What is the Vampire Squid?

The Vampire Squid is a cephalopod that lives in the midnight zone. It can be found as deep as 3,000 feet below the sea. THAT IS DEEP!

This creature resembles both a squid and an octopus, but it is not either one. It has 8 arms with spines on them and two tentacles (which is what it uses to catch it’s prey). It ranges in color from a light reddish pink to a dark brown/black, depending on where it lives. It’s 8 arms are connected with a skin which is what gives the Vampire Squid its cape-like appearance.

The Vampire squid is about 8 inches long- like the size of a football.

It has fins on the top of its body that resemble ears. These are used to propel themselves through the water.

It is believed that the Vampire Squid feeds primarily on prawns, copepods, cnidarians, and other small invertebrates.

The vampire squid’s body is covered by light producing organs called photophores. It uses these lights to attract prey.

When the Vampire squid is threatened it emits a mucus that glows for several minutes. This in turn confuses the predator and the vampire squid is able to escape.

Because this creature lives so deep below the surface, it is difficult for scientists to study their behavior and mating habits. As more research is done, we will continue to learn more about this fascinating creature.

The Ocean is broken up into 5 basic Zones (or Layers):

1. The Sunlight Zone- up to 200 meters below the surfuace and where most life exists in the Ocean.
2. The Twilight Zone- up to 1000 meters below the surface and much colder temperatures.
3. The Midnight Zone- up to 4000 meters below the surface of the ocean.
4. The Abyssal Zone- up to 6000 meters below the surface.
5. The Trenches- the deepest parts of the ocean. Up to 11000 meters below the surface of the ocean. Here the temperatures are near freezing temperatures.

Easy Vampire Squid Craft

Directions for the Vampire Squid Craft:

Materials:

• empty toilet paper rolls
• hole punch
• red or pink paint (I use washable because it gets messy!)
• paint brush
• newspaper (for the mess)
• red, brown, or pink pipe cleaners cut in half (4 per child- when cut in half, you should have 8)
• Cardstock paper
• googly eyes
• glue
• optional: sharpie

Directions for Vampire Squid Craft:

Step 1: Remove all toilet paper from the toilet paper roll.

Step 2: Punch 8 holes along one side of the toilet paper roll and cut 2 small slits on the opposite side for the fins (that look like “ears”)

Step 3: Using the card stock, cut 2 – 1 inch triangles. These will be for the Vampire Squid’s fins.

Step 4: Lay out paper on your table surface, paint the entire toilet paper roll red, pink, brown, or black. Paint the triangle fins as well. Allow time to dry. While you wait, you can read a book about the Midnight Zone such as:

Step 5: When the paint has dried, add 8 pipe cleaners (4 full size, cut in half). Arrange them in a way that helps the vampire squid to prop up on a table.

Step 6: Add googly eyes or draw with a sharpie.

Step 7: Optional- Take a picture of your child with their Vampire Squid and make a page for your book. (See Making books to learn Post here).

60 Pieces Red Pipe Cleaners, Christmas Craft Pipe Cleaners,Pipe Cleaners Chenille Stem,Pipe Cleaners Bulk,Art Pipe Cleaners for Creative Home Decoration Supplies Arts and Crafts Project

Crayola Washable Paint (12ct), Paint Set for Kids, Nontoxic Paint, Kids Craft Supplies, for Classrooms, Assorted Colors, 16 Oz

Single Hole Punch 1/4” Hole Puncher for Crafts, One Hole Paper Punch with Blue Soft Grip Handle, Small Hole Punch for Kids and Adults

Red Cardstock – 8.5 x 11 inch – 65Lb Cover – 50 Sheets – Clear Path Paper

1210pcs Googly Wiggle Eyes Self Adhesive, for Craft Sticker Multi Sizes 4mm to 25mm for DIY by ZZYI

Finished Product- A Cute and Simple Vampire Squid!

Extending the craft (optional)

You can have your child do more research on the vampire squid and have them do a research report (with your help, of course). They can present their information to a small group or the family. See my animal research template below available for purchase in my store.

Fun Facts about the Vampire Squid:

1. The Vampire Squid lives primarily in the Midnight Zone. This is an area that is lower in oxygen levels, so they have a slow metabolism which allows them to survive.

Watch this close encounter with the Vampire Squid on Nautilus Live:

I have created several Deep Sea Creature Printables for the deep sea creature enthusiast: activities available in my TPT store .

What other deep sea creatures do you like? How did your Vampire Squid turn out?

The post Vampire Squid Craft – Midnight Zone Marine Biology appeared first on .

Are you looking for a fun, easy, creative, slightly messy, and hands-on way to learn about maps, land forms, and geography? Salt-Dough Maps are such a fun way to add the fun wow factor to your homeschooling lessons.

What kid doesn’t enjoy learning while creating a piece of hands-on art?

Here you will find directions on how to make salt dough, make a relief map, and other fun uses for the salt dough. While there is a little bit of added prep, the rewards of your child’s hands-on learning will be worth it.

