The following lesson is a printing lesson that uses koosh balls to print chicks for a spring lesson. You can find koosh balls at any dollar store in the children's section. This lesson is appropriate for children as young as two and uses tempera paint.
Vocabulary to Introduce:
printing tempera
Materials:
-paper plates
-yellow, blue, black, and orange tempera paint
-koosh ball
Preparation:
Water down blue tempera paint and mix well. You can place this on the table for the children to start with. Place yellow paint on plates with koosh balls in the center. You could place the orange and black on a plate by themselves off to the side until needed.
This lesson was developed for a 2's/3's class. Printing is an excellent fine motor practice for children of this age group. With this lesson a sponge and stencil brushes are used to create ladybugs in grass with dandelions. Vocabulary to Introduce:
printing
Materials:
-white paper
-tempera paint (red, black, green, yellow)
-sponge (cut into a circle)
-stencil sponges
-paint brush
Preparation:
Beforehand hot glue or glue the details of the dandelion petals on the circular cut sponge and allow to dry completely. Place the green and yellow paint on separate plates. Red and black paint because of the small volume can be used on the same plate.
Modifications for Older Students:
If you know the skill level of the students that you work with, you can allow them to paint the grass with a paint brush themselves. In addition, details can be added to the ladybugs such as legs.
After painting a background of yellow and blue, students will use a sponge brush and their fingers to create a field of flowers. This lesson can be used to tie in with Impressionist painting and the portrayl of overall visual effects versus detail. Vocabulary to Introduce: Impressionism
Materials:
-tempera paint
-sponge brush
-brush
Preparation:
Pour a small amount of blue, yellow, and green paint on separate ends of a paper plate for the sky, ground, and stems. Place small dots of various bright colors of tempera paint on another plate for children to dip their fingers in when making flowers. It is okay to layer the colors on their finger.
In this lesson children will use thinned tempera paint and a straw to blow the paint across the paper and create the branches of a cherry tree. Thinning the paint gives it the look of sume-i ink painting. The blossoms are created by using paint dipped on the tips of their fingers and printed in a cluster of five petals. You can also use this as an opportunity to discuss tints by demonstrating that by adding white to red you create pink. Vocabulary to Introduce: printing sume-i tint
Materials:
-white paper
-black and pink (red and white) tempera paint
-water for thinning the black paint
-straw
Preparation:
Thin the black paint beforehand with just enough water to give it some transparency and fluidity when using the straw. Place red and white paint on a plate together but mix it in front of the students to demonstrate creating a tint. Cut the straw down to a length that is more manageable for the children. It may also help in keeping the mess down to have baby wipes or wet paper towels to immediately wipe fingers after printing.
Create a field of poppies using string glued to either a paper towel roll or flat water bottle and sponge cut flowers. This lesson is an excellent practice for young three and four year olds. Vocabulary to Introduce: printing
Materials:
-white paper
-string
-a paper towel cardboard roll or flat water bottle
-white school glue
-tape
-newspaper
-tempera paint (green, red, and black)
-sponges cut in the shape of poppies (two or three different size flowers and one or two circles for the center)
Preparation:
This is a two part lesson. Allow the students to spread glue and taping the string to one end of the paper towel roll/water bottle, let them wrap it around the object several times. Tape the other end down and set aside to dry. To speed the process you can use a hair dryer to dry the glue. Place one plate of green paint on each table along with one piece of newspaper. Set aside one plate per table of red and black paint, placing the flower shape in the red and the circle center in the black.
Age Modification:
Older
students can paint the flowers themselves rather than printing with sponges.
This is a simple drawing lesson using shapes to create a dragonfly in long grass. The work of R. John Ichter can be used as an example. His work features brilliant colors in pastel on suede. Vocabulary to Introduce: texture
pastels
geometric shapes (circle, oval, triangle)
Materials:
-textured paper
-oil pastels (crayons can be substituted)
Preparation:
After placing bright colored oil pastels in the center of the table for the children to use, go over with them them different shapes that can be used to make a dragonfly ( triangle for the body, circles for the eyes, ovals for the wings).
Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:e paper for each child at a seat, choose brightly colored pastels or crayons to lay out. Colors such as light green, ange, red, yellow, pink, and white work wel
Georgia O'Keefe is a well known American artists whose unique perspective became a signature in her paintings of flowers. Her pictures capture these subjects from an up close perspective. Vocabulary to Introduce: perspective water color Materials: -watercolor paper -watercolor -brushes -bowls for water -paper towels
Preparation:
Cover the tables and place a sheet of watercolor paper at each child's seat. If the students are sharing watercolor place one between every two seats with two brushes. Place a bowl with a minimal amount of water in case they spill out for every two students. I usually place a paper towel under each bowl so that they can wipe any excess water from their brushes. Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:
