Silhouette Airplanes!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a really fun art project to do with your kids! This is such an easy project, and your child will love pulling apart the cotton balls for the air stream. It's time to fly!

SUPPLIES:

• 1 blue piece of construction paper
• Blue paint
• Paint brush
• Black construction paper 
• Scissors
• White glue
• 4-5 cotton balls

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut out 3 small airplanes from black construction paper.
2. Mix glue and blue paint together in a 1:1 ratio.
3. Cover paper with glue-paint mixture and press on airplanes.
4. Pull apart cotton balls and glue on paper for the air stream. 
5. Let dry. Give to a friend!

Love Train!

People of the World! Join Hands! Start a love train! If you are looking to make a cute card for your sweetie this Valentine's Day, look no further! Make this cute love train for or with your little one this Valentine's Day for a special treat. Hope you enjoy celebrating with your loved ones!


Supplies:

• 1 sheet of purple, pink, blue, and red construction paper
• 1 piece of chalk
• Heart stickers
• 4 cotton balls
• Glue

Directions: 

1. Cut out 3 squares for train cars out of colors of your choice. 
2. Fold in half and cut hearts out middle of the train cars. Save hearts for later.
3. Cut out a train engine to lead your train.
4. Glue train and remaining hearts on paper.
5. Use stickers to decorate (upside-down hearts make great wheels)!
6. Pull apart cotton balls (a great sensory activity) and glue on for puffs of smoke. 
7. Write a message of love and give your Valentine to somebody you love!

Cinnamon-Scented Worm Project!

We have been talking about smell in Prep class this week, so I thought it would be fun to share one of our olfactory-stimulating art projects today. We did some cinnamon painting in class, and it was quite the sensory adventure!

SUPPLIES:

• 1 jar of cinnamon
• 1 sheet of pink construction paper
• 1 sheet of brown construction paper
• Liquid glue
• 2 googly eyeballs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut squiggly worm out of pink construction paper. 
2. Cover brown paper with glue and glue worm on top. 
3. Glue eyes to one side of worm, and sprinkle cinnamon on top of paper for a dirt-like effect! 
4. Have fun smelling!

Summer Fish!

It's summertime in the city at Bubbles Academy today! Get rid of those winter blues with a fish made out of a paper plate. It's time to put on the sunglasses, grab your fishing pole, and let's catch a fish!

Supplies:

• 1 paper plate
• 1 pair of scissors
• White glue
• Washable paint (color of your choice!)
• 1 sticker eye
• Feathers
• Any other decorations (such as sequins, tissue paper squares, and buttons)

Directions:

1. Cut a small triangle out of the side of the paper plate and glue to the opposite side of the paper plate for the fish tail. 
2. Mix together washable paint and white glue. 
3. Paint paper plate and stick on eye above fish mouth. 
4. Decorate as you please- have fun!

Balloon Art

We made balloon art in class today! Inspired by Jackson Pollock, our class splatter-painted with balloons filled with rice and made beautiful art work! The rice also makes a fun sound when you shake the balloons. This is a great, easy art project you can do at home. Just make sure you have a messy mat, because the paint will splatter!

Supplies:

• 3 colors of paint of your choice
• 1 piece of construction paper 
• 1 balloon
• 1/2 cup of uncooked rice
• Funnel

Directions: 

1. Blow balloon up about a quarter full. 
2. The balloon should not get full of air, or else it will pop. 
3. Using a funnel, fill the balloon with rice and tie off the balloon. 
4. Dip balloon in paint and have at it!

Floor Painting!

I had a really fun Art and Music class yesterday, and I would like to encourage everyone to try what we did in class at home. Rather than using tables, I decided to switch up some things and have my class paint on the floor. My intention was for the class to trace the outline of their legs on the floor, and then glue on shoes and other fun decorations. However, it turned into finger painting on the floor, and boy was it fun! Art can be done anywhere, so this week try and have your child finger paint on the floor. You can lay down some newspaper in the kitchen and put some construction paper out and let them have at it! It will be exciting for you and your child, and you can just toss or recycle the newspaper when you are finished. Floor is the new table. Have fun!

Supplies:

• Newspaper
• Construction paper
• Paint

Directions: 

1. Lay newspaper down on floor. 
2. Put construction paper on top of newspaper for your child to paint on. 
3. Pour paint in a bowl and have child paint the construction paper with their fingers. 
4. Get messy! Have a great time!

Snowman!

There's no business like snow business! This is a great winter project that  you can adapt to whatever materials you have in your house.  I suggest using real buttons for the snowman. You can also use fabric scraps for the snow instead of newspaper! Happy Winter!