Caution: Raw flour is safe safe for consumption, make sure that all participants wash their hands after each use.

“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

How to Use Salt Dough Maps to Make Learning Creative and Fun!

Sure, you can print that map off of the internet and have your kiddos fill in the cities, mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, and other important landmarks… But that may not be the most effective way for your child to truly learn. Often, taking the extra time to prep for an engaging learning opportunity will reap the reward of long term learning.

Our brains are designed to connect with the physical world through hands-on interaction.

A Creative Learner

Hands on learning is so effective because children learn by doing. Creating a map using salt dough is not only fun, but will encourage your child to truly learn and have fun at the same time.

What is a Salt Dough Map?

A salt dough map is a three-dimensional map that allows children to create mountain ranges, hills, lakes, rivers, oceans, and so on. It is more useful for a child to see that maps represent different topographical features that are not easily seen with a paper map. The main components are salt, flour and water. Salt dough is super easy to work with and is fun to play around with.

These 3D maps are super effective for younger children that are just starting to work with maps. It helps them to see and understand the different characteristics of regions on a map. But don’t necessarily leave out your older ones. They can benefit from this hands-on lesson as well.

How Do You Make a Salt Dough Map?

Salt dough maps are super simple. They require a minimal amount of prep. They can, however, be quite messy. The mess, however, is well worth it!

Prior to beginning a salt dough maps, I would suggest spending a little time researching what relief maps are. We decided to research topography maps first, using the colors that are typically used for altitude differentiation.

There are so many amazing map books that you can purchase or check out from the library. Having a couple for reference is helpful.

We were learning about the Lewis and Clark Expedition in our history studies. This was a great opportunity to incorporate geography in a way that catered to my children’s kinesthetic and artistic learning styles.

Here are simple directions to create your own salt-dough map for any geographical region. We chose to create a map of the United States of America because we were studying the landscape in which pioneers traveled west. My children were learning about the different regions that were traveled through such as Mountain ranges, plains, rivers, lakes, etc.

We copied the colors of altitude from a geology website. You can even use a geography map book to use as an example for which colors to use.

What are the Supplies and Materials Needed to Make a Salt Dough Map?

Salt

flour

water

bowl

stirring utensil

pencil

acrylic paint

paint brushes

wood panel (or you can use thick cardboard)

paper to cover surface of table

365 by Whole Foods Market, All Purpose Flour, 80 Ounce

Morton, Iodized Salt, 737 Grams(gm)

Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set (2-Ounce), Best Colors Count, 32 Fl Oz (Pack of 16)

9×12 Wood Canvas for Crafts, 6-Pack Framed Wooden Panel Boards for Painting Pouring Crafts

Acrylic Paint Brush Set, 6 Packs / 60 pcs Nylon Hair Brushes for All Purpose Oil Watercolor Painting Artist Professional Kits

What is the Recipe for Salt Dough?

In a bowl, mix:

2 cups all purpose flour (cheap is fine)

1 cup salt

1 cup water

1 TBSP cream of tartar (ONLY for Play dough- not necessary for the salt dough maps)

Stir with a spoon, until it is too difficult, then use your hands. The goal is to mix until it has the consistency of play dough. Sometimes you may need to add more water or more flour. Find a consistency you like.

****Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw flour!!!****

Directions for Salt dough map

• Sketch out the region on your panel of wood with a pencil
• Cover your work area with newspaper or messy tablecloth
• Make your salt dough (don’t eat it, its disgusting :-)- see recipe above.
• using small amounts, begin to add the salt dough to your wood panel
• add layers of salt dough to the regions that are mountains
• using a pencil or other tool, etch out lakes, rivers, and other low areas.
• smooth your map gently with fingertips
• once you and your children are happy with your salt dough map, allow 1-2 days for the dough to dry completely.
• paint your dry map according to a key that you create (or copy)

How Long Does it Take for a Salt Dough Map to Dry?

I live in a dry climate (southern California). We did our map during late spring, and it took 1 day to dry. It may take longer if you live in a humid climate. You know it is dry if it is all the same light color and it will feel dry as well. Make sure that there is no more moisture in the salt dough.

What Paint do You Use for Salt Dough Maps?

Acrylic paint is the best paint to use for your salt dough maps. Make sure your Salt dough map is dry prior to painting as Acrylic paint is vibrant and dries rather quickly. It is best if you use a variety of brushes for your map so that you can add in details such as rivers and lakes. When we finished our United States of America salt dough map, it was so beautiful that I started using it as a decoration.

Practical Tips Before You Get Started

If you are working with super young kiddos, give them some exploration time with the dough before you begin constructing the map. Little ones love to experiment with new things, so you will notice they will be easily distracted observing and manipulating their fresh salt-dough. Let your young kids know that have a set time to play around with the dough before the lesson begins. They will be more ready to learn once they have explored and played with the salt dough.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

Now, if you are like me, stepping in to help (or take over) for your child is a real temptation. However, it is important to not take over this project for your kids. During the map creating project, try to let your child create and take ownership of this project, helping as little as possible.

