kindergarten Fall leaf printing with rubber replicas

Leaf printing with kindergarten

In the past with my  kindergarteners, I provided real leaves for the them to use for printing. I always thought it would be great  to take my classes outside and collect the leaves, but in reality there isn't enough time (seeing them once a week for fifty minutes). I found a great alternative to using real leaves when I came across rubber replicas from Blick art materials. You can also find them on Amazon. They look exactly like real leaves (probably because they used real leaves to  make them). 

We discussed what colors we see in the Fall and how they are warm colors. 

I provided trays covered in newspapers with various leaf replicas and Fall colors. I rotated the trays from each table to table so everyone had a chance to use all the colors. No one had to carry their paper to other tables to use the color they wanted and no one dropped their paper! It kept me hopping! 

This was a great introduction to Fall and printmaking.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving line pattern turkeys

Kindergarten turkeys

Thanks for the great idea for this lesson from Deep Space Sparkle. The link is here https://www.deepspacesparkle.com/how-to-draw-paint-a-turkey/if you want to see the original idea. I just changed it a bit . 

I showed a great video about lines called "The Line Song" by Scratch Garden on YouTube. It's only around two minutes and it is a great introduction to lines for kindergarteners. 

We then discussed lines and drew various ones on the board. 

I provided each student with a turkey body pattern. After they traced the body I taught them how to draw feathers around the body.

After I showed them how to draw feathers they traced them with a black oil pastel and added different kinds of lines on the turkey feathers. This took one, fifty minute class period.
On day two, students used liquid watercolors and painted the turkeys. I didn't provide brown, so we talked about how to make brown with secondary colors. This took one, fifty minute class period.

On the third day, we cut the turkeys out and glued them onto their choice of 9" x 12" construction paper. For those students who had a hard time cutting I traced their turkeys with a yellow highlighter that they could follow along.

Lastly, we added sticker eyes.

Frida Kahlo costume

Frida Kahlo Costume 

 Yep I dressed up as Frida Kahlo for our costumes on Halloween. The teachers were encouraged to dress up so of course I wanted to be some kind of artist. Frida Kahlo was so easy! I found a wig with braids at Walmart for only around $8. I bought a headband and plastic flowers at the dollar store and just stuck them through the holes of the headband. I already had the jewelery and clothes! I found a monkey in the stash of stuffed animals from my kids to pin on my shoulder. I used black mascara for my eyebrows (black eyeliner was difficult to apply). Easy!

kindergarten Chameleon art lesson

Kindergarten Chameleon Art Lesson 

It is so hard finding art lessons for kindergartners! I don't like to use patterns but with this lesson I thought it was okay.

We started off the lesson by reading the book "A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni. It is a wonderful book about a Chameleon who feels he has no color of his own. We then discussed how we think the illustrator created his drawings and what media he used.

Each student received a leaf stencil and sponge painted green and yellow on it. Students loved this part. 

Students then received a handout of the chameleon that I had copied. We discussed how to use watercolors and how to use good craftsmanship on our art. 

We discussed using warm, cool or rainbow colors. 

On day two we cut the chameleons out. I had drawn a line around them for students to cut if it was to difficult. 

Students then glued them to their leaves. Cute lesson even though it is a little crafty.

I had sticker eyes if the students wanted to use them.