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art

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

May 15, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Not only is it a fun new medium but this ladybug watercolor picture is a great way to incorporate science into your art project. Look at my Free Kids Insect Unit Study.

Instead of printing a worksheet to have your children label, have them paint their own beautiful ladybug picture.

Then use watercolors and label each part. It’s not a lesson they would soon forget.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Did you know that a group of ladybugs is called ‘a loveliness’ or ‘a bloom’?

What a wonderful name!

The ladybug has an exoskeleton made of a protein like the one that forms our hair and fingernails.

First, look at some books to add to your study.

Books About Ladybugs

7 Ladybug Resources & Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Want to learn more about the amazing ladybug? Check out some of these resources to make a wonderful immersive study around this little insect. Grab a favorite book from the library or Amazon to make sure your ladybug journey is full of hands-on fun and learning. You can even raise ladybugs in their own tiny world.

Image for The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more.

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

Image for Ladybug

Ladybug

McClung, in explaining the vision and purpose for his books, remarked "practically all my books deal with wild animals and the natural environment. Unfortunately, more and more of the vital habitat that wildlife needs for survival is being polluted or destroyed by the activities of Homo Sapiens.

Image for Insect Lore Live Ladybug Growing Kit

Insect Lore Live Ladybug Growing Kit

Includes voucher for 10 to 13 ladybug larvae and all the food they need to grow into adult ladybugs included

Image for Ladybug at Orchard Avenue

Ladybug at Orchard Avenue

Ladybug encounters many predators while hunting for food and searching for a winter home. Ladybug's bright red coloring helps to keep her safe, but will she find enough food and a safe shelter for the winter months ahead? Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Ladybug at Orchard Avenue is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations.Watch your children have a blast reading and learning about the animals that live in an American backyard!

Image for Life Cycle Kit Science

Life Cycle Kit Science

Life Cycle Matching Card Set: Contains a set of plastic animals of the life cycle of a Ladybug. It helps demonstrate the life cycle of animals with beautiful 3D designs that entice kids to learn!

Image for Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Everything you ever wanted to know about ladybugs— and why they're crucial to our environment. When you think of a ladybug, you might picture a little red beetle with seven black spots on its back—but did you know there are thousands of types of ladybugs, spread across the world?

Image for A Ladybug's Life (Nature Upclose)

A Ladybug's Life (Nature Upclose)

Ladybugs are a farmer's best friend-they eat the bugs that would otherwise harm plants. Nature Up close series uses beautiful watercolors to depict each creature's world from its unique perspective. Simple text describes the creatures' movements and activities.

Next, here are some more facts about ladybugs.

Ladybug Facts

Its body has three distinct parts: a head, thorax, and abdomen.

The head houses the ladybug’s mouthparts, compound eyes, and antennae.

Beneath the protection of the elytra, which is the colorful spotted covering are their flight wings. These spots warn predators that they are not.

Ladybugs, also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles are very much considered a beneficial bug rather than a nuisance.

They help to rid areas of aphids, mealybugs and other crop destructive pests that would otherwise take over healthy plants.

With almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America these pretty little flyers are plentiful which is a good thing.

Also, they help pollinate flowers and fruits, especially in the winter months.

Just like the beautiful butterfly, ladybugs have four stages before they complete their metamorphosis.

They start out as tiny eggs that hatch into larvae, then the pupal stage, lasting around two weeks.

Finally, they become adult ladybugs, and their hidden wings appear.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Looking for a few more ideas for using your watercolor supplies?

Here are 4 more nature watercolor tutorials to look at that will help you cover art to science study, as well as some geography in one project.

Nature Watercolor Tutorials

  1. I just love this video tutorial for Watercolor Fireflies In a Jar, it has such a fun magical summer feel to it.
  2. You would almost think that you had visited yourself when you painted a Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial .
  3. This Beautiful Watercolor Butterfly Painting combines oil pastels and watercolor for a lovely art project.
  4. While resist paintings have been around for ages this Bee Art Activity | Watercolor Crayon Resist puts a fresh new spin on it.
  5. Dive deep and create a magical tropical Jellyfish Art Project for Kids for an ocean themed study.