What are some more uses for Salt Dough? Taking Salt Dough to the Next Level

The Uses are really endless! There are so many things you can make with salt dough! If you give salt dough as an option to your children to extend their learning they will take it. (Mine children LOVE using salt dough!)

Art

Create replica sculptures from famous artists or old artifacts that you see at the museum.

Geography

Choose any region and create a three-dimensional map. You can even add buildings, roads, parks, etc.

History

Create a bust of a famous person from history or recreate one of the seven wonders of the world.

Science

Create a habitat, mold an organ from the human body, make a model of a cell and label it.

Create Fossils and bones, and recreate an archaeology dig.

FREE CREATIVE TIME (My children’s favorite)

Math

Make manipulatives to practice addition, subtraction, and other math properties. The recipe is a good lesson in measurement.

Make some Salt Dough and simply let your children play.

You can make your own play dough. BUT, you will need to add 2 more special ingredients… Cream of Tartar and food coloring.

What is the Purpose of Cream of Tartar in Salt Dough?

The ingredient Cream of Tartar makes the dough super soft and easy to work with. If you place your dough in a zip lock bag, it will keep for quite a while. The salt is a preservative, so it could last for months.

Hands-On Learning Benefits

There are many benefits of hands-on learning! When children interact with the world they take ownership of their learning. Chances are they are having fun as well when they are learning in a hands-on way. This emotional connection to learning is another important aspect of their education.

What are some ways that you can integrate salt-dough into your child’s hands-on learning? Do you have any other ways that you can use salt-dough in homeschooling?

The post Salt Dough Maps- Creative Geography Lesson appeared first on .

Here is a fun and engaging art history lesson for kids. They will create a self-portrait that is inspired by the Pointillism artist Georges Seurat. Using dots and contrasting colors, children will paint a portrait of themselves. This is a great art activity to hang on your walls!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Who was Georges Seurat?

Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in the Paris, France. His family was wealthy and lived a very comfortable lifestyle. Georges Seurat was an artist early on in his life. He went to art school, but got frustrated with the strict rules that the teachers taught. He dropped out of art school and started to study art on his own. When he saw Monet’s artwork, he was amazed with his use of color, light, and line. He was highly influenced by Monet’s style.

What Art History Movement Was Georges Seurat a Part of?

The Larger movement Georges Seurat was a part of was the Post-Impressionist movement, however more specifically he was the creator of Pointillism. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac are considered the founders of the Pointillism movement.

Artists at the time of Post-Impressionism were looking for new ways to paint “impressions” of what they saw around them. While impressionists were creating art with small brush strokes, Seurat and Signac took that a step further and used dots instead. The other difference was that they did not blend colors on their palettes, rather they placed dots of specific colors next to each other on the canvas and created the illusion of blending to the viewer.

What is the Pointillism Technique?

Pointillism comes from the French word for point or dot. Pointillism is a painting technique where dots of contrasting color are arranged in a way as to appear as a blended color when admiring the work from afar. It is sort of like pixels today. You get the full effect of Pointillism by standing a distance away from the art work.

In reality, the human eye is tricked by the precision of the dots location and by their color selection. Seurat was fascinated by the science of color and he sought to create beautiful artwork based on this science.

He and other Pointillists did not mix the colors on a palette before painting, rather they placed vibrant complementary paints directly on the canvas, side-by-side. The effect was brilliant! The viewers eyes “mixed” the colors when viewing the art from far away. That is one reason why Seurat’s art pieces were so large; over six feet in most cases

Georges Seurat preferred the term “divisionism” for his newly developed style, but it didn’t stick.

Why Did Georges Seurat Use Pointillism?

Georges Seurat wanted to create something new as an artist. He felt that he was being taught art in a way that was rigid and lacked freedom. He desired to create a new style of art after he studied the impressionist painters.

He loved the science behind art and color as well, so he mixed the two. He focused on the power of line and form as well as perception. He brought his love of color theory to the front and center of his art. He spent much of his time studying the science behind it.

While the Impressionists were using complementary colors and mixing them on a palette, Georges Seurat skipped the mixing step and applied color in dots directly on the canvas. He did NOT mix the colors, but rather allowed them to “blend” when we glanced at his art from afar.

What is Color Theory?

Color theory is the study of how colors are mixed and how they are seen with the human eye.

The Scientist Michel Chevreul had devised a theory of color and Georges Seurat was fascinated by that theory. When Chevreul was studying color he saw that when two colors were placed side-by-side and viewed from far away, they appeared to be mixed. Georges Seurat studied this concept and applied it to his art. Rather than mixing colors before applying them to his canvas, Seurat placed colors side-by-side and let the viewers brain mix them for him.

For more information on color theory see Designwizard.com.

What Other Artists Use Pointillism?

Paul Signac was another famous Pointillism artist. He is credited to have created this new style of art with Seurat, however, he is less famous.

