The Clay Box

Summer is just around the corner.  I know many of you would like to keep your little ones busy with some hands on activities.   Check out my friend, Ruth Post, from The Clay Box.   This is a subscription service that sends all the materials for you to complete a project.   I have used some of the materials as well as the lesson instructions and found them to be easy to follow and work well. 
Ruth is a retired art teacher and this is how she is using her time in retirement.  I don't think you will be disappointed with the program.  https://www.theclaybox.org/  I'm not getting any type of kick back for this; I just think it's a great program!

Really Big FlowersOil

Oil pastels on felt


2nd graders recently viewed some of the works of Georgia O'Keefe and discussed how she focused on making small details really big.  We then engaged in making really big flowers that you would have to look at and pay attention to.   Here are a few of the student's completed projects.

Student's work 2nd grade

Student Work 2nd grade

Coil project for Kindergarten

Kindergarten clay snails

Hot glue was used to secure the pipe cleaner and eyes into place

I am totally in love with these with clay coil snails.  I must admit, this is not my original idea and I have no idea where I first spotted it or who I "borrowed" it from.  But kuddos to them because this was a slam dunk project.   My kinders created two coils to form the snails.  One is for the base and head the other is for the body.  After they went through the kiln for a bisque firing, they were completed with liquid watercolors, a pipe cleaner and some googly eyes.  Two class periods for completion but super easy and a great way to experience the process to make a coil.  This will definitely be a repeat lesson.

I used a straw to put holes in the head for the placement
of the pipe cleaners prior to firing

students twisted their own pipe learners.  Some were
more savvy at this than others.

Jim Dine in 2nd grade

I located this project in an old Scholastic's Art magazine recently when looking for a new approach for Jim Dine and decided to give it a go.  The heard was done more as a directed because I was approaching dark and light values for the first time with 2nd grade.  They turned out amazingly well.  The background is tissue paper on card stock.  Drawing was completed with oil pastels.  This was a two week project.