More Insect Activities

  • Free Kids Insect Unit Study┃ How to Make Clay Insects
  • Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids
  • 7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a BeeHive With Felt Activity
  • 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft
  • Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations
  • 8 Facts About Moths and a Fun Nature Elephant Hawk Moth Craft
  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids
How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Finally, look at how to do this ladybug watercolor art.

Ladybug Watercolor

If you are going to learn about an insect, the lovely garden friend the ladybug is an excellent subject and makes for a pretty picture as well.

Young children can be given small slips of paper with the basic parts on it.

If they are not quite writing yet while older children can get more detailed, even labeling the scutellum, central line, femur, tibia, tarsus, and tarsal claw.

You will need:

  • Watercolor paints
  • Watercolor paper
  • Container of water
  • Large circle object for tracing
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Fine line marker
  • Paintbrushes
How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

You can absolutely free hand your ladybug if you like but I find it really helpful to trace a circular outline and then freehand from there.

Use a bowl or something similar to lightly trace a circle into the center of your page.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Paint a light wash of black down the center of the circle for the abdomen and a larger black half circle at the top for the pronotum (which covers the ladybugs thorax).

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Allow to sit until mostly dry.

Now, fill in the circle with 2-3 coats of red to get the shade you desire.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Let it dry or use a blow dryer to help speed it up but you want it completely dry before you begin adding more details.

Once the red is dry paint on the head and 6 jointed legs.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Fill in black dots with a couple of thick coats of paint.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Use a fine line marker to outline the ladybug and sharpen the edges, this will really give it a completed look.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Take a ruler and make lines where you would like your child to label the parts, the older the child the more detail you can get.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

You can simply have them label “legs” or more detailed like “foreleg, middle leg, hind leg”.

Once you have created your lines and everything is dry, have them neatly fill in the parts.

How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: art, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, insects, life science, science, watercolor

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

November 18, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re making an adorable Q tip painting snowman. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

It is wall-worthy but also helps develop fine motor skills, improve grasp, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination, and helps calm a dysregulated child.

Then there is the slant to use it to explain and recreate Pointillism to your child and the artist most known for it George Seurat.

Besides, young children should be introduced to different painting techniques and artists.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Before you think that this technique is just for preschoolers, look at the 10 additional Q-Tip painting ideas I found that cover preschool through middle school.

Even adults can enjoy them.

The techniques are varied as well as the end results.

Sometimes they call for single dotting and others use bundles of q tips to create different looks.

Pointillism is completely filled in with dots over the entire canvas.

However, you can choose to not have your child do that much or do your project over time.

I don’t know about you, but I love a quick and easy-to-set-up, inexpensive but still adorable art project.

And all you need for this Q-tip painting snowman is Q-tips and paint, as well as a cute little artist.

4 Facts About Seurat and Pointillism Painting

Then add some facts for your children about art.

  1. Pointillism is a painting technique where tiny dots or strokes are painted close together. They’re so close that from a distance, they visually blend to create an image.
  2. Even Vincent Van Gogh showed his appreciation for this style, in his 1887 self-portrait he used very short brush strokes rather than dots, but it is still pointillism, Starry Night is an example as well.
  3. George Seurat is best known for his painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It was painted from 1884 to 1886.
  4. In his short lifetime, Seurat created seven large-scale paintings, hundreds of drawings, and sketches, and about 40 smaller-scale paintings and sketches.
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

You can show your child many examples of Seurat’s work here on wiki art, print their favorites, and use them for inspiration for their own art projects.

Books About Winter

Also, add some other fun resources to make this a winter and art unit study.

13 Snow, Snowman, Animals, and Winter Books

Add one or more of these books to your learning day if you're learning about snow, snowflakes, winter or just for fun.

Image for Winter Cottage

Winter Cottage

Immerse Yourself in This Story of Love and Companionship Amidst Deprivation

It is the fall of 1930, and America has plunged into the Great Depression. On a remote dirt road deep in the snowy woods of northern Wisconsin, misfortune forces the impoverished Sparkes family to take desperate measures.