Today, many artists are influenced by Pointillism. It can be seen in digital art, embroidery, and tattoos.

See this great article by MyModernMet.com for more information on Pointillism’s influence today.

What Was Going on in History During Georges Seurat’s Life?

The Franco-prussian was was going on during his young life, so his family relocated to Fontainebleau.

Scientific discoveries and artistic innovation occurred during the 19th century. The telephone was invented in 1876, the combustion engine was invented in the 1880s, and so many more technological inventions during the industrial revolution. Artists were constantly trying new techniques as well.

How to Teach About Georges Seurat in Art History for Kids

Start with the bigger picture (no pun intended) when teaching about Georges Seurat. Seurat came into the art world eager to make a big impression and he did just that. At a time when the impressionism style was in the forefront and gaining appreciation Seurat took it a step further with his innovative ideas.

What Are Georges Seurat’s Most Famous Pointillism Art Pieces?

The most famous piece of artwork, in my opinion, is “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte”. I can still remember learning about it in high school (many years ago :-)). It is so massive, it takes up most of the wall in the museum where it is located. “The Eiffel Tower”, “The Bathers at Asnieres”, and “Le Chahut” are other famous pieces by Georges Seurat.

A Timeline Perspective of Art History

It is important to give your children perspective when it comes to art history and history in general. Never teach out of context! Timelines are a great way to show your kids the purpose of what they are learning and the context. What was happening elsewhere around the world? What was going on culturally where the artist was from. Were any wars going on? Strife? Political issues? The art of the time usually represents a much larger cultural and historical picture; make sure to include this when you are teaching.

Try making your own Timeline and adding to it as you learn about different artists. Below is a FREE for subscribers printable timeline book that you can download if you would like.

Check out this ART HISTORY Timeline. It covers every continent in the world and all of history. Bookmark it and use it as a reference when needed.

For more information on the life of Georges Seurat see this great website TheArtStory.org

Georges Seurat Art History For Kids Lesson Plan:

Note: I taught this lesson for a group of 10 mixed aged homeschoolers from pre-k through 8th grade. When doing the lesson, I catered to the higher levels because I believe young children will glean from this type of education.

Grades: Kindergarten through 8th Grade (Modify based on your own children/students)

Learning Objectives/ Big Ideas: The 19th century was a time of great innovation in the arts and the sciences. Pointillism was a part of the post-impressionist movement and was invented by Georges Seurat. Students will apply his technique and become familiar with how to create an art piece using Pointillism.

Vocabulary: art history, pointillism, primary colors, color mixing, Georges Seurat, impressionism, innovation, color theory

About Georges Seurat:

A fun way to remember this artist: “Seurat Dot” (pronounced “SIR-ROT DOT”) while I am pretty sure that this is an incorrect pronunciation- the fact that it rhymes really helps children to remember what Seurat was famous for… DOTS!

Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in Paris France. He was the youngest of 3 children and born into a wealthy home. He lived a comfortable life and was encouraged to study art. He was sent to art school where his formal study began. However, he dropped out due to the strict rules and lack of artistic freedom. Georges Seurat continued to study art on his own. When he found Claude Monet’s Impressionists works, he was in awe. Monet’s use of color and lines inspired Seurat to create his own artistic style, which became known as Pointillism.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

— Georges Seurat

---

Materials Needed:

art work prints by Seurat (Check out this website for free public domain art work- The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Book about Seurat (Optional)

picture of your child/student (5×7 or larger)

white cardstock paper

vellum paper (for tracing)

printer

black sharpie marker

acrylic paints in bright colors (or for younger kids-tempura paints)

Q-tips (lots)

newspaper for messes

paper plates

Map

Timeline

trash can or small brown paper bags

2 pieces of rope or string: one that is 7 feet long and the other 10 feet long- these will be used to demonstrate how large Georges Seurat’s art pieces were.

Optional: magnifying glass

Optional: Hardback blank book to keep your child’s art- if you are making them an Art History Introduction book.

Optional: I like to get into character when I teach. I find that the kids really enjoy it. For Art History I wear a beret and talk in an accent.

Prior to beginning the lesson:

You will need to create outlines of your child/students. This doesn’t take long, just a couple of steps and you can make the outlines for the self-portrait. See this lesson for instructions: Andy Warhol Pop Art Instructions.

I created a self-portrait template of myself so that I could have an example to do with my students. So, you may want to take the time to create a self-portrait of yourself

IF you do not want the Self-portrait portion of the lesson, please use any other picture or this template/coloring page of “A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte”.

Another great website with lots of famous art coloring pages is Supercoloring.com.

You can also give freedom to your students to sketch out whatever they would like and then paint using the pointillism technique.

