Camp 2012 Week 1~ Mad Scientist Week

'Tis the summer camp planning season! I'm looking forward to some fun summer arts & crafts at Kids Camp. Please let me know what ya'll think of the lessons, including your experience, tips, etc. Note- this is way more lessons than can actually be done in one week of camp, but the theme was inspirational and perhaps some of these projects can be used during other weeks. Mahalo!

Spray Bottle Mural on Butcher Paper
*spray bottles filled with diluted tempera paint (red, yellow, blue), butcher paper, white crayons, tape
First have kids draw with white crayon on the butcher paper (press hard with the crayon). They then spray the bottles on the butcher paper. What happens when primary colors overlap? How does gravity play a role when the paper is on a vertical surface versus a horizontal surface? Why does the paint not stick to the crayon? The wax in the crayon resists the watery paint. Note: I recommend colors that are more saturated than these (less water, more paint).

Scratch Art

*materials: thick crayons, construction paper, stylus to scratch with (sharp tool, shishkabob stick, old dried pen, pin taped to an old pencil), newspaper to keep tables clean
With newspaper on table, cover construction paper with thick blocks of colored crayon. Then color over with black crayon so colors are covered. Tip: apply a thick layer of black, you'll know if it's not enough when you start scratching. You can always add more black if you're not happy with the contrast. Scratch name or other designs into paper. Be prepared to wipe down tables after as black crayon crumbs will be everywhere. "Katie" sample is from Princetonol Art Lessons. "Kids Camp" was made by me (you can see the first round of black, "kids," was not enough so I added more for the "camp" part).

Spin Art
See Week 6 Lessons

Suminagashi
*marbling dyes (see: http://www.dickblick.com/items/01309-1009/?wmcp=google&wmcid=items&wmckw=01309-1009 , Dippety Dye paper (see: Dippety Dye paper), large & shallow tub that paper will fit in (fill halfway with water so paper can float), paintbrush to move ink in water, newspaper/drying rack to lay drying paper on, pencils to mark names
Write name on paper (in corner) or newspaper. Drop a few drops of ink into water in tub (limit kids to 3 colors and just 2-3 drops of each color). Swirl gently with paintbrush. Lay dippety dye paper carefully onto water so it floats. Remove paper and lay to dry on drying rack/newspaper.
Note: Suminagashi is Japanese for "ink floating". This may be one of the oldest forms marbeling, dating back to the 12th century in China and Japan.

Follow up: You can use these papers for many craft projects. Check out the books we made using the colored paper as the cover and the "smoky" as the end papers.

Lunch bag kit
*lunch bag per student filled with assortment of items such as paper clip, gum, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaner, etc.)
Each child needs to create something creative out of the items in their bag. They must use every item in their bag!

Oobleck
*Cornstarch, water, food coloring, paper/plastic bowls (1 per child), little paper cups/ziploc bags to take home mixture if desired
Arts & Crafts? Maybe not. Fun and mad science? Definitely! See more info at Sciencebob.com
(note- blue food dye stains for a day or so, other colors did not)

Paper Pulp Project
* paper shreds, water, paste
See lesson plan at "There's a Dragon in My Art Room" - paper pulp sculptures

WAC Holiday Party

Proud of my displays for the WAC company holiday party (good job Sanford & team). Helped Laura run the craft station...shrinky dinks were a hit as always (loved the Justin Bieber ornaments) and the sparkly peppermint playdoh dazzled all. Not to mention holiday cards, snowflakes and more. On an epicurean note, I especially enjoyed the corndogs & rootbeer float at the carnival themed party.

Week 11, Tennis Week, August 15-19

1A/B Mr. Tennis Ball
*old tennis balls, flat thumbtacks, pipe cleaners, t-pins, yarn, permanent markers, any other craft supplies to decorate
Each camper creates a Mr. Tennis Ball (a la Mr. Potato Head). For safety reasons, JCs need to push pins in for younger students. First stick 2 thumbtacks in the tennis ball for eyes and color pupils with markers. Fold, cut and twist pipe cleaners to create arms & legs. T-pins connect the appendages to the tennis ball. In this example the leg is one big pipe cleaner (pinned in the middle). The arms are shorter pipe cleaners and each one is folded in half. The hands are formed at the the folded end. Shoulders need to be folded a 1/2"-1" to be able to push t-pins into the shoulder & tennis ball. Hair is formed the way the pom-pons were formed in Week 5 (see Week 5 Blog).

Week 6, July 11, Swim Week Art Lessons

1A/B Pastel Sand dollar Drawing
*pastels, black paper, pencils, real or photographs of sand dollars, lesson plan handout
 After viewing and learning about sand dollars, kids will draw 3-5 sand dollars. Sand dollars are then colored with pastels. Be careful not to blow dust from pastels (can irritate eyes/noses/mouth). Shake dust into garbage. Spray completed drawings with aerosol hairspray to "fix" the pastel and keep from smudging. Wet drawings can be stacked, they will dry eventually and stacking keeps drawings from severely curling.