A wayfaring quartet consisting of thirteen-year-old Araminta (nicknamed Minty), her recently unemployed father-a poetry-quoting widower called Pops-and her younger sister, Eglantine (known as Eggs-a dreamer like Pops), and their dog, Buster, are on their way to Minneapolis to live with the curmudgeonly Aunt Amy. When their car breaks down and they are unable to fix it, the homeless four stumble upon a vacant summer cottage by a lake. In desperate straits, they decide to settle in.

Image for 1. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder

1. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder

How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow. 

Image for 2. Sneezy the Snowman

2. Sneezy the Snowman

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”.

Image for 3. Snowmen at Night

3. Snowmen at Night

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all!

Image for 4. The Biggest Snowman Ever

4. The Biggest Snowman Ever

When the mayor of Mouseville announces the town snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond claim that they will each make the biggest snowman ever. But building a huge snowman alone is hard! They work and work, but their snowmen just aren't big enough. Soon they have an idea. As the day of the contest approaches, Clayton and Desmond join forces to build the biggest snowman ever.

Image for 5. Over and Under the Snow

5. Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.

Image for A Hat for Minerva Louise

A Hat for Minerva Louise

"Stoeke's second book about that intrepid screwball, Minerva Louise, is a rare find."—The Horn Book, starred review. The other chickens hate snowy mornings. But not Minerva Louise! To her a snowy day—like everything else—is an adventure. But this chilly, chipper hen needs something to keep her warm. What she finds—and how she finds it—will keep young readers cackling.

Image for 6. How to Catch a Snowman

6. How to Catch a Snowman

Our heroes' entry for the snowman contest has magically come to life―and ran away! Can YOU help catch it? Get ready for snow much fun as you travel through a winter wonderland with running, skating, and bouncing through trap after trap to catch the snowman and claim the winning prize. Will the snowman teach our heroes a lesson they'll never forget?

Image for The Big Snow

The Big Snow

When the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.

Image for 7. Curious About Snow (Smithsonian)

7. Curious About Snow (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian does things right and this Curious About Snow book is a
great introduction for curious kiddos with real images and simple explanations.

Image for 8. Animals in Winter

8. Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Image for 9. Arctic Figurines, Including A Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, And Polar Bear

9. Arctic Figurines, Including A Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, And Polar Bear

SET OF 10 FUN AND FRIGID FIGURES – It’s hard to stay warm at the North Pole, but you can discover its wonders in your home with these frigid friends. This TOOB includes a Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, and Polar Bear.

Image for 10. Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

10. Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

10 More Fantastic Q-Tip Painting Ideas

  1. Make this beautiful Field  Of Tulips Q-Tip Painting. This can be done and enjoyed by all age levels and you will get unique results.
  2. This Cotton Swab Flower Painting is a great challenge for older kids and gives them different techniques for using the q tip, shading, and adding a 3-D dimensional look.
  3. A simple but pretty way to introduce your preschooler to Roy G. Biv is this Q-Tip Rainbow Painting Craft.
  4. Learn How to Make Name Art With Pointillism for a craft that your kids will love to display in their room or hang on their door to let everyone know it’s their space.
  5. This Easy Q-Tip Painted Heart Art is so pretty and a great way to brighten up someone’s
  6. Here is a great Georges Seurat Pointillism Art Lesson for Kids where they can recreate their favorite painting of his.
  7. Perfect for winter, this Pointillism Snowflake Art project comes with a free printable template and is a beautiful way to bring winter inside even if you have no snow.
  8. How sweet is this simple Cotton Bud Dandelion Craft?
  9. While this one isn’t a painting idea I couldn’t let it go without mentioning when I saw it, so many uses when you learn How to Dye Q Tips For Play and Learning.
  10. Kids Art Project: Q-Tip Star Art.
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Finally, look how to make this q tip snowman.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

You will need:

  • Q Tips
  • Craft paint
  • Construction paper
  • 3 different sized round objects
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

First, create your snowman outline by tracing 3 round objects of varying sizes (like cups, bowls, cookie cutters, etc.) onto your construction paper with a pencil.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Place a small amount of white paint into something like a little paper disposable cup.

It makes for such easy cleanup and no paint brushes to wash either.

