Art Out and About

Sit Upon - Cut paper grocery sacks into 12” squares. Each child will need two. Punch holes around the edges and then sew three sides together with yarn. (Wrap a piece of tape around the end of the yarn to make a needle.) Stuff with newspaper strips and then sew up the fourth side. Sit “upon” it for a story, sing along, or picnic. *Let children decorate the squares before sewing them together.

Hiker’s Necklace - Using a hammer and nail, make a hole in the bottom of a film container and in the lid. Cut a piece of cord or string that can easily go over the child’s head and thread it through the holes. Decorate with stickers and markers. Put a band-aid, the child’s name and address, a piece of gum, etc. inside.

Back Pack - You will need a grocery sack, a small piece of Velcro, and two strips of fabric cut 2” by 24” for this project. Cut off three sides of the sack half way down. Fold down the remaining side and secure with Velcro. To add straps, cut four 2 ½” slits on the back. Thread the strips of fabric through that and tie the ends in knots. Let children decorate with markers or crayons.

Nature Bracelet - Put a piece of masking tape or packaging tape with the sticky side out on each child’s wrist to make a bracelet. Children attach small leaves, flowers, etc. to the tape to make a nature bracelet.

Sticky Picture - Cut clear contact paper into small rectangles and give one to each child. Peel off the back and then let children apply leaves, flowers, and other small objects to the sticky side.

*Cover with another piece of contact paper and use as a place mat.

Sun Catcher - Cut scraps from laminating film into geometric shapes. Let the children decorate these with permanent markers. Punch a hole and hang with a piece of yarn.

Worm Painting - You will need rubber fishing worms, paint, and paper for this project. Let the children dip the fishing worms in paint and then “wiggle” them on the paper.

Bubble Painting - Put 10-15 drops of food coloring in a bottle of bubbles. Attach a large sheet of paper to a fence with clothespins. Blow bubbles on the paper and watch them pop and make a design.

Tissue Fade - Let children cut or tear tissue paper into 1” pieces. Arrange the tissue paper on a sheet of white paper and the spray with water. Dry in the sun and then peel off the tissue paper.

Sun Visor - Cut a moon shape from a paper plate. Decorate with markers or crayons. Punch holes in the ends and tie on string so you can tie it around the head.

Foot Painting - Roll out a long sheet of butcher paper on the sidewalk. Take two pie pans and pour a little paint in each one. Let one child at a time take off her shoes, step in the paint, and then walk across the paper.

Pet Rocks - Let each child find a rock that they can hold in their hand. After cleaning their rocks, let them decorate the rocks with paints, wiggly eyes, yarn hair, etc. Ask the children to name their pet rocks and make up a story about their rocks.

Nature Rubbings - Let children collect objects with different textures on the playground. Remove the paper from several crayons. Place paper over the objects and then rung gently with the side of the crayon.

Food Color Dip - Fill several small cups half way with water. Add 10 drops of food coloring to each cup. Let the children fold a paper towel into a small square. Dip each corner in a different color. Open and dry.

Fly Swatter Painting - Tape a large sheet of butcher paper to a fence. Put a small amount of paint on a paper plate. Let children dip a fly swatter in paint and then “swat” it on the paper.

*Let children make bugs out of thumbprints on the paper before using the fly swatters.

Mud Painting - You’ll need plastic containers, old paint brushes, paper, and some mud for this art project. Collect samples of dirt from several different areas in the plastic containers. Compare samples. Stir in water and paint with brushes or fingers.

Fence Art - Give children brightly colored plastic cups. They can insert the cups in a chain link fence to make designs, patterns, or words.

*Red, white, and blue cups are festive for the 4th of July.