Thursday, May 19, 2016

A+ in OUTDOOR ART

Aren't you glad they put the "A" in STEAM?  Here are a few activities you can do inside or outside on the playground.  Tie in with a book, science, engineering, and messy fun!

Dirt Painting
Materials:    dirt, water, plastic container, brushes, paper
Directions:   Mix the dirt with water to make a thick liquid.  Paint a picture with brushes or with fingers.
Adaptations:  Look for different types of soil to create different shades of “dirt” paint.
Ice Cube Painting
Materials:   plastic ice cube tray, paint, craft sticks, paper
Directions:  Pour paint in ice cube trays and insert a craft stick in each section.  Freeze.  Pop the “paint cubes” out of the tray and swirl around on the paper.  As the paint melts, it will create a design.
Adaptations:  Make similar ice cubes with water and liquid water color.



Wheel Painting
Materials:   toy cars, trucks, and other vehicles with wheels, paint, newsprint or large sheets of paper, paper plates
Directions:   Put a small amount of paint in the paper plates.  Dip the wheels of the vehicles in the paint, and then “drive” them across the paper.
Adaptations:  Give children rubber fishing worms and dip them in paint.  Wiggle across a sheet of paper to make designs.

Food Color Dip
Materials:  4 small cups, food coloring, paper towels, water
Directions:  Take the cups and put water and a large squirt of food coloring in each cup.  Children take a paper towel and fold it into a small square.  They dip each corner in a different color.  Open and dry.




Fence Painting
Materials:  large sheets of paper, clothespins, paints, paint brushes
Directions:  Attach large sheets of paper to a fence with clothespins.
Children can freely paint on the paper.
Adaptations:  Put paint in pie pans and give children fly swatters to dip in the paint and swat on the paper.

Window Painting
Materials:  shaving cream (non-menthol)
Directions:  Squirt shaving cream on windows and let children fingerpaint.  Clean up is easy with a hose.