Lego Brickworld Convention, 2013: Part One
Last weekend I took a trip with my husband and daughter to Schaumburg, IL to see the Lego Brickworld Convention. My husband is an avid Lego collector and builder. As an art teacher, I saw some fun things…
Art Projects for Kids + Tips for the Teacher!
Art Projects for Kids + Tips for the Teacher!
Elementary Art Projects & Creative Lessons for Kids
Welcome to Art is Basic, a blog full of elementary art lessons, easy art projects, and teaching ideas for K-5 classrooms. Browse hundreds of engaging activities designed to inspire young artists.
Read More...Lego Brickworld Convention, 2013: Part One
On Teaching Art: Things to Think About
Welcome to the 4th post in my series On Teaching Art. The first post and the background behind this series is On Teaching Art: Art vs. Craft. The second post was On Teaching Art #2: Organizing Curriculum. The…
New Art Teacher Blog Directories
There are lots of great ideas on the internet and I have enjoyed reading so many art teacher blogs. There are over 300 art blogs on the art teacher blog directory. That is a lot of blogs to…
15 Spirit Week Ideas for School
So, you’re in charge of Spirit Week! Do you need some good ideas? Be sure to check out my newer post “10 More Spirit Day Ideas for Scho0l”. Spirit Days can be fun scattered throughout the year or…
Clay Pinch Pot Monsters with 2nd Graders
This is a tried and true clay lesson for kids. Who doesn’t love cute monsters? The 2nd graders started by making pinch pots. This handout shows you how. Turn the pinch pot on its side and add eyes,…
Featuring Magazine.. new issue is almost here!
Hi! Happy Summer! When I am not teaching art to little kiddos, I spend some of my free time writing articles and submitting them to various magazines. I am a contributing editor for Featuring magazine, which is a…
2nd Grade Oil Pastel Landscapes
This oil pastel drawing project is inspired by the artwork of Paul Gauguin, in particular his painting Tahitian Landscape. To build up a little enthusiasm, when the kids arrived to class there was an envelope at their seat. …
Silhouette Paper Cuttings for 3rd and 4th Graders
Did you know Hans Christian Andersen was an accomplished paper cutter? He created some very intricate and amazing silhouettes. I used a chapter from the book The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen to teach about his…
Contour Line Shoe Drawings by 3rd and 4th Graders
Take off your shoes and make yourself comfortable. This fun lesson is perfect to teach observational drawing with minimal supplies and easy set up. 1. Take off a shoe. 2. Observe the lines, shapes and contours of the…
Cardboard Creations and a Blog Layout Review
Hello all! Wow, summer is almost here! It’s hard to believe, right? I entered a blog giveaway to receive a free layout review from a web designer. I won! She posted the review on Blacksburgbelle’s blog. Bottom line:…
Paper Weaving with Kindergarten
I introduce paper weaving with my kindergarten class. We use colored strips, scrapbook paper and wrapping paper. Here is a paper weaving tutorial. Check out my Weaving Ideas Pinterest board if you want to see more fun weaving…
Still Life Paintings in the Middle School Art Class
From time to time, I will show you some artwork from the middle school classes. I teach K-6 and Rebecca teaches the older students. These paintings on canvas were particularly beautiful. Painting water and glass is definitely challenging,…
Mosaics in the Classroom
Have you made mosaics with elementary students? We first learned about the mosaics in ancient Greece and Rome. The student thoroughly enjoyed sifting through my box of mosaic tiles to find the perfect pieces. We used glass bits…
Making Bookmarks with Kids
Our local public library partnered with us to have a bookmark contest. The kids in grades K-5 each designed a bookmark based on a favorite book. We provided a template for them to compose their drawing. The library…
Fabric Dolls by the 1st Graders
Here are some of our cute fabric dolls the 1st graders made. We used a lot of wrapping, tying and hot glue. I would recommend having an older student helper or a couple of parent volunteers. I’m trying…