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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Rainy Day Art

For those of you who don’t live in Northern California, it has been raining A LOT. I know. I know. We’re in a terrible drought…blah, blah, blah. Of course rain is always good, but like I’ve mentioned before, rain paralyzes me. It’s my kryptonite. I’ve mentally prepared myself for this week at school as it is forecasted to rain every day. Agh!

Yesterday, my students and I had a rough day. They had no morning or afternoon recess so, needless to say, they were quite restless by the time the San Francisco Symphony came to perform at our school. To sum it up, we will be practicing “what it means to be a good audience member” for the rest of the school year.

I’ve decided that since the rain doesn’t look like it’s going to let up, Room Six will be doing lots and lots of art projects for the rest of March. Art does not get a lot of attention in our room since Math and Literacy are always at the forefront. I used to love art time when I was in the first grade and my students and I definitely need an outlet.

The first project I did with my students was taken directly from a great blog called Blissfully Domestic. Since Emi is too little to do this at home, I let my students at school try it out. They loved it! I used blue painter’s tape to create the letters for their names. Although I didn’t take any pictures, my student's artwork truly looked like the below photos.


Tomorrow we are going to try (“try” being the key word) coloring circles during our rainy day recess. I’m hoping our final product will look as nice as the example. This is a good activity for my kids as we are learning about shapes. The project will also promote coloring in the lines for some of my children who are challenged in the neat department. What does worry me are my students who are not, shall we say, "team players". Will they be able to share their space and work on a collective piece? I’m not exactly holding my breath, but I've heard miracles do happen. Regardless, it should be make for an interesting Wednesday activity.

Finally, a great resource I’ve come across is Een*sies. The site, which was started by two teachers, has a lot of wonderful ideas and savvy tips to try with your kids at home. I especially love their love letters post.

We do a morning message in our class everyday, but I've never thought to bring this activity home. What a great way to start your morning with your little one.

Enjoy the activities and if any of you are currently doing a rain dance somewhere, please, please, stop.

-Kacey

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54 comments:

Unknown said...

Rainy over here too! :P Wishing the rain would go away NOW. Mommy and Baby needs to play...

Unknown said...

My 4th grade students do the coloring circles thing every year when we learn about circumference and diameter. They get to practice using their compasses to make the circles. They always love it. This year, I had some particular creative students and ended up with a pig, a panda, and several donuts besides the usual flowers and geometric designs!

Melissa said...

Thanks for sharing that site! I was just going to browse the Internet for something we can do indoors today!

Rachael Schirano \\ Rachael Schirano Photography said...

i love those watercolor letters, i bookmarked them!

Anonymous said...

Those are wonderful ideas! I was constantly doing little projects with my kids.

Donnetta said...

GREAT ideas!! Baby chicklet begs to do crafts so I'm always looking for new ones.

Sorry, I would stop my rain dance, but we are short double digits in rainfall here in Georgia. :(((

Technodoll said...

All great ideas and lovely frames, btw :-)

I'll be in SanFran in 3 weeks for a few days - please tell me the weather is slated to dry up?!

Am trying to escape this Montreal crap cold winter, waaaaaaaaaah!

Anonymous said...

Great ideas! Those letters are so cool. Gives me ideas for spring break.

Kathy B! said...

I have snow here in NC. It's worse than rain. We just moved from the Bay Area 18 months ago and I would kill for a rainy old March ((sniff, sniff)). I think I'm still a little homesick.

I love the letter art project! I like things where you get a good end result even with young children. Thanks for sharing that link : )

Ellia C. Naturals said...

Thanks for the great resources! My little ones are still a bit small for these, but with a couple of modifications they will provide some wonderful snow day activities!

Megan said...

Awesome! Thanks for the great ideas!

penguinsandladybugs said...

Great stuff! I love the morning message idea!

Sarah said...

I am stealing that first project. I don't know that my 21 month-old- could do the other two, but that first one, we could totally handle. ;)

Rainy days. I remember that cooped-up feeling when you couldn't go to recess or PE. I imagine they did have a tough time listening to the symphony (but wow, what a treat, I'd have loved to been there)!

Jillene said...

What great ideas!! Thanks for sharing!! I will be trying these with my kids on the next rainy day!!

Heather said...

I'd take rain over snow any day! I guess rain is YOUR snow though huh? I want spring already!

Amy said...

Those are great ideas. Thanks for sharing. I will have to use them as my little one grows. I have a great site to visit. I have to get the link and I will share it later on today. Have a great day.

Grand Pooba said...

I use rain as an excuse to do absolutely nothing! Try it sometime, maybe you'll feel differently about rain then :)

forever folding laundry said...

I am SO DONE with the rain. Riley has pneumonia and is home sick (still) so I might have to break out the watercolors today. I'm getting desperate!