Give your child several Q-tips and demonstrate to them, if needed, how to follow the outline.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Have them dot to fill in the circles.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Continue until all three circles are filled in.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

They can also add snow falling down or a blanket across the ground.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Once the white is filled in, allow it to dry.

This is a great time for a cocoa break and a book.

Once the white is dry your child can add touches like buttons, eyes, a scarf, hat, and nose with any color craft paint they like.

Be sure to give them one q tip per color, again use cheap disposable cups from Dollar Tree for easy clean up.

Now at this point you can be done, or you can have your child completely fill in their page with dots to include sky, trees, etc.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: art, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, snow, snowman, winter crafts, winter season

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

August 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This is a fun wildlife craft mountain gorilla layered art project. Also, look at my pages Free Africa Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning | Free Continent & Country Reports and 6 World Wildlife Day Activities to Learn About African Lions.

September 4th is National Wildlife Day and what better way to observe it than with a wildlife craft to highlight one of the most loved wild animals – the gorilla.

You don’t have to just specifically study just gorillas.

Also, you can cover all the primates – chimps, orangutans, gorillas, baboons, monkeys, and more.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

But I wanted to focus on the mountain gorillas because they are so seriously endangered.

Eastern Mountain Gorillas are found in the Virunga Mountains that border the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

The rest can be found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

This wildlife craft is easy and requires little setup.

Not only does it further your study of gorillas but it introduces multiple art techniques, maybe some that your child has never tried before.

Books About Gorillas

Gorilla and Other Primate Resources

Grab some of these resources for your study of gorillas.

Image for The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself. 

Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

Image for Gorilla mysteries

Gorilla mysteries

Discusses the habits of gorillas, giant apes of frightening appearance but gentle behavior, long misunderstood by their human close relatives.

Image for Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

Julia Rothman's series of Anatomy books are beloved by children and adults alike. In Wildlife Anatomy, Rothman captures the excitement and distinctive attributes of wild animals around the world. The book is packed with hundreds of her charming, original illustrations, detailing the unique features of animals of the rainforest, desert, grasslands, oceans, and much more. From lions, bears, and zebras to monkeys, mongoose, bats, elephants, giraffes, hippos, and much more, Rothman's visual guide covers all the key features, right down to the anatomy of a lion's claw and a wild horse's hoof. All the illustrations are accompanied by labels, intriguing facts, and identifying details, such as: When is a Panther Not a Panther? and What Makes Aardvarks So Odd? Rothman's characteristic combination of curiosity and an artist's eye makes this wildlife treasury rich and full, and promises new discoveries every time it's opened

Image for Good Morning, Gorillas (Magic Tree House #26)

Good Morning, Gorillas (Magic Tree House #26)

Gentle giants or giant monsters? That's the question Jack and Annie have about gorillas when the Magic Tree House sweeps them to the mountains of Africa. There they meet a group of amazing and sometimes frightening mountain gorillas. Annie knows how to play with the creatures right away. But Jack is left out. Will the gorillas be able to teach him some special magic?

Image for Terra by Battat – Gorilla Family

Terra by Battat – Gorilla Family

Experience the Strikingly human-like characteristics of the mighty Gorilla family!
Realistic details: exquisite miniature animals with realistic, accurate detail and beautiful design
Includes: 1 male and 1 female adult Gorilla and 2 infant gorillas

Image for Koko's Kitten (Rise and Shine)

Koko's Kitten (Rise and Shine)

Koko the gorilla uses sign language to talk to her handlers. When she asks for a pet, her handlers search high and low for the perfect companion.

Then add a few more resources.

  • Gorilla & Me Handprints
  • Easy How to Draw a Gorilla Tutorial and Gorilla Coloring Page

More Wildlife Craft Activities

  • 6 World Wildlife Day Activities to Learn About African Lions
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
  • How to Make Wooden Peg Easy Arctic Animal Crafts
  • 8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art
  • Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial
Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Next, look at these facts about gorillas.