The Lesson

Hook/Interest Grabber

1. Dress up and put on your Beret! Grab that accent and introduce yourself as the Artist/Instructor get into character and have fun!
2. Display a piece of Seurat’s artwork. You can locate free art on the website Metropolitan Museum of Art and print it up. Tell your students that they are going to be inspecting some famous art pieces and you need their expert input. I like to pass around a variety of art pieces and allow the children to really inspect it, they can use magnifying glasses as well. This is a great activity to get your children interested in the lesson.
3. Spend a couple of minutes allowing the children to describe what they see. Write notes on the board or on a piece of paper. Encourage discussion about colors used, perspective, and where else you may find this type of art (think of pixels on a TV or digital art).
4. Bring out your map and your art history timeline and show student that today’s artist is from Paris, France and lived during the 19th century. His name is Georges Seurat!

Lesson:

1. If you purchased the book “Joining the Dots: The Art Of Seurat” By In-Sook Kim, then read that book and discuss who Seurat was and his style of art. Pay attention to how Seurat uses the science of color to create illusions of color mixing in his famous art works. This book does a good job of showing that.
2. Discuss who Georges Seurat was and how he developed the Pointillism method which is a part of the larger impressionist movement.

Activity:

Children will create a self-portrait using the Pointillism method:

Step 1. Line the table with a protective covering such as newspaper.

Step 2. Pass out the supplies: Paper plate with which ever paint colors you are using, Q-tips (lots), trash can nearby, self-portrait template. (see Andy Warhol lesson for directions in how to create the self-portrait template)

Step 3. Using a blank sheet of paper, first demonstrate how when complementary colors are used next to each other in dots, when you stand back, the color appears to blend a bit.

Step 4. Model how to paint your own self-portrait using Q-tips and complementary colors.

Optional Activities:

1. Create your own art piece using pointillism. Sketch the ouline on a piece of white construction paper and paint it using dots of complementary color. Try not to leave any white left on the page.
2. Use Coloring page as a base for your art. Use Q-tips and paint to add the dots of color.

Closure

Many of the children will take quite a long time to finish with their art. This is great because it really shows how long pointillism took.

Georges Seurat was only able to complete seven large paintings in his lifetime because his style, pointillism, required such an intense amount of work and time.

Students can share their artwork with the class or put their art into their own art book. See how to make books for learning here.

Applying What We Learn: Ways to extend Art History Learning

Play a game (Go Fish Impressionists is a great game *NOTE: 2 cards have nudes, I removed them)

Make your own board game or card game.

Visit a Museum (virtual or in person)

Hold an Art Exposition and invite friends after you complete your art

Make food from the time period and host a luncheon- discuss art

Recreate famous pieces of art from the time period you are studying and take pictures

Dress up in attire from the time period you are studying

Complete the worksheet about art history.

Add Artists to a History Timeline Book

End Note: This Lesson was completed in one day over about 2 hours. It is a part of a 12 week mini-course titled “Art History for Kids”. All lesson activities are placed into the child’s own Art History Introduction book. I have made all of the information pages for each of the artists. These are available for purchase as are the other lessons (coming soon).

Best Books to Teach Art History to Children

One More Art History Tip for Teachers/Parents

Sometimes art prints can be expensive… However, I have been able to find lots of old art books at yard sales, thrift stores, and library sales. I often cut out pictures for the artists that I want to teach about to my kiddos.

Because the quality of the art is amazing when it is from a book (a bit better than when I print in myself), I often display the art around my house and do Charlotte Mason style “Art Picture Studies” with them.

SO… Always be on the lookout for those 50 cent old art books that you can cut up and use for art prints!!!

Which Artist Comes Next in Art History?

Vincent Van Gogh! He was another Post-Impressionist, and quite unpopular in his time. He shows us how the use of color and brush stroke can convey emotion and feeling. Come explore this innovative artist in the next lesson where we recreate, step-by-step, Starry Night (coming soon).

Make your own Art History display board.

Prior to each class, I would arrange my art history board with various art pieces as well as the artists self-portrait. I would include art from other artists of that time period so the children could see the similarities and differences.

How Did Your Georges Seurat Inspired Self-Portrait Turn Out?

Let me know in the comments below.

Sharing is caring! Be sure to share this Pointillism lesson with others that you know

The post Pointillism for Kids- A Georges Seurat Art History Lesson appeared first on .

“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

What is nature journaling?

Nature journaling is the practice of writing or drawing the observations that are made when outside. These observations can be plants, rock forms, animals, weather, or anything else that happens in nature.

In the early 1800s, they led the exploration of the west. This included the newly purchased Louisiana Territory and all the way to the Pacific Coast. All along the way, they kept very detailed journals so that they could share with President Jefferson of the animals, plants, and landscapes they had seen.

Today Nature Journaling has gained a lot of popularity in homeschooling. It is something that I do regularly with my children and I know a lot of other families do it as well.

For more information on Lewis and Clark, check out the website AmericanHistoryforKids.com.

Check out some more of the original images of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Journals on Yale’s Website.

So, let’s make learning more memorable and add creativity to our day by creating our own vintage style journal and filling it with the things we discover on our journey through history (or life in general).

Creating your own vintage style journal is the perfect way to record and document your observations of the world and in any lesson that you are learning about. Moms, you can make your own as well.

