suncatchers and cutting string
Boy does this kid like to cut string! I set out a ball of yarn, a pair of scissors, and a bowl the other day to keep her entertained while I did some sewing. I thought it would be good for about 5 or 10 minutes, but she kept at it for about an hour! […]
String Painting Ideas :: Mirror Image Prints with Kids
We tried out some string painting ideas with the kids art group yesterday. The materials were simple: Yarn Washable tempera paint And white paper And the ideas were pretty simple, too… The kids started out by dipping pieces of yarn in paint then dragging it across their paper. This quickly progressed to hand prints and […]
Marble Rolling with the Art Group
We did some marble rolling with the Toddler Art Group yesterday. I had a bag of marbles that we had picked up at a yard sale a couple of years ago along with those wooden blocks that you can build a marble run with. I had put the marbles away, until now, because of the […]
Tiffany McDonald on Goldsworthy-Inspired Art
Tiffany McDonald is a friend and the mother of two beautiful daughters, Lily, age 7, and Sadie, age 2. She is an artist (even though she calls herself a wanna-be!) and also volunteers in Lily's classroom teaching art. The photo above is from a month or so ago when she came over for some tea […]
Paper Making for Kids :: A Handmade Paper Shapes Tutorial
My friend Tracy Hildebrand is a former art teacher who volunteers at her daughter’s preschool teaching art projects. When she told me about a paper making project she did with the kids that sounded easy and fun, I asked Tracy to share how she did it. Here’s her tutorial :: Paper Making for Kids A Handmade Paper […]
Ginger Carlson on Nurturing Creativity and Curiosity
 Ginger Carlson is the author of the recently released Child of Wonder: Nurturing Creative & Naturally Curious Children, an educational consultant, and a mother of one enthusiastic boy named Zeal. Note: Readers will have a chance to win a copy of Ginger’s new book at the end of the interview. JEAN: I love your […]
The Best Books About Music for Kids
Here are our favorite books about music for kids. These books are a fantastic exploration of sound and music, rhythm and rhyme. Updated April 2024 Do your kids love music? Ours do! Turn story time into song time with books about music. Here are a few of our favorite kids’ books about music and also […]
Fingerpainting Jackson Pollock Style
We received a package the other day that had a huge piece of shiny white paper loosely wrapping the items inside. I thought it would be perfect for fingerpainting, so taped it to the table in the studio. Maia noticed it almost immediately and wanted to paint. Having such a large piece of paper was […]
DiY Playsilks :: Dyeing with Kool Aid
How to dye playsilks and other fabrics with Kool-Aid.
Kristen Marra on Unschooling the Arts
Kristen Marra is a former preschool teacher with a background in the arts who now homeschools her three children (ages almost 4, 9, and almost 13) and blogs about their artful life at Pepper Paints. JEAN: Thanks for agreeing to an interview, Kristen! I understand that you homeschool. Can you describe your homeschooling style? KRISTEN: […]
Collaging with Felt, Feathers, and Pipe Cleaners
It was great to get together with the Art Group, after having to cancel twice due to illness. The kids made collages with felt, feathers, pom poms, and pipe cleaners. And, of course, lots of glue. Vivi's collage is pictured above. Â Here's Henry, squeezing his glue onto the paper. Thalia's collage, above And Stella's […]
Rainbow in a Bag: A Color Mixing Experiment
Many thanks to Kimberly Stoney who sent me this color mixing idea and recipe! It worked wonderfully. Kimberly tests and develops crafts for a children’s magazine. Doesn’t that sound like a fun job?! We had tried mixing two different colors of tempera paint in a plastic bag after reading about Gwyn’s color mixing project on […]