8 Gorilla Facts

  1. There are two species of gorilla, eastern and western. Within these two they split into subspecies- eastern lowland, eastern mountain, western lowland, and western cross river.
  2. A Primatologist studies the behavior, biology, evolution, and taxonomy of primates. Famous ones include Jane Goodall (Chimpanzees) and Dr. Dian Fossey (gorillas)
  3. Gorillas are incredibly intelligent and have been observed making and using tools for all kinds of tasks such as turning them into silverware and even using them as tools to measure water depth.
  4. Just like our fingerprints are unique, gorilla nose prints are special and different from one another.
  5. Hanabi-Ko “Koko” was a female western lowland gorilla. She learned over 1,000 signs and understood more than 2,000 English words in her lifetime. She lived to be 46 years old.
  6. They are very social creatures and live together in groups of 5-30 gorillas called troops. Each troop generally contains a dominant male, several females, and their young offspring.
  7. Adult males are called Silverbacks. On average a silverback gorilla weighs almost 400 pounds and stands over 5’ tall on all fours.
  8. Unfortunately, gorillas are critically endangered due to habitat destruction as well as poaching.
Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Finally, look how to make this fun mountain gorilla art project.

Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

You will need:

  • Cream or white construction paper
  • Colorful construction paper
  • Black chalk pastel
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

First, start by drawing a jagged/fluffy outline of a gorilla’s head and shoulders on your light paper with a black chalk pastel. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just a general clear shape.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Next lay the chalk pastel flat and drag it across the page to fill in the inside of your outline.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Smudge the chalk to smooth it out and fill it in more solidly with your finger, or you can use a tissue to blot and smear it.

Then cut a circle out of gray construction paper that is a little smaller than the gorilla head you drew, and cut a small dip into the top, kind of like a heart to create a gorilla face.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Draw on features like eyes, nostrils, and a mouth with your black chalk pastel then glue in place.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

For the next layer tear up green construction paper into small pieces as well as a few colors to create flowers. We are going to have our gorilla peek out from the thick foliage.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Glue your torn green paper around the gorilla to frame him.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Layer on a few or many-colored pieces for flowers to brighten up your picture.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Finally, use a pen or marker to add a little detail to your flowers like petals.

To keep your chalk from smudging you can spray your paper lightly with a bit of aerosol hairspray.

Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, art, crafts, gorilla, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, jp, life science, science

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

July 19, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Hands-on animal camouflage activities are the best way to teach young learners how and why many animals have that adaptation. Also, you’ll love my post Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt.

There are several ways and reasons that animals use camouflage.

One important thing to explain to your child is that camouflage is not only used by prey for protection, but it is also helpful for predators to be able to sneak up on their food.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Animals use their shapes, colors, and patterns, as well as the lighting and landscape around them to conceal themselves in the woods, savannah, arctic, and every other biome.

If you are looking for animal camouflage activities to do with your child, you will find lots of ideas and resources here.

Too, I am showing you a fun and simple animal camouflage art and sharing some books and more ideas.

4 Basic Types of Camouflage

First, let’s talk about the different types of camouflage and learn an example of each.

  • Concealing Coloration- A common camouflage tactic where a species tries to conceal itself by resembling its surroundings in color, form, or movements. Example: Squirrels, deer, and rabbits blend into the dull brown colors of the woods where they live.
  • Disruptive Coloration– Disruptive coloration is when an animal has a patterned coloring like spots or stripes that make it hard to see its outline. Example: Leopards lurk in lower branches and the spots help disguise them in the shadows and spots of light coming through.
  • Disguise -Disguise is when an animal has a coloration and shape that is designed to look like another non-food object in its environment. Example: Walking sticks look like a stick when they are not moving.
  • Mimicry- Mimicry is coloration in a harmless animal that is similar to another animal that is either dangerous, bad tasting, or poisonous. Example: The owl butterfly has large spots that look like an owl’s eye.
8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Next, here are a few words to know.

Camouflage Vocabulary

Here are a few words with definitions that may come up in your learning.

  • Camouflage- A disguise that makes something look like the area around it.
  • Adaptation-The process of change where an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
  • Predator- An animal that hunts for other animals.
  • Prey- The animal that other animals hunt for.
8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Next, look at some activities to learn about animal camouflage.

Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources

Now, I have some excellent books, activities, and video suggestions to help round out your camouflage lesson.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources

Add some of these animal camouflage activities and resources to your unit study about animals.