Here are the Directions (simple and easy) to make your own Vintage style Nature Journal

Side Note: This activity is particularly delightful if you are a coffee lover like me. Your house, fingers, and paper will smell like delicious coffee

What you will need to make your own Vintage Nature Journal:

For the Journal:

brown paper bag

computer paper 8.5 x 11 inch

string or rope

8.5 x 11 inch piece of thin cardboard (this could be optional-depending if you want a hard back cover or not)

cold coffee (preferably strong)

towel (an old one that you do not care about)

paper towels or cotton balls

scissors or hole punch.

For the “ink”:

black paint

water

small container

feathers for writing (optional)

Karhood Quill Pen and Ink Set – Feather Calligraphy Dip Pen with Wax Seal Stamp Kit and 5 Nibs (Red)

TommoT 100 Pcs 6-8 Inch Natural Large White Goose Feathers for Dream Catcher Crafts and Clothing Decoration

Winsor & Newton Calligraphy Ink, 30ml (1-oz) Bottle, Black

HP Printer Paper | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Copy &Print 20 Lb | 1 Bulk Pack – 750 Sheets | 92 Bright | Made in USA – FSC Certified | 200030R

Amazon Basics Multipurpose, Comfort Grip, PVD Coated, Stainless Steel Office Scissors, 3-Pack, Purple, Green & Gray

Instructions:

If your kids are anything like mine, they love to get into the mess of making crafts. So let them get messy. Clear off your kitchen table (or any area where you don’t mind there being a mess). Cover it with towels (towels that you DO NOT care about because coffee will stain) or you can cover it with a newspaper.

Let’s Get Started Making Our Journal!

1. Rip the edges off of your paper to give an old look.

2. Lay out several white sheets of paper on the towels.

3. Get your cup of cold coffee and dip cotton balls or paper towels into it. Rub the coffee all over one side of the paper. Be sure to put extra coffee on the torn edges. It will make them darker.

4. Liberally apply coffee to the other side of the white paper

5. Allow about an hour to dry. Depending on humid the air is where you live.

6. While the paper is drying, cut a piece of brown paper bag that is approximately 9.5 inches by 12 inches.

7. Wrinkle the brown paper bag by crumbling it into a ball, opening it up, crumbling it into a ball, over and over and over. You want the texture of the brown paper bag to be like a worn leather.

8. Check your “stained paper” to see if it is dry. If it is, stack it up and fold it in half (hamburger style).

9. Either cut holes along the fold of the paper or use a hole punch

10a. Cut corresponding holes along the fold of the brown paper bag

10b. If you want to have a hard cover book, you will glue the brown paper bag around the piece of thing cardboard and fold in half. Cut holes along the fold.

11. Using the string, bind your pages and cover together. Tie a knot to finish it off.

Use Your Lovely vintage journal and have fun!

My kids not only wanted the Journal inspired by the journals of Meriwether Lewis, they wanted more journals so that they could write stories, and draw their own pictures (nothing connected to what we were learning, so we made more (LOTS more). I found that I was going through making lots of rounds of stained paper.

Mapmaking skills

These journals are a great way to practice mapmaking skills. We have purchased a couple of books on mapmaking that have inspired us to create interesting and unique maps.

Go outside and really explore.

Books we use for inspiration:

Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel (Lab Series)

Fantasy Mapmaker: How to Draw RPG Cities for Gamers and Fans

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Merriam-Webster’s Student Atlas – Features full-color physical, political, & thematic maps

Nature Journaling

You can create a journal specifically for nature journaling or field trips to record findings and things learned. These little vintage journals are so fun to nature journal in. It does not matter the age of the child. They are small enough and light enough to travel with.

Check out this Nature Journal resource: Law’s Guide to Teaching Nature Journaling

You can even use thicker art paper instead of computer paper that way your child (or you) can water color or draw in them with markers.

The most important thing to remember is to make this fun and create wonderful memories with your kids

Once my kids finish filling in their vintage nature journals, I will update this post with additional pictures!

Side Note for Moms.

You can always create one of these for yourself so that you can journal and get creative! My good friend makes journals from junk and they are just marvelous and inspiring. You can get inspired or buy one by clicking here.

Sooooo…. Did your children enjoy creating their own vintage journal? Will you make your own? Do you like to journal? Let me know, let’s chat!

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With everything being virtual right now because of Covid-19, putting together ways for your child to display their art creations needs to be creative. That is why I started using YouTube for my creative and artistic child. This allows my child to share their art with their family, friends, and other artistic kiddos!

Want to know how to create a virtual art expo for your artistic child on YouTube? I will give you step by step information on how to do just that.

Important YouTube note:

This is just my preference and how I view YouTube: I do not like showing my child’s face on YouTube, so I never showcase my child, just their art.

Also, I do not allow my child to be the one to check comments or view anything without me first doing so. I have had inappropriate comments made on my child’s art videos, which is sad.

