing would be. You may use more than one color, but don’t mix them yet.
3. Refold your paper to cover the drops of paint.
4. Use your fingers on top of the paper to move the paint around, swirling colors together and creating an upper and lower wing. You may need to help children move the paint outward to make wings.
5. Open up your paper to see your colorful butterfly with identical wings on each side.
6. Notice that this process creates veins like on a real butterfly’s wings.
7. When dry, use crayons or markers to draw the butterfly’s body.

Variations and Extensions

• Make smaller butterflies and use them as cards for friends and family
• Make smaller butterflies all over large sheets of paper and use as book covers or wrapping paper
• Cut out some smaller butterflies and use as gift tags

How this activity helps children develop mentally, physically, and socially

• Mixing colors is fun and relaxing and teaches children to be better observers
• Choosing colors aids problem solving skills
• Making cards or other things to send to friends and family fosters kindness and thoughtfulness for others

Clean up hints

Use a large sheet of wax paper under your painting, because the paint often squishes out as you move it around.

Devotion

Bible Verse:  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Butterfly caterpillars aren’t very pretty. They crawl along plants chomping leaves, and they can’t see well at all. But when it’s time, they form a chrysalis, and God creates a beautiful new creature. He gives them new eyes to see all around, new straw-like mouths to sip nectar from flowers, and beautiful wings to soar through the sky!

Sometimes we do things we shouldn’t. We may say unkind things to friends or disobey our parents. The Bible call those things sins, and they aren’t very pretty. But God loves us so much He gave us His Son Jesus, who died so we can be forgiven for our sins. When we believe that Jesus died for us, and that God loves and watches over us, we don’t get new eyes or wings, we get something much better. God gives us a new heart that loves and wants to please Him.

If you would like to become God’s child, you just have to ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive your sins. When you do that, you receive a new heart to follow Jesus. Like a butterfly you become a new creation, and God helps you soar to be all He has planned for you.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son to die for our sins, so we can become part of Your family. How wonderful that You make us a new creation to love You and live with You forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Just click the sign-up  button above on the right. You’ll receive a free guide to making art museum visits a fun masterpiece for your whole family. Even if your family isn’t into museums, the quarterly issues have lots of fun stuff for kiddos!

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages, and coloring pages. There’s also an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Molly and I hope you enjoy making colorful butterflies! Our August posts will be favorite summer paintings and funny vacation photos.

 

A Fun and Easy Art Activity for Creative Kids: Design a Roller Coaster

Roller coasters are designed for thrills, and now you can design and make your very own 3-D roller coaster in this Fun and Easy art activity. You can even put you and your friends or family in the very first car! In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Clean-up tips
• Variations and Adaptations to Include and Challenge Various Ages
• 2 Ways this Activity Aids Mental, Physical, and Social Development
• A Kid-friendly Devotion

Let’s get started!

Supply List

• Cardboard for a base
• Paper in all colors (use colorful papers left from other projects)
• White glue (glue sticks may not hold)
• Scissors
• Markers or crayons

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Glue a plain colored paper on top of the cardboard base
2. Cut other papers into strips of various colors and sizes (these can have straight, wavy, or even spiky edges)
3. On plain strips you may wish to make designs with markers or crayons
4. Put glue on ends of strips and start arranging these in loops all over the cardboard base (see photos)
5. Make a small rectangular box or boxes for roller coaster cars (see photos)
6. Cut small strips of paper the width of the car and draw people on these (give them different facial expressions and hair dos)
7. Fold the bottom end of these strips under, add glue, and glue into the car (see photo)
8. Glue the car to the top of a loop or on the way down a loop

Clean-up Tips

• Wax paper under the strips as you add glue keeps the strips from sticking, AND makes clean up quick and easy.
• A plastic dish tub for scraps also aids quick clean up

Variations and Adaptations to Include and Challenge Various Ages

• Younger children may need strips cut for them and a short demo of how to make the loops.
• Young children will need more help with the box car and people, but be sure to let them draw the people!
• All children may need a reminder to hold each piece in place for a moment until the glue sets a little
• For more challenge, use a larger base and make your roller coaster much larger
• Use cardstock for stiffer loops
• Connect the loops as if a roller coaster car could really travel on it
• Make multiple cars
• Use actual photographs of you and family or friends in the cars

2 Ways this Activity Aids Mental, Physical, and Social Development

1. Learning to use scissors is an important skill for young children
2. Making color and design choices helps enhance creativity and encourages children of all ages to learn to problem solve

A Kid-friendly Devotion

Higher and higher the roller coaster climbs. As it teeters on the top, people hold their breath. Then wooosh, down it rushes, and everyone raises their arms and screams!  

Have you ever been on a roller coaster?

How did you feel?  Excited? Scared?