Supplies:

• 1 sheet of white construction paper
• 5 buttons (3 for the tummy, 2 for eyes)
• 1 orange peice of construction paper
• 1 sheet of any color paper
• Newspaper or fabric scraps (cut into small squares)
• Glue/paintbrush

Directions:

1. Have your child paint one piece of any color construction paper with glue. 
2. Glue on newspaper scraps. 
3. Cut out three circles out of white construction paper and one carrot nose out of orange paper. 
4. Assemble snowman on paper and glue buttons on top. 
5. Sprinkle project with glitter and let dry. Have fun!

Chalk Polar Bear

Brrrrrrr! It's so chilly outside in Chicago. I suggest making a large cup of hot cocoa to drink while you paint your watercolor polar bear! This is an easy winter art project that looks great on the fridge!

Supplies:

• 1 piece of watercolor paper
• Blue watercolor paint
• Paintbrush
• 1 piece of white chalk

Directions:

1. Paint watercolor paper blue. Let dry. 
2. Draw on top of paper with chalk the design of your choice. Have fun!

Glitter Menorah!

Happy Holidays! We are celebrating Hanukkah today at Bubbles Academy, and next week we will be celebrating Christmas. Today in class we learned about dreidels and menorahs. We celebrated the Festival of Lights by making our very own menorahs out of tissue and construction paper. Happy Hanukkah!

Supplies:

• Yellow and blue construction paper
• Scissors
• Multi-colored tissue paper squares
• Glitter
• Glue

Directions:

1. Using a pencil, sketch an outline of a menorah on yellow construction paper. 
2. Cut menorah out with scissors. 
3. Glue menorah onto construction paper and decorate with tissue paper. 
4. Make small glue dots above menorah and sprinkle with glitter to represent the flames. 
5. Have fun with your sparkly menorah!

Glitter Penguin!

Glitter Polar Bear!

Did you know that polar bears' skin is really black? They are covered in protective transparent hairs that reflect the sun, making them appear white. This is slightly difficult to mimic in a craft, so we decided to cover our polar bears on glitter instead. Glitter + polar bear = awesome.

Supplies:

• 1 paper plate
• Silver glitter
• Torn newspaper squares
• Glue
• 1 piece of white construction paper
• 1 piece of black construction paper
• 2 sticker eyes

Directions: 

1. Cut two ears out of white construction paper and a black nose. 
2. Cover paper plate with glue. 
3. Glue newspaper squares on plate and cover them with glue as well. 
4. Sprinkle with glitter and glue on eyes, ears, and nose. 
5. Let dry. Put on fridge for some holiday cheer!

Car Painting

I love finding new things to paint with other than brushes! Sometimes you just have to take a look around your home for some inspiration. One of my favorite paint brush substitutions is a toy car.

I made a mixture of one part glue and one part purple paint in a container, and then I had my class roll toy cars through the paint and onto the paper. You can just paint with the cars for an abstract work of art, or do what we did and add to it. We made trains out of construction paper and stuck them right on top of the paint/glue mixture.

This is a great project with minimal supplies... but be prepared to get a little messy!

Supplies:

• Glue
• Paint color of your choice
• Plastic toy car
• Messy mat
• Construction paper
• Cotton balls

Directions:

1. Mix half glue and half paint together. 
2. Roll car through paint and onto construction paper. 
3. Cut your construction paper to your design of choice. 
4. Stick onto car tracks.

Peppermint Playdough

I am a huge fan of homemade playdough. It's great because it's like two projects in one -- first you get to make it, and then you get to play with it! 

You can have your little ones help stir the mix together before adding the boiling water and then knead it once the water has cooled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to stay fresh (my most recent batch lasted three weeks!). You can skip the peppermint oil if your little one thinks it smells a little too tasty. Have fun!

Supplies:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 drops of peppermint oil
• Food coloring

Directions:

1. Mix and knead together. 
2. Mold into your favorite shapes!

Bedazzled Leaves

In my efforts to extend fall in Chicago into November, we made beautiful leaves in our Art + Music Class! Hopefully, the winter will not come too quickly -- I am already shivering in my boots! Brrrrr! I actually laminated the leaves from class to give them a shiny finish, but they still look great on their own if you don't have a laminating machine handy! Have fun making beautiful fall leaves!

Supplies:

• Feathers
• Cut up tissue paper squares
• Sequins
• Orange paint
• Elmer's glue
• Paintbrush
• White construction paper or watercolor paper
• Scissors
• Messy mat

Directions:

1. Cut out a leaf shape out of white construction paper. 
2. Mix half orange paint and half Elmer's Glue together. 
3. Cover leaf with paint mixture. 
4. Add tissue, sequins, and glitter. 
5. Let dry. 
6. Put on fridge!

Halloween Wreath

You've bought candy. You've bought a costume. You've even bought a blow-up Frankenstein to stick in the front yard. But wait... what about the front door!? 
No worries! You can make this adorable Halloween wreath with your little one so your Halloween decorations will be complete.