I NEVER allow my child on YouTube without me first checking and then sitting by their side. YouTube can be used for good, however, sadly there is a lot of bad uses as well. PLEASE take caution. You can even set your videos to PRIVATE (which I sometimes do as well) and share them only with your specified audience.

What you need to make a YouTube Art Video:

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

iPhone or iPad (you can use any camera, however I will be using iMovie to edit the video, so you will need to use a different editing tool if you use something other than apple products.

a stand (I got mine from the 99cents store!!)

Paper

Art supplies

Your child’s creative and artistic mind

a YouTube channel (super simple to set up if you have an email account

Decide whether your videos will be private or public—A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION!!!

Steps to Make Your Virtual Art Show Using YouTube

Step 1. Allow your child to choose what they will draw. They need to be in the mood for this. (Never make your child to draw when they are not in the creative mood.)

Step 2. Once they have decided on what they will draw, set up their station. Pick a nice quiet place in your home with lots of natural lighting.

Step 3. Gather all their supplies: Art tools, art paper, etc.

Step 4. Set up the stand on a table and attach your iPhone to the stand.

Step 5. Make sure that the camera is turned around and that the drawing space is centered on the art paper.

Step 6. I put the camera on time-lapse, but you don’t have to.

Step 7. Record your child (only their hands) drawing their art piece.

Step 8. Periodically check the phone to make sure it is still recording and that the art is still centered. Sometimes our kids move the paper around, so check this often.

Step 9. When they are finished, stop recording, and take a picture of their finished art. You will use this final picture as their YouTube thumbnail.

Step 10. Upload your video into iMovie.

Step 11. Allow your child to choose from the free music available on iMovie and add it to their art video.

Step 12. Save video and upload it to your YouTube channel.

Step 12b. I do not have YouTube loaded on my phone, so I email the final video product to myself and do the YouTube work on my PC. Or I share it with dropbox.

Step 13. Add a fun title and decide whether you want your child’s video to be PUBLIC or PRIVATE. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!

Step 13b. Choose that the video is for kids for added safety.

Step 14. Share with Friends and Family!

Here is another example of my child’s art process videos:

Creating a Virtual Art Expo on YouTube Final Thoughts

YouTube is an easy platform to share your child’s art with friends and family (even the whole world). However, it is a platform that needs to be carefully monitored. We have successfully been able to share our child’s fun and creative art with others, inspiring other kids to be artists. We never allow our child to go on YouTube without one of us parents sitting by their side and we never allow our child to view comments made by others without us first seeing those comments.

I would recommend you set your video to “PRIVATE” and “Just for kids”

There have been times where we have only allowed her videos to be private, and other times where we have allowed them to be public. Again, we have decided to never show our child’s face. This is a decision you must carefully make for you and your family.

We have had a lot of fun watching the videos ourselves as a family, being proud of the gift of art that God has given to our child. Grandma and Grandpa also love being able to see videos that are sometimes too long to share via text or email.

Have you made any videos of your child’s art process?

What types of art have you posted on YouTube?

Can you share any tips on making videos?

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“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

What kid (or adult) doesn’t like dinosaurs?

My daughter, who is 8, has been on a continuous dinosaur obsession. She pretends to find fossils, reads any books that she can about dinosaurs, draws them, etc. She asked if we could use one of our dinosaur toys and spray paint it gold and make her an award for being the best dinosaur hunter. We did that (See link), which led us to creating this fun project together. My daughter is a constant source of inspiration for fun and creativity. Here is our super cute dinosaur planter. (And don’t forget to make the trophy later).

Materials:

• Plastic dinosaur toys (From Dollar Tree)
• heavy duty scissors
• cardboard
• Rust-oleum paint in a fun and bright color (from Home Depot) or you can use a paintbrush and acryllic paint
• A well ventilated space
• your favorite small succulent plant (I used clippings from plants in my backyard)
• soil

Step 1. Cut out a small square from the back of your dinosaur.

Step 2. Place the dinosaur on a piece of cardboard in a well ventilated area.

We were on the grass outside. Wait 24 hours to dry. Some parts of our dinosaurs weren’t drying. We realized it was because we used too much paint and it was over 95 degrees outside, I think because it was glossy paint, the heat may have been “melting it”. So we used a paper towel to dab the excess paint off.

Step 3. After your dinosaur is painted and fully dry, add soil to it.

Make sure that you fill it up as much as you can.

Step 4. Add your small clippings of succulents to your dinosaur.

Voila! You are finished!

You can reuse the cardboard to paint a bunch of other plastic dinosaurs and animals, or you can throw the cardboard away.

In the end, this is a fun way to add creativity to your homeschooling day. Let me know how your Dinosaur Planter turned out in the comments below.

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“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

Which Subject Are You Working On?

Each child made their own book when we were learning about art history. The book took the whole semester to complete, but we slowly added pages to it and at the end we had a beautifully illustrated art history book that the children could reference back to. It is also such an amazing keepsake. Rather than a bunch of art projects strewn about the house, keeping them organized in this book project is quite nice.