Image for Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature - Jacket unfolds into a huge wall poster!

Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature - Jacket unfolds into a huge wall poster!

NaturalWorld is a great reference to have on hand because it is full of all kinds ofnatural science info and illustrations.
Image for Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt

Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt

While animals may choose to migrate (leave a cold climate for a warmer one) or hibernate (sleep during the cold weather), many of them also take advantage of camouflage to keep themselves safe from predators during winter. After all, many predators need to fatten up for winter too!

Image for Animal Camouflage (A True Book: Amazing Animals)

Animal Camouflage (A True Book: Amazing Animals)

Some animals defend against predators by fighting toe to toe. Others rely upon armor and other physical defenses.

However, sometimes the best defense of all is to stay out of sight. Readers (Grades 3-5) will learn all about animal camouflage, from species that simply blend into the background to others that mimic more dangerous animals. They will also discover how these species have developed their camouflage over time and how even powerful predators sometimes rely upon this useful ability.

Image for Animal Camouflage Hands-on Science Activity
Photo Credit: www.stirthewonder.com

Animal Camouflage Hands-on Science Activity

If your kiddos are interested in learning about animals, this Animal Camouflage Hands-on Science Activity will sure to delight!

Image for Secrets of Animal Camouflage: A Shine-a-Light Book

Secrets of Animal Camouflage: A Shine-a-Light Book

Bright, punchy artwork makes every page an adventure in the latest title in the best-selling Shine-A-Light series. A hidden world of snow-covered Arctic foxes, tree-trunk hiding owls, and perfectly camouflaged butterflies will be revealed as you hold the pages to the light.

Image for Learn How Animals Can Blend In With Their Environments
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Learn How Animals Can Blend In With Their Environments

What is camouflage? Why do animals need to use it? Well, in Animal Camouflage, your kids and students will learn the answers to these questions! First off, there are many different kinds of camouflage, and we will discuss four of the main kinds that apply to animals in this video. Did you know that there is actually more than one reason that animals use camouflage?

Image for Animal Camouflage Frog Scavenger Hunt
Photo Credit: kidsactivitiesblog.com

Animal Camouflage Frog Scavenger Hunt

Animal camouflage is nature’s way to protect and hide creatures from predators.  Kids love a good scavenger hunt so I created a camouflage frog hunt to help my daughter understand how an animal’s coloring can help him hide in his surroundings and therefore stay safe.

Image for Animal Camouflage Activity
Photo Credit: www.apologia.com

Animal Camouflage Activity

First, we lined the bottom of the laundry basket with some extra sheets of yellow, green, red, and orange construction paper so that the bottom of the stark white basket became part of the animal camouflage.

Finally, look at this animal camouflage activity.

Animal Camouflage Activities – Animal Camouflage Art

This activity combines using observation on a nature walk with creating simple camouflage art to better understand how animals use it to hide.

You will need:

  • Thick paper
  • Earth-toned craft paints
  • Paintbrush
  • Leaves, rocks, and sticks from outside
  • Plastic animals or hand-drawn animals
8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

First, take a nature walk and collect leaves of different colors, twigs, pinecones, small pebbles, and whatever you find on the forest floor or even in your own backyard.

See if your child can spot any critters among the leaf litter, on the bark of trees, or up in the foliage.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Bring your nature treasures home and give your child paints in similar colors, have the paint leaves, dirt, twigs, or whatever they saw on their walk.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Continue painting until the page is full of different sizes and shades of paint.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Add found leaves and twigs.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Finally, encourage them to hide plastic animals, printouts, or hand-drawn animals as well as they can, matching them to the colors and patterns as closely as possible.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

You can also paint a picture of a tree trunk and foliage and hide animals there also.

Compare it to arctic animals on a white background.

8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, art, camouflage, elementary science, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, science

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

July 16, 2023 | 1 Comment
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In honor of Global Kinetic Sand Day on August 11th, I have an easy sand art DIY kinetic sand for you to make and enjoy. Also, look at ideas on my post Desert Sand Art: Day 2 Hands-on Learning (Colors of the Desert).

