Sunday 25 January 2015

How To Make A Birthday Party Hat

Birthday Party Hat Project

 


This is a great idea for a classroom project when your students have a birthday and you want to celebrate in a big way by having them design and make their own party hat!

Materials:
*construction paper in variety of colours
*self adhesive sparkle foam to cut into shapes( or you could buy precut shapes or letters and customise this project further)
*scotch tape
*yarn or string
*a stapler (optional)
*sharpie pen
*scissors

Directions:
Pull out a piece of construction paper in the colour of your choice and fold in half.

Draw a semi circle along the bottom as a guide for where to cut the excess paper off and help create your cone shape.

Fold your paper creating a cone with the uncut portion at the top and the rounded portion open and at the bottom. tape in place at the back down the centre, you can also staple in place if you have a stapler handy.

Have your students draw shapes on the back portion of the sparkle self adhesive foam sheet. Then cut them out and remove the paper to stick them on the hat to decorate it.




Cut 2 arm length sections of yarn or string and create a knot at one end, tape to the inside putting the tape below the knot, or use a stapler for added security. Repeat this step again on the other side.

Put the hat on your head, tie it up and party like it's 1999!

Sunday 18 January 2015

Sharpie Tie Dye

Sharpie Tie Dye

Do you have some plain white t-shirts hanging that just beg to have something interesting done to them to make them wearable?  Then this is the craft for you!
Materials:
*Pack of sharpies or permanent markers in your favourite colours
*Rubbing alcohol (I used vodka since i couldn't find the rubbing alcohol, just don't let the kiddos drink their painting water..lol)
*White t-shirts
*Paintbrushes

Directions:

Pick the colours you like and put large dots of those colours a few inches apart on your tshirt, covering it with a good selection of dots.




Pour a little of your rubbing alcohol into a cup or jar and dip your brushes into it, dropping drips onto your sharpie dots on your shirts.  Make sure to do this over and over again and really soak the dots to help the ink spread.







My oldest daughter started to get creative with her sharpies and drew a whole decorative scene, but of course I am never surprised, (she always marches to her own drummer...:)



Make sure to really soak the shirt in the alcohol and let it dry, Then iron it to help it set before washing it.  Putting it in a hot dryer will also help keep the colors bright and vibrant.


Have fun!!!































Thursday 8 January 2015

The Best Phonics Giveaway Ever!

Hi Everyone!

Are you ready for the BEST Phonics Giveaway Ever!!!!

I am teaming up with some fabulous teacher bloggers and friends to bring some lucky teachers our favorite phonics products.  

Check out all of our posts to get some helpful tips for teaching phonics in the classroom.





My Phonics Teaching Tip

Everyone familiar with me and my teaching style would know I am a huge proponent of music, poetry and rhymes in the classroom. Sure I love to make phonics printables full of wonderful learning (and repetition) for acquiring all those sounds.... but building a strong phonics base actually begins years before children are ready for this stage. Children need to be immersed in literacy rich environments from an early age. Here are some of my own suggestions for creating a literacy rich environment in your classroom or home:
*Sing simple songs and nursery rhymes
*Read to your students (children) AND show your own students (children) that you enjoy reading to yourself as well
*Cover your classrooms and walls with song charts, chants, rhymes, word banks, and posters that promote reading
*Have places in your classroom (home) where reading is a special and inviting place
*Play word games with your students (children) and make them fun 
*Use props for reading or pre-reading activities & use silly voices (I cannot tell you how much more I can get accomplished with a young class by putting on a silly voice)

A Phonics Freebie


Up For Grabs!!!
You can click on the pictures below to go to their blog!!!






















 You can enter everyday. There will be 3 grand prize winners.  Remember the giveaway will end Sunday at midnight!!! Good Luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Snow Globe Holiday Painting

Snow Globe Holiday Painting

A great project for a budding artiste in your midst... using a canvas will make kids feel like they are true artists and they take the task seriously by taking their time and enjoying the journey!