“A child needs to feel ownership of their learning. By creating something special, such as a book, a child can truly own and love what they have learned.”

Make your Child the Star of their Own Learning Book

Children love it when their pictures are featured in their books too. Adding in a funny picture of your child to a informational books about sharks creates a humorous learning connection. This is such a fun keepsake as well. Your child will continue to refer back to their homemade books and have fond memories of their learning time.

Creating Books is Creative!

When you are teaching your child, it is important that you encourage creativity in your child. Creating is so essential to learning. Check out my article on simple ways to encourage creativity in your child. While sometimes we feel overwhelmed with what our homeschooling plans are, making time for creativity needs to be a priority.

Some Book Making Tips

1. Keep your phone handy for quick pictures.
2. DON’T be a perfectionist, let your child do the drawings, come up with picture ideas, write the words, etc. I can remember my daughter having some of the best ideas and being so thrilled with her finished product. (If there is a lot of writing, you can help your child out by completing parts of the writing so they don’t feel overwhelmed, depending on your child’s age).
3. Look for learning opportunities as you go. If your child is learning their letters, insert some lined writing paper and let them write all the “Ff’s”. If your child is working on Idioms, make your book about idioms, if your child is working on punctuation, choose a book that is filled with Punctuation
4. Buy an economical printer and have cheap photo paper available. I use the Epson ET-2720 Ecotank printer. I can print hundreds, maybe even thousands of high quality pictures on a single ink bottle. It’s a total money saver!!
5. Use other books that your kids enjoy as an example of how to create one. We used, “No David” by David Shannon to learn to read and write some basic sight words and punctuation. My kids had a blast reenacting the pictures of David from the book
6. Other book recommendations: “This is how we do it” by Matt Lamothe

What book do you plan to make with your child? How will you integrate what they are learning?

Share your ideas, can’t wait to hear them!!!

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Pop ART and Andy Warhol

When we were learning about different art history movements, we were so excited when we arrived at Pop Art. Andy Warhol was the inventor of Pop Art, so we did some research and then recreated his art. I completed this activity both with my children and in an art class that I teach. The kids loved using their own pictures to capture the style of POP Art!

A little Background Knowledge of Andy Warhol

Prior to recreating an Andy Warhol style of art, we did a little bit of learning first. We read the book: “Andy Warhol: Getting to know the world’s Greatest Artists” by Mike Venezia then had a discussion of his contributions to the art world. Then we got to the fun part…. The art itself. We looked at a variety of his art pieces and got inspired as we began our own versions.

Andy Warhol (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Previous Editions)

Andy Warhol What Colors Do You See? Board Book

Who Was Andy Warhol?

Andy Warhol (Volume 60) (Little People, BIG DREAMS, 60)

A Child’s Introduction to Art: The World’s Greatest Paintings and Sculptures (A Child’s Introduction Series)

Simple Steps to Create Your Own Pop Art Self-Portrait

Follow these simple steps to recreate “Pop Art” and have so much fun!!! Then don’t forget to add it to your child’s own personal art history book.

What you will need…

• A 5×7 photo of your child
• Vellum paper
• a black sharpie
• Vibrant markers
• copy machine, I use the Epson Ecotank- It is an amazing printer that has cut my printing costs tremendously!
• cardstock paper

8.5×11 Tracing Paper for Drawing-Goefun 100 Sheets Vellum Paper 8.5 x 11 Translucent Printable for Card Overlays, Invitations, Belly Bands

Sharpie Permanent Marker, Fine Point, Black, Pack of 5

Crayola Washable Marker Set, School Supplies, Gel, Window, Broad Line Markers, 64ct

Epson EcoTank ET-4800 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scanner, Copier, Fax, ADF and Ethernet – Ideal-for Your Home Office, White

Canon EOS 4000D / Rebel T100 DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm Zoom Lens + SanDisk 128GB Memory Card + Tripod + Case + Wideangle Lenses + Rtech Digital Cloth (20pc Bundle), Black (Renewed)

Simple steps to make your own Andy Warhol inspired art.

1. Place a piece of vellum paper over your child’s photo.
2. Trace the outline of your child’s face on the vellum paper. My son always likes to make silly faces, so I allowed it, however when he decided to make his face green, he resembled the hulk

3. Once the sharpie ink is dry, place the velum paper into your photo copier, make two copies.

4. Once you have the two copies, copy them onto cardstock.

5. Using the color wheel, try to have your children color using complementary colors. Have them use bright markers and color in all the white spaces.

You can check out this website for Complementary color information and activities: KitchenTableclassroom.com

Variations: You can also use smaller pictures to create a set of four images, just as Andy Warhol did with Marilyn Monroe. I wanted to make sure that our photos fit into our art history books. The most important thing is that your child feels ownership of their art and their learning. Let them have fun recreating Pop Art!

Let me know how your Pop Art turned out. Did your kids enjoy it? Do you have any art history projects that your kids have enjoyed?

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