Love Ewe Sheep

I came across a picture of these Love Ewe Sheep we made last year (before I started blogging) and thought it might inspire some Valentines cards.

To make them I cut out blocky "n" shapes for legs and faces shaped like a peanuts with floppy ears out of black construction paper. I also cut out a bunch of different sized hearts from red construction paper. The big sheep body is a crumpled coffee filter, and the smaller one is a crumpled oval of tissue paper. The kids glued all the pieces together on a background color of their choice.

One detail I do recall from making them was that it didn't matter if the legs were glued down first or not because little ones rarely glue edge tight anyway.

Mosaic Indian Corn – Toddler Art Project

Mosaic Indian Corn

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Fall, Vegetables

Books: Lunch by Denise Fleming and Market Day by Lois Ehlert

Materials:
Brown or Green Tissue Paper
Assorted Colors of Construction Paper (This is a great way to use up scraps)
Yellow Construction Paper
Copy Paper
Glue sticks
Adults (& some kids) get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut out cob shapes out of yellow construction paper. I folded the sheet in quarters (3 x 9) and freehand cut them. If children are too young to use scissors at all then also prepare assorted color ‘kernels’ (pieces 1/2” or smaller). If the kids are old enough to use scissors, have them prepare kernels themselves.

Activity: Each child gets plain sheet of paper to use as a background, a cob, an assortment of ‘kernels’ and some tissue paper to rip up for the husk. Using the glue stick, glue the cob to the background, then the kernels to the cob. Rip 2 or more strips of tissue paper and glue along the sides of the corn.

Notes/Tips: I found it useful to describe the process as preparing corn in reverse – starting with the cob, adding the kernels and then the husk. This is a good activity to go along with cutting time for little ones who are just starting to use scissors because it makes use of the scraps they make.

Let Your Little Lion Roar - Toddler Art Project

Let Your Little Lion Roar - Paper Plate Puppets

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Lions

Books: Do Lions Live on Lily Pads by Melanie Walsh, A Beach Tail by Karen Williams, Dandelion by Don Freeman

Materials:

Orange, Yellow & Red Tissue Paper
Red & Black Construction Paper (you can use scraps)
Small (desert size) paper plates
Glue sticks
Masking tape (if you are making them into hand puppets)
Adults get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut small triangle shapes from the construction paper to be used for eyes and noses. Rip tissue paper into workable size pieces. To make the handle, cut a ½” strip at the widest point of a second paper plate (exact length is not essential, so you can get 3 handles per plate).

Activity: Each child gets a plate, assorted tissue paper, eyes, nose & glue stick. Rip, crumple and twist bits of tissue paper, then glue them to the outer part of the plate for the loin’s mane. Don’t forget to glue on the eyes and nose. With some adult help, attach the handle to the back with masking tape. Give your lion a name then let everyone hear your best lion roar!

Notes/Tips: If you fold the handles in 1/3rds then fold the two ends in half again it will create a tab on each side that can be taped down easily (see pic in this post). Crayons can be used instead of construction paper to create the face. Challenge older kids to create a pattern in their lion's mane.

Mail-able Art for Easter - Toddler Art Project

The process of this project is a lot like the I Spy one I posted a while back, but with an interior frame added. It is also sized so that it can be sent through the mail!

Mail-able Art for Easter

 

Age: 18 Months - 12 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 15 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Eggs, Easter, Mail

Books: Open

Materials:

Contact Paper (sticky clear stuff)
Black construction paper
Transparency Paper
Assorted scraps of paper, yarn, tissue, sequins, spangles, foam pieces, etc
Adults & Big Kids get to use Colored Masking Tape and Scissors

Prep: Cut an ‘egg’ out of ½ a sheet of black construction paper, then trim the inside to create an egg shaped frame – you can remove the whole of the inside or segments to create a design. Cut (1) piece of contact paper per child slightly larger than 1/2 sheet of transparency paper (apx. 6 x 9). Remove the paper backing. Using tabs of masking tape, secure the contact paper to the table sticky side up. For younger kids, adhere the egg frame to the contact paper for them. Write the address where the card will be sent on a small (about “1 x 3”) piece of decorative paper.

Activity: Each child gets to decorate their ‘egg’ with items of their choosing. When they are finished, an adult can assist placing the address in the center of the design, then placing the transparency paper over their design to seal it in.

Finishing: (Can be done by just an adult or older kids can help) Trim the excess contact paper so that it is flush with the transparency. ‘Edge’ the entire design with colored masking tape folded over the sides. This will both create a frame and further secure the items inside. The final piece should be about 8” x 5” and can be mailed with a regular stamp (not postcard).

Notes/Tips: This project can be modified for other seasons by changing the shape of the construction paper frame – or using none at all. Just remember to keep proportioned like a greeting card. It is a lot easier if you can set this project up in advance of the kids coming to the work space. Choose age appropriate items to go inside (no spangles for the wee ones). Distributing the little items on a paper plate will save on a ton of clean-up!

Rainbow Me - Toddler Art Project

I have been volunteering at our local library with the little kids for about 10 months. We read books, sing songs, do crafts, wiggle around, and generally having a good time. I ran the Toddler Story Time during the 5 month gap between Juvenile Librarians, and now that they have a Kids Librarian again, I am a general helper and lead all of the art projects. I plan to share a 'how to' for some of the more successful projects that we do. When I remember, I will let you know what books we read with them too.

Rainbow Me!

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 15 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Color Mixing

Books: Mouse Paint, Blue Chicken and Little Blue and Little Yellow

Materials:

Water Color Paper (Other paper will work - I used Blotter Paper because it is what I had on-hand - the key is that it is absorbent and does not tear easily when wet)

Permanent Marker

Silhouette Pattern

Bleeding Tissue Paper (Note - Not all tissue paper bleeds. You can test what you have or just pick some up at a craft store)

Q-Tips

Water Cup with TINY bit of water

Heart Stickers (Optional)

Prep: Cut each sheet of paper in half (1 for each child). On each (half) sheet, using the Permanent Marker trace a simple silhouette of a person - I used one from a previous project, but you can find your own online like this one of an adult and kid: http://comps.canstockphoto.com/can-stock-photo_csp5345644.jpg 

Activity: Each child gets a paper with a silhouette, a q-tip and a water cup. Rip off small bits of tissue paper, place them on the silhouette, then dab them with the wet q-tip. The color from the tissue paper will 'bleed' onto their person. Add a heart sticker a finishing touch.

Notes/Tips: If you use 2 paper plates - one for dry tissue paper and one for the wet scraps - your clean-up will be easier. The tissue paper will stain little fingers, but it washes off after a soapy scrub or two - and it a LOT less messy than paint!