 Materials:
*Stretched canvas approx 19"x16",  but bigger than a paper plate. You can also get smaller paper plates and use a smaller canvas as well.
*2 paper plates (one to use as your globe template and the other for your paint palette).
*Cheap acrylic paint
*A selection of brushes that range from fine to 2 inch wide
*Water and a bucket to clean brushes



Directions:
Place your paper plate in the centre of your canvas. This will be your focal point and the round shape that will become your snow globe.
Create a nice medium blue and take a large brush and paint all around your plate to create your back ground.  You can add dabs of white and blend as well to create more depth, this will break up the monotony of a one tone background. The kids can also choose the colours they would like as their background too and let them have fun with it.
 Create this key hole shape by using masking tape or drawing a line to paint to, don't paint the bottom portion blue, this will be the base of the snow globe and you want to paint it to resemble a wooden base.
 Place your plate gently back where you began so you can see where to paint your brown for the wooden base, all the while keeping a perfect circle in the centre of your painting to create the snow globe.
 My daughter lost interest and wanted to do rainbows instead, I think she craves spring as much as I do...lol
 After painting a solid brown base, create wood grain texture by using lighter shades of brown and darker shades of brown to create squiggly lines, if you want to omit this step feel free, I just wanted to add more to the plain brown base.

 Remove your plate to reveal your circle, now we begin the globe!
 Paint a very light blue into the circle to create a sense that the globe is glass and that the blue in the globe is reflected light from the background.
 While the paint is still wet blend light yellow to the top portion in a circular motion and a bit more blue to the lower portion.

 Create a snowy hill for your tree and snowman to rest on by painting a darker blue series of lines and then going in and adding white below them blending into the dark blue lines, this creates the illusion of snow on the ground as snow often has a dark blue reflective light even though it's white.  Use a light brown to create a candy cane shape on the one side, this will be your tree.


 Add highlights to the tree by painting darker brown to the outer edges of the tree.


 Create a snow man shape on the opposite side but simply painting 3 circles in white, smallest on the top and largest in the bottom. While it it is still wet, dip your paintbrush lightly in a darker blue and create dark highlights to the outer sides of the snowman by swooping a crescent shape with your brush, this create a 3 dimensional quality.

 Use a fine brush and paint the shape of a hat on the snowman's head but painting a squiggly line across the top circle then adding a square above it. Create coal buttons on the snowman by making c shapes with that same fine brush, that way they appear to have reflected light on them.  Use another fine brush to paint the red scarf.
 Dip your fine brush in brown and create twigs for arms by painting a squiggly uneven line, then adding a few small lines to create more branches.
 Use your fine brush to paint a carrot nose by pressing your brush into the painting at the base of the carrot and gently lifting the brush as you create a thinning line for the carrot.
 Use your fine brush to create black coal eyes by doing the same crescent shapes you did for the buttons, just a bit smaller and simply dot the mouth in carefully.

 Add leaves to your bending tree with a fine brush, they are just simply lines.

Dab some white over the branches to create the look of snow, add darker blue dots to highlight. This makes it looks as if the snow is helping to weigh down the limbs of the tree.
 With a larger brush paint a plain red circle 1/2 an inch below the end of the tree top
While the paint is still wet, dab your brush in white and swoop in highlights on he bottom the red ball on the left side and a tiny tear drop shaped highlight near the top right.  Use your brown to create a knob at the top of the ball and add a bit of lighter brown on one side to create highlights which will in turn create a 3 dimensional quality to the ball.
 Use your fine brush uing black paint and create a hook for the ball and attach it to the top of your bowing tree.

 Add some bright yellow broken  lines in a circular motion to create the illusion of reflected light which will make the snow globe look more realistic.
 Add a few broken white lines as well.
 Use a fine brush and dab dots of white all over the globe creating falling snow.
Hang it up for all to see, and enjoy it's fun festive qualities!!!