Sometimes life is like a roller coaster ride. Everything is going along smoothly, and then woosh, your family moves, a new baby arrives, or your best friend gets angry with you.

Was there a time you felt as if you were on a roller coaster?

Were those rushing changes scary?  Did you feel sad or lonely?

Sometimes Jesus felt sad and rushed. In Mark 6:29-46 we learn that when His cousin, John the Baptist, was killed, Jesus and the disciples were sad and tired. But people still crowded around. Jesus and the disciples didn’t even have time to eat!

When they tried to get away, crowds followed them. Finally, that night Jesus sent the crowd away. He even told His disciples to leave in the boat.

Wow, Jesus was all alone. But was He?

No, He knew His Father was there. So Jesus climbed up the mountainside to talk to Him. He trusted His Father to give Him comfort and strength to continue the rush of His earthly ministry.

When changes rush at you and you’re scared, Jesus promises you can talk to Him just like that. Jesus is with you and will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:8), and He will comfort and strengthen you.

And when you are sad or lonely, remember Jesus will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we know you sometimes felt sad and tired, so you understand just how we feel. Thank you that we can come and talk to You about these things, and You will comfort and strengthen us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Just click the sign-up  button above on the right. You’ll receive a free guide to making art museum visits a fun masterpiece for your whole family. Even if your family isn’t into museums, the quarterly issues have lots of fun stuff for kiddos!

Visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages, and coloring pages. There’s also an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

Our last post used zigzag and curved lines for ocean waves, and so does the roller coaster, so on  a recent walk, Molly posed with zigzag shadows! Molly and I hope you enjoyed making a roller coaster. Sign up to receive our posts by email, and don’t miss a fun and easy, AND  squishy paint activity!

 

 

Sailing Over the Bounding Waves, A Fun and Easy Art Activity for Creative Kids

Sailboats skimming over a lake or breezing through ocean waves are colorful parts of summer. In this art activity you’ll make a mixed media, 3-D project with waves and boats that look like you could sail away in to catch the cool summer breezes!

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Clean-up tips
• Adaptations for various ages
• Variations to extend the activity or make it more challenging
• 6 ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• A short kid-friendly devotion
• AND as always pictures of Molly, the Artsy Corgi!

Supply list:

• Sturdy white paper for the waves and for the background paper
• Tempera paint for the waves—blue, green, and purple
• Watercolor paints for the sky on the background paper
• Large brushes
• Colored paper or cardstock for the sailboats
• White glue—glue sticks aren’t strong enough for this project
• Scissors

Step-by-step directions:

I’ve divided the directions for this mixed-media activity into 4 parts to make it easier to understand, and because each part needs some drying time. Each part only takes 15 to 20 minutes depending on individuals. Each section takes more time to explain than to do!!

Part A: Creating the ocean waves

1. Put largish puddles of blue, green, and purple tempera paint on a paper plate or a plastic tray. Don’t worry if they get mixed.
2. With a large, flat brush paint these colors across the paper from one side to the other.
3. Don’t try to fill in every little space.
4. Don’t clean the brush between colors.
5. Do mix colors together on the paper as you add new ones.
6. Have fun and paint in a slappy,dappy manner, letting your brush stokes show.
7. Set aside to dry. When dry you may need to flatten it under some books.
8. When the tempera paint is completely dry, slowly tear across the painting to create jagged strips of ocean waves.
9. Don’t tear quickly, make zig zag dips and points like waves.
10. Don’t cut these—tearing creates the white edges that look like foam on breaking waves.

Part B: Creating the sky

1. Mix up largish puddles of water color paints in whatever sky colors you’d like. I chose a couple blues and a yellow.
2. With clean water and a large brush, wet your background paper. Don’t soak it—just give it a light sheen.
3. Paint and drop in your sky colors in various places and allow these to mix freely. Move the paper around to let the colors flow into each other.
4. Don’t worry about leaving some white–these can be cloudy areas.
5. Set aside to dry.
6. When dry you may need to flatten it under some books.

Part C: Create the sailboats while the waves and sky dry

1. Cut and glue together sailboats of various sizes out of colored paper (look at the pictures for ideas)  Cardstock paper is stiffer and will stand up better, but you can use a double layer of colored paper.
2. Set aside to dry.

Part D: Putting it all together

1. Choose where the ocean will meet the sky and lay a strip of ocean waves across the sky background. Have the white edge of the strip uppermost.
2. Do not glue yet.
3. Overlap more strips of waves across each other until you reach the bottom of the background paper. Work with these until you have a number of layers of waves and colors, always keeping the torn white edge showing.
4. To begin gluing, pick up just the bottom strip and put a line of glue along its bottom edge. Then place it down so its edges are even with the bottom edge of the background paper.
5. Pick up the next strip, add a line of glue along its bottom edge, and tuck it under the strip you just glued.
6. Repeat this with each strip until you reach the point where you want the sky to show.
7. By not gluing down the tops of the waves, you now have waves that stand out and look more real.
8. Decide where you want the boats to be and put just a line of glue along the hull. Then tuck the boat down into the waves.

