Kindergarten Starry Night Owls

Kindergarten Starry Night Owls

You can watch my demonstration videos below. Sorry I couldn't find my finger painting video! 

                                             Part one. I don't know why it seems like I am yelling!

                                                                             Part two.

On the first day of the project we discussed Van Gogh's Starry Night. 

Students then finger painted their version of the painting on 12" x 18" multi-media paper using blue and purple finger paint. We painted it vertically since we would be gluing an owl in the middle. We discussed the wind, the village and of course the stars. 

All kids need to experience finger painting! Yes it's a lot of work but the kids love it. Cover your tables with newspaper and then I went around to each student and gave them a spoon full of purple and blue paint to mix. This took one fifty minute class period. 

On the second day I instructed students on how to draw an owl from the letter "U". They traced them with a black marker and colored them with neon oil pastels. We talked a lot about using good craftsmanship (coloring all the spaces) and doing our best. 

On day three students finished coloring their owls and cut them out. I have found if I teach them to concentrate on just cutting off the white paper then they are less likely to cut off the feet and ears. Works like a charm (well most of the kids it does!).  

Students glued a tree branch about midway down the paper and then their owl on top. 

Mouse paint kindergarten finger painting lesson

Finger painting Mouse collage

I think it is so important to allow children to experience finger painting. With only two sinks and 25 students per class I have to be creative on allowing all my students to engage in this and not go crazy! I decided we were actually just going to use one finger!
This lesson is based on the book "Mouse Paint"  by Ellen Walsh. If you don't have the book you can find someone reading it on YouTube. This lesson has been used for years, so I'm not sure where the original idea came from. 

On the first day I provided 12" x 9" multi media pieces of paper with the mouse shapes and color words already copied onto them. My student teacher (thanks for the idea Brandy) from a couple of years ago did this lesson with the kiddos but I wanted to change it to a finger painting lesson. 

After discussing the primary and secondary colors students got to work. I gave each student a drop of each of the primary colors and then they mixed on each section. Students wiped their fingers on the newspapers on the tables in between mixing the colors. When they were finished with all the colors they were then allowed to wash their hands at the sinks.

 On the second day students cut out the mouse shapes, glued them to a piece of black construction paper and added details with oil pastels to make them into mice.

Yes they are a little crafty, but my goal was for the students to practice their cutting skills and to make colors.