Supplies:

• Black, white, orange construction paper
• Halloween stickers
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• 1 pipe cleaner or ribbon
• Popsicle stick
• Green marker
• Puff balls

Directions:

1. Cut a large circle out of the orange construction paper. 
2. Fold circle in half and cut a smaller circle in the middle of it. (The smaller circle can be used for your pumpkin.)
3. Cut out a black cat head and white ghost.
   Glue on eyes and puff balls and attach stickers. 
4. Glue on popsicle stick for pumpkin stalk. 
5. Poke holes on top of wreath with pipe cleaner and thread pipe cleaner through. 
6. Hang from your door!

Finger Paint a Fall Tree!

This time of year I try to soak up every bit of fall beauty I can get my hands on! To bring the colors of the autumn leaves inside (and for a token of fall you can enjoy all through the impending Chicago winter) I suggest making a fun and easy finger-painted fall tree. This is an easy project to do at home with very little supplies involved. The sensory experience of fingers in paint is one your child will surely enjoy! For this one, change out of good clothes... and don't be afraid to get a little messy!

Supplies:

• Orange, red, and yellow paint
• Brown crayons
• 1 white sheet of paper
• Messy mat

Directions: 

1. Lay messy mat on table. 
2. Draw tree trunk and branches with brown crayon on paper. (Grown-ups, you might need to help your little one during this part of the project.) 
3. Start finger painting the leaves onto the tree! 
4. HAVE FUN!

Self Portraits

I have a confession... I absolutely adore butcher paper! You can use it to cover a table to finger paint. It can be put on walls if your child has a knack for "decorating" with crayons. It can even be used to make a giant coloring book!

I like to use butcher paper in my classes frequently. We recently made self portraits out of butcher paper. I covered the walls with butcher paper, and I had the grownups trace their child's outline on the paper. We then used dot paint, (you can find it at your local craft store) crayons, and construction paper to create our own soccer team with uniforms and all! This is a great rainy day craft. You can trace your whole family!

Supplies:

• Butcher paper
• Red construction paper
• Black construction paper
• White construction paper
• Dot paint
• Sticker eyes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape

Directions:

1. Tape Butcher paper to a wall. 
2. Trace the outline of your child with a crayon. 
3. Cut out red shirt, black shorts, and white number for soccer uniform. Glue to child's outline. 
4. Add eyes and facial features. 
5. Using dot paint, fill in the hair and decorate!

Pinkie Flamingo!

If your fridge is looking a bit drab this fall, you could be in need of a flamingo! This easy craft is a great way for you and your child to be creative together. Plus, it looks great on the fridge. Have fun!

Supplies:

• 1 pink sheet of construction paper
• 1 paper plate
• 2 sheets of ink tissue paper
• Pink paint
• White glue (Elmer's works well!)
• Pink glitter
• Pink feathers
• 2 sticker eyeballs
• Messy mat

Directions:

1. Lay down messy mat.
2. Mix half pink paint and half white glue together.
3. Cut out flamingo head and legs.
4. Paint paper plate with paint and glue mixture.
5. Stick on tissue paper feathers.
6. Sprinkle with glitter and add eyeball stickers.
7. Let dry and stick on the fridge!

Purple One-Eyed Monster Hat

Sometimes I forget to bring cloth bags to the grocery store, and I end up with a bunch of paper grocery bags. What to do?! Let's recycle them into a stylish purple one-eyed monster hat! Your child will certainly be the talk of the town, when sporting this new look for fall!

Supplies:

• 1 paper grocery bag
• 1 purple piece of construction paper
• 1 white piece of construction paper
• 1 black piece of construction paper
• 1 red piece of construction paper
• 1 handful of feathers
• 1 handful of Easter grass
• Glue
• Scissors
• Messy mat

Directions:

1. Lay the grocery bag flat with the bottom of the bag facing down.
2. Glue purple construction paper on front of bag.
3. Cut out:
• 1 big white circle for eye
• 1 big black circle for pupil
• 1 red half circle for smile
• 2 small white triangles for teeth
4. Glue on monster eye, smile, and teeth.
5. Glue on Easter grass and feathers.
6. Let dry.
7. Roll bottom of paper bag to form into a hat and adjust to child’s head size.
8. Get ready to ROAR!!!

Horse Puppet

Paper bags make such great puppets, I thought I'd show you one more easy-to-do variety. I bet if you use your beaver puppet from last week, alongside this new horse puppet, you can now put on a whole puppet show with your family. Another fun idea is to have your puppet read a bedtime story to your little one! So much fun!

Supplies:

• 1 Brown Paper Sack
• Sticker Eyeballs
• Glitter Glue
• Brown Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Messy Mat

Directions:

1. Cut horse head out of brown construction paper and two ears.
2. Using the glitter glue, glue horse head to bottom of paper bag.
3. Glue ears on bottom of bag.
4. Stick eyeballs on horse.
5. Decorate with glitter glue! (Stickers and sequins are also fun to add if you have them at home.)