Kindergarten Bee Unit-Duct Tape Honeybees

We use the the Gems unit Buzzing a Hive in our kindergarten.  I really like it and the kids learn a lot.  This year, I decided to add 3-d duct tape honeybees.  The kids have been going bonkers over them.  The hive was unexpected and totally came from the kids.  Duct tape makes anything possible.  Now they want to make a huge duct tape tree and hang the hive.  Oy.  I have my work cut out for me.

How to make the bees

Materials-black and yellow duct tape, scotch tape, transparency paper or recycled water bottles, newspaper, googly eyes, black pipe cleaners, a straw, a black sharpie and a stapler

1.  Make a ball shape from newspaper for the head.  Cover with yellow duct tape.

2.  Make a slightly larger ball shape from newspaper for the thorax.  Cover with yellow duct tape.

3.  Make a longer shape from newspaper for the abdomen.  Cover with yellow duct tape.

4.  Attach all three shapes with yellow duct tape.  Make strips of black duct tape to use as stripes.  Tape as many stripes as desired onto the thorax and abdomen.

5.  Duct tape the eyes onto the head.  Add three more eyes with a black sharpie.  Honeybees have 5 eyes!

6.  Cut two black pipe cleaners in half.  Use three crisscrossed pipe cleaners for the legs.  Attach them to the thorax with duct tape.  Bend as desired.

7.  Use the fourth pipe cleaner length for the antennae.  Duct tape to the head and bend as desired.

8.  Cut four wings from the transparency paper or water bottle and staple together.  Scotch tape the wings to the top side of the thorax.  Then duct tape the scotch tape down to the thorax to keep the wings secure.

9.  Duct tape a black straw to the abdomen for the stinger.  If you don’t have a black one just duct tape it in black and then add.

10.  The hive is one big wad of newspaper covered in gold duct tape.  I cut a little door at the bottom and covered the inside flap with more duct tape.

One of the kids added a proboscis to theirs with yellow duct tape and a red straw.  Great idea!

Duct Tape Purses

Kindergarten is back in full swing.  To my astonishment, this class is waaaay into duct tape.  It might just be my soulmate class.  They asked if I had any on the first day!  Of course I was well prepared.  I brought out paper grocery bags, scissors and duct tape in various designs and colors.  We cut a rectangle about 8×6 out of the grocery bag and covered it on both sides with duct tape.  Folded that in half and duct taped closed on both sides.  Then we folded a long piece of duct tape in half the long way to make the strap and taped that on.  Here’s a purse one of my very happy students made. Not bad for the first week of school.

Tissue Paper Balloon Bowls = Happiness

It’s B week in kindergarten starting tomorrow.  We are going to make these amazing balloon bowls which I kind of stumbled upon by accident.  They started off as hot air balloons from Collage Collage.  After I slaved over the first balloon, which took waaay longer than I thought, I accidentally popped the balloon inside while removing the tape holding it to the cup.  Turned out to be a major blessing in disguise because I realized the balloon separates itself from the tissue paper in the COOLEST way, with sound effects and everything, and I could trim it into a supercool bowl.  From there I tried balloons in different sizes because there is no way the kids are going to sit for 45 minutes modge podging.  I am so pleased with the process and the results, especially the balloon popping.  The kids will love that part.  Stay tuned for pictures of their balloon bowls.  I tried to include pictures of every step.  I really encourage you to try this at home!  Really fun project!

Here are the steps.  1.  Attach a balloon to a cup with duct tape.  Make sure to put the tape on four sides of the balloon to keep it secure.  2.  Modge Podge the whole balloon where you want the bowl shape to be.  3.  Cover with tissue paper.  4.  Let dry in the sun.  5.  POP the balloon and watch it shrivel up and separate from the tissue paper.  6.  Reshape the bowl.  7.  Hem the edge if you want.  It looks cool ragged too.

You can see kindergarten results Part 1 here.

DIY Light Box

So, I made a light box to take shots of Alien Army and I’m not sure it’s working out as I planned.  I can’t seem to get the light quite right.  I’m definitely not giving up, but slightly frustrated none the less.  Anyone have any tips?  Does anyone even read this?  Hello?  Are you there G-d?  It’s me, Margaret?