~Keri

Kerri said...

What wonderful ideas! I think I'll try that with my own kids!

peewee said...

wii should make a wii wee fit for kids! classroom recess edition! Or have em do yoga. :)

Coco said...

Those are some great ideas! I teach an art class at my daughter's daycare because I truly believe it is important for kids to get that creative outlet. Check out the "Anti-Coloring Book" and more by Susan Striker at http://www.susanstriker.com/. The books have activities that require kids to use their imagination.

Becky said...

These are all great ideas!

And I'll stop my rain dance now, but only because you said please...

Lucia said...

Great ideas, and since I live in Portland, rainy day capitol of the world, these come in very handy, better than eating cheese sandwiches.

Actually, I've come to love the rain. Very healing but it took me some time.

Kimberly said...

After I comment, I'm going to go check out the other site...I think my four year old would really enjoy those idea's.

I'd like to know whose doing the snow dance, because I'd like them to stop.

Counselormama said...

I work at an elem school, too. These are great ideas!

Mary@Holy Mackerel said...

Very very cool projects!

Debbie said...

I just love that artwork! We may try that here at Chez Sanity.

Helene said...

I'm so tired of the rain already!!! Today it was actually hailing, which was pretty educational for my kids but still we're all just climbing the walls with boredom!! Those look like fun activities!!

Anonymous said...

I love the art..Its so cute!

Vodka Mom said...

that was FANTASTIC!!! I am coming over every day for lesson p lans!!!


We do Morning Message every day as well!! Sometimes I pass out little white boards for ALL of them to write responses to my Q's!!

Darabelle said...

Oh, Kasey! You're soooooo clever! The names are adorable, as are the circles. I will definitely check out that website. I love the idea of leaving Ben a morning message when I go to work (he already has a chalk-board in his room!). I hope the rain lets up for you and munchkins.

Just SO said...

When I was little my mom and I would color circles. I LOVED it! I hope that the kids can all work together on that. And those letters with the paint look very cute!

Green said...

Blogger :(

thanks for stopping and making me smile :)

The Blonde Duck said...

That looks like so much fun!

Nana said...

Sorry I will quit my rain dancing. I thought it was sexy.

Nancy said...

Wait... San Francisco Symphony performed at your school for your students!? Totally jealous here!

As for the art projects, I want to be in your class. :) or maybe I want my son to be in your class... or maybe I should just copy the ideas you've just posted.. hehehehehe

Great post!

tiburon said...

Wowsa! That art project looks great! And that site just got bookmarked. Thanks for the heads up.

Could you please make sure it is not raining the weekend of June 25th - 28th. I have a big bike ride ;)

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Such fabulous ideas! Love the name letters. They look great framed!

tiarastantrums said...

no rain here - just bitterly cold still! I would take the rain over this !!

Esther said...

I would love some rain. Then it would be warmer, and the snow would melt. Nothing melts snow faster than a warm, rainy day. Those are great ideas, though--I'm going to try the one with the painter's tape!

Stacy Uncorked said...

I'm definitely going to have to have the Princess Nagger do those projects...she'll love doing them! :)

Kristen said...

I can't wait to do the Letter! I will have to check out these sites.

Kristen Andrews said...

those are some really cool ideas. I just may do the painting w/ my 3yo!

Anonymous said...

I love all those ideas! It would be fun to try it with my teenage patients especially the circles they will like that, thanks for the info!

SE'LAH... said...

LOVE those framed art !!! I have a collection of my daughter's to frame...you just inspired me to get to it.

One Love.

Dawn Parsons Smith said...

LOVE the letter art! I think we'll give this a whirl in our neck of the woods today! Thanks for the inspiration!

Together We Save said...

Great idea. I want my girls to this.

Ginny said...

I've been wanting to do this, have to get some painter tape. I've been seeing rain projects all over the web, my 7 year old would love this!

Aquaspce said...

Love the Rainy Day projects Thanks!

Quiskaeya said...

So sorry about all the rain. Continuous rain can be a drag. So I won't mention how much we badly need rain around here. Oops did I just say that - my bad.

Those art projects look amazing. I totally need to try them with my kids. I'm always looking for things for my 7 yr old to do on the weekends while I do house chores.

Melissa said...

Love, love, LOVE the letter idea! I'm going to file these ideas away for this summer... when it's 120 outside -blech!

Holly said...

What great projects! Thanks for the ideas.

Hey, why don't you send some of your rain down over here?

Brimful Curiosities said...

I read in one of the recent parenting magazines that you could let the kids color with markers on a piece of paper then put it out in light rain for some real rainy day art.

Megan said...

Can I come to your classroom? I've been bored out of my mind this week! Those look fun! lol