Homemade "lava lamp"

by Andrea Mulder-Slater, KinderArt.com

What you are about to read is part science activity, part art project. It's also a great deal of fun for all ages.

First, gather:

• Vegetable Oil
• Water
• Food Coloring
• Alka-Seltzer Tablets 
• A Bottle

Once you have gathered all your supplies, it's a good idea to protect your work surface. We used an old picnic tablecloth.

Next...

1. Pour vegetable oil into a bottle until it is about 2/3 full.
2. Then add some water to nearly fill the bottle.
3. Add a few drops of food coloring. We used blue.
4. Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into small pieces.  
5. Drop a piece of tablet into the bottle.
6. Watch what happens.
7. Repeat!

The food coloring will mix with the water but will not mix with the oil.  This alone is enough to create the effect of a lava lamp (when the bottle is manually shaken). However, the real magic begins once the Alka-Seltzer tablets are added.


Alka-Seltzer tablets contain citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). When you drop the tablet pieces into the oil and water mixture, the citric acid and baking soda react, creating a "fizz". This fizz forces the colorful water bubbles to move around the oil mixture - thus creating a "lava lamp" effect.

Don't have Alka-Seltzer tablets? You can use baking soda and vinegar instead!

Try it yourself and let us know how it turns out.

Until next time. Keep creating!
~Andrea

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at KinderArt.com.  

Colorful Acorn Caps

by Andrea Mulder-Slater, KinderArt.com

We have a lot of natural objects at our home studio. Sticks, twigs, rocks, chestnuts... you name it. But what we always seem to collect, more than anything, are acorns.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw a post on the Kiwi Crate website that answered the question: "What can I do with all these acorn caps?!" 

Have a look...

What you need:

• Acorn caps
• Washable markers
• School glue -- the kind that dries clear. We used Crayola.
• Optional: PlayDoh or homemade play clay (not essential, but helpful).

What you do:

Make sure the acorn caps are clean. Then, start coloring inside the caps using washable markers.

When the colors have been added, place the acorn caps in some PlayDoh, to keep them upright.

Next, start filling each acorn cap with glue. Remember to use school glue - the kind that dries clear. Fill them to the top.

Find a warm place for the glue-filled acorn caps to dry. Set aside for up to 48 hours. Wait. This is the hardest part :)

As the glue starts to dry (after a day), you will see vibrant colors start to appear around the edges of the acorn caps. Be patient because when the glue has dried fully (after a couple of days), this will happen...

Pretty, right?

We're trying to figure out what to do with our colorful caps.

At the moment we're thinking of incorporating them into a collage and using them as flower centers but really, they are lovely just all on their own.

Try it yourself and let us know how it turns out.

Until next time. Keep creating!
~Andrea

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at KinderArt.com.   

Inspired by the folks at Kiwi Crate: http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/acorn-cap-jewels/574

Magazine collage bunnies

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

My friend Anitra is one of the most creative people I know. An artist and art instructor who specializes in working with those who are gifted or those who have special needs, Anitra has a knack for coming up with clever ideas that make use of found objects.

A while ago, she sent me a stack of Easter cards made from recycled materials. I came across these little gems the other day and thought it might be nice to share them with you now.

If you are looking for a terrific last-minute Easter-themed art lesson, look no further...

Simply gather some paper, magazines, glue, scissors and googly eyes. Then, let your creativity take flight as you craft fun and friendly bunny collages.

Go ahead... try it yourself!

Until next time. Keep creating!
~Andrea

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at KinderArt.com.  

Find Anitra at: http://artisjoy.com and http://artisjoy.blogspot.com

Torn construction paper rainbows

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

These days, a quick visit into any department store is enough to remind us that Spring is (finally) on the horizon. Images of leprechauns, shamrocks and pots of gold are interspersed with solid chocolate bunnies, pastel colored baskets and those gloriously sinful cream eggs.

With all these thoughts of warmer weather and upcoming holidays in our minds, we decided to create a colorful work of art using a pad of construction paper and some glue.

We all know that the colors of a rainbow are as follows:

• Red
• Orange
• Yellow 
• Green
• Blue
• Indigo
• Violet

However, our pad of construction paper was limited to the following colors, which for our purposes was just fine.  As you can see, our first step was to tear up little bits of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet paper.

Next, we drew some arches on a square piece of paper and made quick notes of which colors belong where.

Then, one by one, we filled in the arches - first with glue, then with paper.

Until...

It was fun, it was simple, it was clean and it was educational. Try it yourself as you count down the days until Spring.


Until next time. Keep creating!
~Andrea

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at KinderArt.com. 

LOVE Art!

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

With Valentine's Day drawing ever near, I thought I would highlight a few of our favorite KinderArt.com sweetheart art lesson plans... Enjoy!

Bright Banners

Using paper and markers, students will make bright banners for Valentine's Day!

Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/val1.shtml

 Bottle Cap Locket

Cheri Lord shows you how to create clever lockets for loved ones, using recycled bottle caps and photographs.

Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/locket.shtml

Egg Cup Flowers

Create fabulous flowers by recycling egg cartons! 

Try it: http://kinderart.com/recycle/eggcupflowers.shtml

Hands That Touch the Heart

A heart warming lesson submitted by Kathy Crittenden. Perfect for your special needs students.

Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/val11.shtml

I Give You My Heart

Students will created collages for Valentine's Day with the help of Rebecca Engelman.

Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/giveyoumyheart.shtml

Mosaic Heart

 

All you need are some old magazines, construction paper, and glue and you can make these fun Valentine hearts! From Amanda Formaro.

Try it: http://kinderart.com/seasons/mosaicheart.shtml


You can find many more Valentine's Day art lesson plans at:
http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/valentinesday.shtml

Until next time. Keep creating!
~Andrea

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at KinderArt.com.