Anyway, it was fun to make and the photos do come out better than without it.  So here’s how to do it.  All you need is a box, white paper or white tissue paper or white fabric.  Use white unless you want the photos tinted with another color.  An exacto knife.  Scotch tape.

Cut out three of the four side panels of the box.  My box happens to be white.

Tape white paper over the panels and a white sheet inside the box that slopes down from top to bottom.

There you have it folks.  Then just place a lamp on either side and the top or any combo of the three or just the top.  I’m still working that part out.  Here are some experimental shots.

The background is coming out grey and maybe I have to fix that in photoshop but I don’t really know how.  Grr… I wish I knew how to lasso the images too, so I can just put them on a total white background.  Maybe it’s time for a photoshop class.

Alien Army Takes Over Summer Camp

So, I had all these great plans for camp yesterday, including…

this cool drum stick monster

And this sculpey hamsa

But instead, all they wanted to do was this!

Which lead me to this, until about midnight last night.

Meet the new recruits.

We’re up to 72.  New goal-200.  Obsessed!

ART CAMP 2010 and Beyond…

Here is the final stage of our Space Shuttles.  They came out pretty awesome.

Jonas, age 5

And here are the kids Out of this World Wonder Wheels.

And of course, we can’t forget this little dude by Dexter, age 6.  You can see the alien puppet tutorial here.

And this one, by Vivian, age 6

And lastly, I’d like to give a shout out to Sofia, my very special assistant, who worked her butt off today.  Great job!

Alien Puppets

I’m psyched to make these alien puppets in art camp tomorrow.  I know the kids will outdo my little guys here.

Materials-card stock (I reused some old folders), duct tape, brads, puffy paint, dowel, ribbons if desired

1. Cover card stock with duct tape.  Draw your alien parts and cut out.

2.  Hole punch spots for the brads and attach.

3.  Puffy paint galore.

4.  Tape dowel to the back and you’re done.  Now play.

BFFS

Alien Wonder Wheel

I’ve been wanting to do this project for months.  I found it in Todd Oldham’s amazing book KID MADE MODERN.  Highly recommend!   The Wonder Wheel is inspired by Ray and Charles Eames work.  I added a little Out of this World Alien flavor and voila!  I great art display for all your kids goodies.

I started off with a cork board circle from ikea.

I painted it white.

I painted six clothespins green and then glued them onto the cork board.  Then I took puffy paint and decorated till my hearts content.

Now THIS was Fun-Sculpey Aliens and Duct Tape Space Ships

We started out Art Camp this morning with the batik t-shirts.  We did phase 1, drawing the picture with glue.  It was fun, but with young kids, multiple step projects lose a little bit in the excitement area.  They always ask the inevitable “Can we take this home today??!!”  So after phase 1 I brought out the big guns…the silver space shuttle.  ah, Ah, AHHHH!!!! They were psyched!   We made the sculpey aliens first.  I find it best to model an example first, with the option for kids to do their own thing after.  This way, it gives them a place to start.  When it’s a free for all, I find some kids can get frustrated.  Here are the first round of aliens.  We baked them for 20 minutes at 225 and presto.  (This was by far the kids favorite part.  They left camp begging to make more.  Monday I plan to make a huge space craft for a whole alien army to fit in.)

Made by Kendra, age 8, Charles, age 6, Willa and Theo, age 5, and Jonas and Lucy, age 5

Charles, age 6

The space ship was pretty simple thanks to ikat bag.  For the body we used a recycled cardboard box and covered it in duct tape.  The legs are popsicle sticks covered in tin foil.  They look good but weren’t so sturdy.  In retrospect, I probably should have glue gunned them in.  The dome is from Michaels.  They have sets of two for 1.99 but you can easily use something from around the house.  I was in a time crunch and Michals is literally around the block from my house.  I know, so lucky.

ART SUMMER 2010-Aliens and Robots

Talia, age 9.  Jonas, age 5.  Kendra, age 8.  Lucy, age 5.

Art Summer 2010 is in full swing.  This morning I had a really great group of kids.  They didn’t want to stop!  Here are some examples of their work.  They really had fun.  It was great.

Kendra, age 9

This robot is especially cool.  It actually opens up “for storage,” as Kendra put it.  It also made a great little home for her pipe cleaner dude.

This guy just couldn’t get enough of the synthesizer.  A born musician.

Jonas, age 5