I have 12 other fun sand art activities.

Summer just gets you thinking about sand and everything that it entails.

So, even if you can’t make it to the beach there are lots of ways to enjoy playing with sand.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

We all remember the cool activity of layering sand in a bottle, and we know there are many ways to create art with it.

Kinetic sand is a super fun sensory activity, but that stuff can get crazy expensive.

 Making it yourself saves a lot of money and allows you to customize it with fun colors.

Besides the fun of making it, you can then use it for fun layered creations, in sensory bins or trays, and with cookie cutters and mold.

5 Sand Facts

What exactly is sand anyway?

The definition of sand is any material made up of grains within a certain size range. Sugar and salt can qualify as sand.

  1. The most common material to make up sand is silica,  which is made of quartz crystals that have broken down as far as they naturally will.
  2. Beach sand is silica sand mixed with fragments of coral, shell, and other materials.
  3. Sand is commonly used in making concrete, glass, mortar, paint, and brick.
  4. In over 3 dozen deserts around the world, there’s a phenomenon known as “singing sand.” As wind passes over the dunes or when the sand is disturbed, it creates a deep, humming sound. It is believed to be the vibrations of the grains of sand.
  5. The recommended ratio for the perfect sandcastle is 8:1, that is 8 parts dry sand and 1 part water.
How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Then, here are some fun art ideas.

12 Easy Sand Art Ideas

Here are 12 more easy sand art activities to try for kids of all ages and their parents.

  1. I remember having something similar to this Easy Aqua Sand Recipe and it was a blast, like a sand lava lamp that you customize.
  2. I love the pretty layering in this Colored Sand Art, I also like that it will be a unique art piece every time you make it.
  3. Desert Sand Art: Day 2 Hands-on Learning (Colors of the Desert).
  4. We had to include a simple DIY Colored Sand tutorial for you to make your own and do whatever you want with it. It works great with several of the activities here or make up your own ideas.
  5. Create Sand Castle Sand Art during a beach study, for summer fun, or to mark a family beach trip.
  6. This Ocean Sand Art For Kids has limitless possibilities to create beautiful ocean scenes with colored sand.
  7. Faux sand still counts right? Make your own Sand Art With Salt, salt is very inexpensive and easy to find, making it a good alternative to sand.
  8. Doubling as a pretty art piece and a planter the Rainbow Sand Art Terrarium is a really fun sand art piece.
  9. How Accurate is a Sand Clock? 
  10. These DIY Sand Art Candles are unique and would make a great handmade gift anytime or a colorful addition to a teen’s bedroom.
  11. This Glow in The Dark Sand will no doubt be a big hit with everyone for creating sand art.
  12. Of course, I had to include something tasty, how about this Edible Sand Art Recipe? What a fun party favor or co-op activity this would be.
How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

There are so many good ideas here, unique ways I never thought to use sand to make art.

How to Make DIY Kinetic Sand

You will need:

  • 2 cups fine white sand (dollar tree)
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon clear dish soap
  • ½ cup white school glue
  • Food coloring
How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

First, combine the sand and the cornstarch until thoroughly mixed, I find it is easier to get a better mix when you don’t stir everything in all at once.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Next, stir in dish soap and glue, mixing them in for several minutes until all ingredients are well combined.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Separate sand into as many containers as you would like to make different colors.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Add food coloring until satisfied with the color, we left one natural. A fork makes a great tool for mixing color into the sand.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Spread out the sand in a container as much as you can for drying.

Allow mixture to “dry” for 15-30 minutes until it becomes a texture that is not super sticky and flows well in your hands.

You want to be able to squeeze it into a solid mass that slowly flows out of shape.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Transfer to containers with a lid (or you can use baggies).

Add a tray to keep the mess contained and cookie cutters.

You can press through the kinetic sand with cookie cutters, but it is also fun to lay down the cutter and add sand, watching it “ooze” to fill in the entire space.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

Even after the colors become mixed up, it is still a pretty and fun kinetic sand.

Store in a sealable container like a zipper baggie or mason jar with a lid.

How to Make Fun DIY Kinetic Sand And Easy Sand Art

1 CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: art, crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, sand

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