Integrating the Arts (with The Friendly Teacher)

I love integrating the arts in my classroom. We do something with art each and every day, but there is one thing that sticks out in my mind!

We LOVE cooking in the classroom. There is so much students can learn from cooking. There is math involved, real life skills, and more! My two favorite recipes we do each year are pumpkin pie in a cup and main idea pudding.

The BEST cooking we do all year is main idea pudding! My students have trouble grasping the concept of main idea and detail, so we give the students a recipe without telling them what they are making. They follow the entire recipe and make the pudding in a cup. When they are done they have to figure out what the recipe title is or the "main idea". Then, we talk about if you missed details you would change the main idea. This is something that truly helped my students understand the difference between main idea and detail plus it was SO MUCH FUN! Read more about it here and grab it for FREE.

Pumpkin pie in a cup is great activity to do in the fall! The students have to read directions and make the pumpkin pie. Then, you can have them do a quick writing project on how to make the pumpkin pie! Check it out here! 

Even teachers enjoy the pumpkin pie in a cup!

Integrating the Arts {With The Kindergarten Connection}

So often (and sadly so) the arts get taken out of the school day when we get put in a time crunch or with budget cuts. Music may get cut, or art, drama, and more. Kids need these important educational experiences, and while my students are still blessed to have twice weekly music classes, I know that is not the case in all schools. 

One thing I do teach on my own is art, and I often do this through integrating fun art projects that go along with our current season or theme. 

I have taught each grade from Pre-K through 3rd, and I know that each grade is unique, but also that each age in the primary grades can use practice with following directions, cutting skills, fine motor work, and also experimenting with color, lines, and other introductions to arts and crafts. 

These 10 winter art projects are perfect for the primary grades and are sure to be a hit with your kids too! 

10 Winter Art Projects for Kids

(from left to right) 

Make a fun close up winter snowman painting. // Housing a Forest 

Use oil pastels for beautiful winter tree art. // Buggy and Buddy 

These winter watercolor trees turn out wonderfully! // Happiness is Homemade

This winter handprint tree makes a great keepsake or display. // Arty Crafty Kids

Grab some construction paper and make this snowy mountain winter tree art. // I Heart Crafty Things

These salt and watercolor snowscapes are quite a wonder! // Crafting Connections

Why not learn about color mixing with snow? // Adventures in a Box

These process art snow prints are so fun and unique. // Still Playing School 

If you can head out in the snow, these snow mandalas are amazing! // Wilder Child 

Another great keepsake and a fun classroom craft are these painted snowglobes! // Crafty Morning

What's your favorite winter art project? 

Integrating the Arts in Kindergarten

Kindergarten has changed so much since I was in Mrs. Ryan's half day class back in the 80's. Kindergartners have gone from playing house to being expected to read and write by the end of their first year in school full time. While I could debate the merits and pitfalls of these changes at length I prefer to focus on how to incorporate more of this creative energy alongside the push for academics.

I was fortunate to teach in schools that still had full time art teachers that saw my students on a weekly basis so I knew they were getting solid art instruction regularly, however I feel that in kindergarten especially the need to practice writing, painting, coloring within the lines and cutting with scissors is essential for fine motor development.  One of the ways that I integrate arts alongside my instruction is through the use of paper crafts, often called craftivities, that accompany our read alouds, comprehension and writing work.

These crafts require students to really focus their attention to building strong scissor skills which help in so may aspects of a child's development.  If you have an administrator or even parent that is less than enthusiastic about your cute little paper crafts lining the walls and wants to know how this could possibly be helping students, then I have a little one page info sheet that you can quietly slip into their mailbox or backpack. (Click on the image to download a printable copy.)

If you need some really great advice for helping those kiddos in your class that have never picked up a scissors before entering your classroom and you don't know where to start with them, Mama OT is a FANTASTIC resource for parents and teachers, I use lots of her ideas with my 3 year old all the time.

Here are just a few of my favorite craftivities. Click on the pictures for the printables!

 

 

Thanks for reading and happy crafting!

Going Green: Recycled Paper Mosaic Art

To celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd,  our Elementary Entourage bloggers are teaming up to bring you ideas for "Going Green" in the classroom. Check out our posts for the rest of the month to get ideas for using less paper, recycling, reusing and more!

I love a good art project in kindergarten, but sometimes feel like we waste a ton of paper when creating, especially cut and paste projects. We recycle our scraps of course, but another way I try to minimize the waste is setting up scrap bins.  As students cut out and create with colored paper they place the large scraps in a bin in the center of the table. Then either I or my recycling helper sort the scraps by color for me to store in separate bins.  We end up with lots of pretty variations of the same color throughout the year, and I usually bring any fun scraps I have from home as well. So Earth Day is the perfect time to pull out these scraps for a little recycled art!

For this project, first you will need small squares of blue and green papers and a black and white outline of the Earth. You could have students cut squares themselves or even just tear the pieces. I had Madelynn work on this project for me so I cut them up to save time. Depending on how much time you have, you may want to do the same in your classroom. I put the colored scraps in separate cups to make it easier to grab and glue.

Next, get gluing! Simply glue the green pieces onto the land areas and the blue scraps to create water. With older students you may not even want to begin with an outline. It would be a great way to see if students can create their own Earths based on prior knowledge.

 Our two year old version got a little messy and difficult to differentiate land from water, but I think its beautiful nonetheless! 

You can create fun mosaics like this any time of year by simply finding a black and white outline and cutting up the colors you need. Here are just a few ideas I came up with for the upcoming holidays:

Earth Day: Earth

Mother's Day: Flowers

Memorial Day: Flag

Father's Day: Tie

End of the Year: Sun

You can grab these free printable outlines here:

Thrifty Teacher Finds & a Giveaway {with The Sunny Side of Second Grade}

What teacher doesn't love chalkboard? I know it is old school, but there is just something about chalkboard that screams...Oh Teach With Me! With my three kiddos gone for the summer with Grandma, I decided it was project time. What better project than an outdoor art center? This is something that can easily be done for your classroom...or better yet outside your classroom.

When you have a handy husband like I do, you always have extra pieces of wood lying around. His latest project, building a television stand for our living room nook, left me with just enough pieces to play with. I had six pieces of wood, two different lengths and two different widths. I began looking at our fence and decided they would like mighty nice hanging outside as an outdoor art center. See the first set below:

I put these ones close together for my three kiddos, but I had handy husband cut them just so that the sweet nephews could play at their level too! {Yes the boards were even longer than what you see here} I think the kiddos approve! We staggered the second set since they were different lengths, and I think it displays creativity even more! Next step is to add an outdoor music center next to the boards. Oooooo I sense more dollar tree finds to bang on!

In addition to this cheap and easy outdoor project, I also scored some school supplies on the cheap from good 'ole Wal Mart! I just love these little mini bins for classroom supplies and manipulatives. I was happy to see they had the colors I needed from last year. I cannot wait to see my classroom all put together this year. And by this year, I mean next week since I get a new set of students on the 20th! :)

Bins $1 and Composition Books $.50....SCORE!

Don't forget to enter our Giveaway!! Since our family is growing, it only seems fitting we give away a little something to say thank you for your support and Happy Beginning of School!

First, say hello to our new family members:

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