Ahoy there, matey! Now you can enjoy your easy, breezy ocean picture to send to a friend or put up on the fridge!!

Helpful Hints:

• It takes quite a bit of tempera paint for the wild ocean wave paper.
• When you mix your watercolors for the sky, start with a puddle of clean water for each color and add enough pigment to make your colors bright. Remember that watercolors fade as they dry, and when mixed wet-in-wet, they get diluted even more.
• You may want to tilt the boats so they look like they’re riding the waves.
• To give your picture a sense of depth, put larger boats up closer than smaller boats.
• Try curling the flags around a pencil first so they look like they’re flapping in the wind.

Clean up Tips:

• Use an old plastic table cloth under your work.
• Use wax paper under the tempera wave painting and your watercolor background. That way you can paint right over the edges on both sides and not worry about cleanup.
• Use wax paper under the sailboats as you assemble them with glue. They’ll peel right off.
• Have a plastic dish tub handy for all paper trash.
• If using plastic containers for paint, use the brushes to clean these under running water. The containers get clean, and your brushes may only need a little more cleaning.
• But brushes that have had tempera paint need soap and water. Put a little liquid soap in your palm and swirl the brush around. You’ll be amazed how much more paint comes out. Rinse well and dry flat.

Adaptations for various ages

• Once the papers and paints are prepared for the waves and the sky, little ones should only need a little demonstration to be able to enjoy doing these 2 parts.
• Little ones will need more help tearing the waves, making the boats, and assembling the scene, but use your judgement about your children. And remember to let them create as much as possible. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

Variations to extend the activity or make it more challenging

• Instead of watercolor, use blue paper for the background and cut out paper clouds or dab clouds on with white paint and cotton balls.
• Instead of blues for the sky, use blacks (these will be gray to black, depending on how much water is added) to make a stormy sky. Add lightning zigzags with yellow tempera paint or marker when the water color is dry.
• Make different kinds of boats, such as cruise ships, navy ships, tugboats, etc.
• Go online and find directions to make origami sailboats.
• Follow this link to Winslow Homer’s famous painting, Breezing Up, a painting of ocean waves and sailboats and enjoy together.  https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.30228.html

6 ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. Using paint brushes and scissors helps children develop fine motor skills.
2. Discussing their own art and/or the painting, Breezing Up, builds vocabulary and social skills.
3. Discussing zig zag lines and places you may see these (as in the letters A, K, M, N, R, V, W, Y, and Z) will help young children become more observant of small differences—helpful in learning letters and in reading.
4. This art activity also helps children develop visual/spatial skills, which is important in learning to interpret photos, graphs, maps, etc.
5. When children make choices in creating art, it enhances problem-solving skills.
6. Creating art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes from all those screens.

A short kid-friendly devotion about when Jesus calmed the storm:

Jesus and His disciples were in a fishing boat when a big storm came up.

Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. the disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matthew 8: 24-25 NIV)

Then he [Jesus] got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm (Matthew 8:26 NIV).

1. Have you ever been in a boat and felt it rocking on the waves? Did you feel a little afraid?
2. But we don’t have to be in a boat in a storm to feel afraid. What are some things that make you afraid?
3. When Jesus awoke, He spoke to the wind and the waves, and they became completely calm right away! Jesus was with the disciples, AND He was completely in control of the storm!
4. God is in control of everything! He holds the sea and the mountains in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 40:12). He is mightier than the waves of the sea! (Psalm 89:9)
5. When we’re afraid and call out to Jesus as the disciples did, we can trust that He is always with us to calm our fears and that He is in control of what’s happening. Memorizing this verse may help you remember God loves you, is with you, and He is always in control:

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Psalm 62:11-12a

These verses may be helpful, too:

• Psalm 139:9-10
• Joshua 1:9
• Psalm 4:8
• Psalm 23:4
• Psalm 62:1-2
• Hebrews 13:6

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that we can always run to You when we’re afraid. We praise You that nothing is outside Your control, and we know You’ll understand and help us, because You love us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Molly, the Artsy Corgi

In this activity we made zig zag lines for the waves. In our last art activity we made lots of circles, and Molly decided to get in on the fun! Here she is sitting in the middle of a hula hoop after some lessons on jumping through it!

And here she is all tired out from jumping through the hoop.

But You don’t have to jump through hoops and get all tired out to have even more summer fun!!  Sign up to receive these posts by email.

AND If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to click the button to sign up for my newsletter, and receive a free guide to making art museum visits a fun masterpiece for your whole family! Sign up now and you’ll be all set to receive my summer newsletter, with lots of ideas for summer fun–inside and outside!

Visit my all-new website to get free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and see an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages. http://www.kathy-oneill.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circles of Fun, A Fun and Easy Art Activity for Creative Kids

School is out, but before you and your children jump into summer activities, take some time to wind down together. Enjoy sleeping in. Soak up some sun. Watch clouds sail overhead. And try this Fun and Easy Art Activity for Creative Kids, called Circles of Fun.

It doesn’t take many materials or time, and it’s neat enough for indoor fun—have I said fun enough? It also encourages some quiet creativity, without screens!

Circles of Fun is a printing project, simple enough for preschoolers, but with a few variations and suggestions, can easily challenge older children.

The only thing you need to think ahead about is to save cardboard tubes!!

In this post you’ll find 6 things:

1. Supply list
2. Step-by-step directions for the activity
3. Easy clean-up tips
4. 8 Variations to extend the activity or make it more challenging
5. 4 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
6. A short kid-friendly devotion

Supply List

• Paper
• Paint (tempera or acrylic; watercolors won’t work well)
• Paper plates or recycled plastic containers for paint puddles
• Cardboard tubes
• Crayons or markers
• Find other circular-shaped items around the house, such as pencil erasers, bottle caps, glue stick covers, etc.

Directions

1. Spread thin puddles of different colors of paint around your plates or plastic containers
2. Set cardboard tube up in each paint puddle
3. Demonstrate how to go up and down with the tubes on their paper—explain that they are printing, not painting

Hint:

Some children like everything very orderly, while others like to mix things up. No one way is correct or better. Some children will want to return each tube to its color before changing to a new color, but if they end up mixing colors on one tube, that’s an opportunity to see color blends and talk about how that happens.

If you have children of both types, try this solution to prevent arguments: provide a separate plain container for used tubes. As these dry they can be used again, and since cardboard tubes are pretty abundant, provide a stash of new ones, too.

Okay, Let ‘em loose! Have fun!

Easy Clean Up Tips

• Put an old plastic tablecloth down to collect spills
• Have paper towels and wipes handy to wipe fingers
• Have an old plastic container, such as a dish-washing tub to dump all disposables in
• Use cheap paper plates for the paint puddles and then toss

8 Variations to extend the activity or make it more challenging

1. Suggest children see how many circles they can make before the color gets too faint. Ask which they like better—the bright colors or those that are lighter.
2. If you have large enough stamp pads, children can try these instead of paint. Neater, but not as bright:)
3. Create a pattern of different size circles or colors and encourage younger children to repeat your pattern.
4. Use crayons or markers to color in the various shapes created by the overlapping circles. Whenever they cross a line, they must change colors. They could use all the colors or just cool or warm colors. I dare you to stop, once you start this!!!
5. Use some of the circles to create people or animal faces.
6. Use circles to create things, such as a caterpillar or a bike.
7. Use the cardboard tubes and other circular objects to create designs and patterns.
8. Print the random circles or designs on large sheets of paper and use as wrapping paper for presents.

4 Ways the activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. Circles of Fun helps develop visual/spatial skills and how to understand and use visual information—important in learning to interpret photos, graphs, maps, etc.
2. When children make choices in creating art, it enhances problem-solving skills.
3. Discussing their choices builds vocabulary and social skills.
4. Children improve fine motor skills as they print up and down.

A Short Kid-Friendly Devotion

When you printed your circle masterpieces, you probably printed many to overlap or cross over each other to make interconnected designs. Sometimes at home or school, we’re part of a group playing a game or working on a project. God created us to enjoy these special times with family and friends.

But brothers and sisters and friends may disagree about how to play a game or how to complete a project. How does that make everyone feel? What can we do when that happens?

In the Bible, God has given us the very best way to get along with others and settle arguments so everyone can have fun. He tells us we are to love each other (John 13:34-35). God also wants us to treat others the way we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

1. What are some ways you can show love to brothers, sisters, and friends when you disagree about something?
2. What are some ways you could treat your brother, sister, or friend when you have a disagreement? Would you like them to listen to what upset you?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for giving us our friends and family. Please help us love them and treat them the way we want to be treated. In Jesus’ name, amen.

________________________________

Molly and I were soaking up some sun this week, and we found a sprinkler just her size. She didn’t want to drink from it, but she cooled off as she bobbed for cheerios! What kinds of fun do you enjoy with friends and family in the summer?

Before You Go

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If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to click the button to sign up for my newsletter, and receive a free guide to making art museum visits a fun masterpiece for your whole family!

Visit my all-new website to get free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and see an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages. http://www.kathy-oneill.com/