“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”- Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)

Arts & Crafts Projects for Kids

A Postcard Exchange

At the beginning of the school year, we received a request from a Washington State kindergarten teacher asking us if we had cards available that we could send her for a student postcard exchange.

Receiving a card or letter by regular mail is always a treat. A postcard exchange sounded like a good project for kids of any age but especially wonderful for kindergartners, so we came up with a coloring book style postcard for these Washington State youngsters to use. We created the cards to print using black ink only. It would be each student's job to add color later. The line of text beneath the blank outline of the apple and pear (illustrated by Sophia Eberhart) reads: Washington Apple and Pear Hand Colored for you by: ________________ (that's where they fill in the blank with their own name...assuming they already know how to write their names!). It was Auntie Cory who colored the sample card shown above but kindergartners are sure to do a much better job.

1. Open the kindergarten postcard file. Please be patient as file is large and relatively slow to load. (Postcard is a .pdf version requiring Adobe Reader to view. If you can not open the file, get Adobe Reader from a free download.)

2. Print the postcards from your computer. The postcard layout is set up with two 4"x6" cards to a letter-sized page. Notice that the card front appears on page one (odd number page) and the back of the card appears on page two (even number page). Print out double-sided on cardstock suitable for mailing. Hint: If you are having trouble using the double-sided auto print feature on your printer, it may be easier to set it up to print odd number pages (page 1) at one time, then re-insert the cardstock into the printer and print the even number pages (page 2) on the other side.

3. Use a paper cutter to trim the cards to the 4"x6" size. Note that the left side margin is a scant 1/4" from edge of the card to the edge of the text.

4. Lastly, round up those kindergartners and boxes of crayons!

A Spring Time Art Project: Coloring Eggs

Here is an easy and fun project that is just perfect for springtime when the sun is warming up the world and the windows can be opened to let in the sounds of birds chirping and flower-freshened air... the fresh air part is especially important with this project!

As always, feel free to experiment and alter any or all materials at your whim!

1. Purchase an assortment of cheap fingernail polish or gather together any extras you have hanging around home. (Have fingernail polish remover on hand just in case!) Also bring out all your marking pens and acrylic paints. I did not have good luck with glitter glue. After drying, it fell off the eggs.

2. Purchase a bag of craft-store eggs (usually plastic) of assorted colors. These can be pulled apart later and filled with candy.

3. Find things from around the home to set the eggs on to dry. I borrowed the plastic lids from some old hand lotion bottles. Inverted, these lids make little egg-stands. If you have quick-drying fingernail polish, this isn't really an issue.

4. Put old clothes or aprons on the kids and cover your work area with a protective layer of paper.

5. Open the windows to dissipate the fingernail polish fumes or set up the work area outside.

That's it. Have fun! - Sophia Eberhart, 3/27/03

Making Crayon and Glitter Prints -

Art Project - Winter Trees
by Sophia Eberhart

This project can be done using a number of different techniques to create scenes of bare-branched trees (and some of those ever-present fir trees) in a winter landscape. The way I see it, there are several goals. Having fun is right up there! Keeping the kids busy (in a creative and useful way) is a close second. Not spending too much money on kits and tools is definitely on my list! Plus, the cool thing about this project is that there is no dilemma about what to do with the final product. Throw away the experiments that didn't work and trim the ones that did. You (or the kids) can glue the nice looking paintings to card stock for holiday well-wishing and thank-you notes. Or mat them and frame them for the wall. Read the steps and hints, then take a look at the examples.

Step 1. Background Sky Wash
Using the paint of your choice (watercolor, fingerpaint, etc.), create a horizontal wash across the paper starting at the top and ending somewhere near the bottom third; this lower portion of the paper will be left white (with some inevitable, artistic smudges) to look like snow.

Step 2. Salt Texture
Using table salt (I can't tell much difference between iodized and non-iodized), sprinkle some across the still-wet-paint. As the paint dries, the salt crystals soak up the color and leave artistic-looking pale spots.

Step 3. Trees
Before paint dries, use a watercolor-pencil or crayon or fingernails (which work especially well with fingerpaint) to create the effect of trees with bare branches.

Step 4. Dry
Set aside to dry or for faster results, use a hair dryer and watch the salt crystals do their thing!

Hints and Variations
-Crayons (especially white) can be used before the application of paint

-Stamps (homemade or otherwise) can be used over a wash after it has dried

-Create snowflake speckles with white craft paint on an old toothbrush or other wide, stiff-bristled brush. You simply scrape your fingers/fingernails along the bristles, thereby "spraying" the paint onto the paper. (Try it out on scratch paper first to see if you like the results.)

-Torn strips of white paper can be glued to the bottom portion to give the impression of snowdrifts

-Try dividing one large paper into smaller portions so you can sample all the different techniques side by side

-If part of the picture looks good and other parts don't, try salvaging it by covering the offending portion with dribbles of glue then sprinkle glitter onto that.

-Experiment with sprinkling crayon shavings onto the paper (or cardboard or whatever your non-metal base is), then pop it into the microwave to melt the crayon. I have only had so-so results with this one. If the shavings are thick it won't melt right away. If you decide to use glitter, make sure you do it after the microwave step… otherwise there will be lots of sparking and popping!

Happy Painting! (Click for printable version of the Art Project - Winter Trees directions - (pdf version - you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Apple
Arts & Crafts
Index

Postcard Exchange

Coloring Eggs

Crayon and Glitter Prints

- watercolor wash
- salt
- trees scratched using fingernails & white watercolor pencil
- torn paper glued for snow
Blue Trees created by Ellette Mendelowitz, age 6

- watercolor wash with blue and red salt added
- pink watercolor pencil to sketch trees
- after dry, white craft paint spattered on from stiff brush
Purple Splatter Trees created by Ellette Mendelowitz, age 6

- watercolor wash with black watercolor pencil to sketch trees while orange paint is still wet
Red Sky and Black Trees created by Ellette Mendelowitz, age 6

- watercolor wash in layers
- salt
- skiers added with watercolor pencils
Skiers created by Ellette Mendelowitz, age 6

Apple Prints

Apple Head Dolls

Apple Games

Bobbing for Apples

Catch an Apple on a String

Apple & Pear Crossword Puzzles

Apple Facts

Holiday Activities

Make a Mother's Day Coupon

Easy Cooking Recipes Kids can Make

Fruit Pizza

Granola Cereal

Berry Blaster Smoothie

Yogurt & Fruit Breakfast Cups

Grandma's Applesauce Cake

Big Fruit Coloring Book Pages to Print for Busy Hands

Fruit Coloring Book
Page 1 / Page 2 / Page 3
/ Page 4 / Page 5

Stock the glove box or coat pocket with individual pages for kids to color. (Of course, don't forget a few crayons.) As those who run kid-friendly restaurants have discovered, coloring reduces the stress of waiting for everyone involved. Bring your own pages to color! It works in doctors' offices too. Click on the images below and print. - Sophie Eberhart, 2/25/02.

Coloring Book Page 1

Coloring Book Page 2

Coloring Book Page 3

Coloring Book Page 4

Coloring Book Page 5

Links

Print and Color Wacky Anthro Fruit Towel Set Pictures (These iron-on transfer embroidery patterns courtesy of PatternBee.com are anthropomorphized apples, pears, plums and more that date to the 1940's and make good print outs for kids to color, too!)

Kid Holiday Project Links