watercolor

How To Make Lemon Watercolor: Transforming Citrus Into Colorful Creations

March 19, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re learning how to make lemon watercolor art. Also, look at my page Free Art Units Curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 for more fun ideas.

Watercolors are an easy art medium for kids to work with. The youngest artist begins his art journey with easy paint, color, and water.

And especially if your children love exploring with color, using a common ingredient like lemon can give them hours of fun with a bit of science.

How To Make Lemon Watercolor: Transforming Citrus Into Colorful Creations

Mixing lemon with water can be used as an amazing tool to create colorful and vibrant watercolor paintings.

And the acidity in lemon juice can affect how the watercolor paint reacts with paper.

Too, it’s fun to try this activity in different ways.

For example, have your child make lemon water to use.

Also, have your child squeeze the lemon directly on the wet water color painting. This is the one we did.

FUN ART SUPPLIES FOR KIDS

First, look at this list of art supplies for your art lover.

9 Fun Art Supplies for Learning

Whether you prefer to study art for a long period of time or short, I have some of our favorite supplies listed here. Too, everyone stores art differently. We love 3 ring binders and page protectors as well as large envelopes. I know you can use some of these ideas.

Sculpey Premo 24 Color sampler of Polymer Oven-Bake Clay,

I loved this brand. And it has a variety of colors for each child.

Amazon Basics Premium Colored Pencils, Soft Core, 24 Count (Pack of 1)

Explore your creativity with a wide variety of colors

Contains artist-quality soft lead for rich pigment and smooth application

Includes a tin storage case with a built-in tray to keep pencils organized and protected

Cardinal 3 Ring Binders

Great for holding art projects.

Watercolor Paper Pad 9"x12"

Watercolor Paper Pad - Dyvicl spiral watercolor paper pad is loved by new and experienced artists, rough finish, heavyweight paper will satisfy any artistic needs! for drawing, sketching, or painting. You can play with techniques & effects to your heart's content. Watercolor pad work excellently with wet and dry mixed media including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, colored pencil, charcoal, and pastel.

Paint This Book!: Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered

Put the brush in your hand. Stick it in the water, then smush it around in one of the colors. Now take a deep breath and plop it down on the page . . .You’re an artist. Yes, really! Young or old, there is an artist in each of us. If yours is hiding (perhaps behind a shred of self-consciousness?), just remember: Art is personal expression. You have your talent. Nobody else has anything like it!

Caliart Acrylic Paint Set With 12 Brushes

Acrylic Paint Set With 12 Brushes: Premium paints glide on smoothly, dry quickly and stay as beautiful as the day they were painted. Whether you’re new to acrylic painting or a seasoned
artist, the paint kit will set fire to your imagination.

Artstorys Watercolor Paint Set, Vivid Colors Washable

Premium Watercolor Paint: Comes with 48 vibrant water colors cake, 1 premium refillable water brush, wooden paint brushes and 1 mixing palette converted by the transparent lid. Perfect for artists, amateurs, students, teens, kids, children and painters of all levels. Wonderful gift idea for your friends and families who have fun in painting!

8 Pack Plastic Envelopes Poly Envelope Folder Clear Plastic Reusable Folders

[Colorful Transparent Envelopes] 8 assorted colors: transparent blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, orange, white and red. It’s easy to organize and distinguish your paper with a different color.

1 Pcs Craft Knife Hobby Knife

Valuable Package Content:1pcs hobby knife,10pcs hobby knife blades,1pc steel ruler(6inch/15cm long)

Also, look at more ways to add fun to your learning day.

These activities are fun to do anytime but especially during summer.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON INSPIRED CRAFTS

Also, look at more watercolor art ideas.

MORE WATERCOLOR ART IDEAS

Finally, look at this easy watercolor art and lemon activity.

EASY WATERCOLOR ART

First, look at this easy list of supplies most of which you have at home already.

Watercolors Paintbrush Cup
Water Watercolor paper
1 Lemon (halved)
Knife *Adult help required Cutting board
Cooking sheet

First, gather all the supplies needed.

With an adult’s help, cut the lemon in half using a cutting board and knife.

Place a piece of watercolor paper on the cooking sheet.

Wet the watercolor paints.

Paint the watercolor paper.

It is best to move quickly before the paint begins to dry

Squeeze the lemon onto the wet watercolor painting.

Watch how the juice immediately changes the look of the watercolors.

Set the picture aside to dry.

Also, vary this activity as I mentioned above.

For example, squeeze fresh lemon juice into a small container and add some water.

A good starting ratio is about one tablespoon of lemon juice to two tablespoons of water. You don’t want it too thick.

Then dip your brush first in the mixture and brush over the paper in different areas.

Right away when you dip the brush in the mixture you can see the paint react.

Encourage your child to explore what happens when you add less water or more.

Are some areas bleached lighter?

They can allow the paint to dry more or less and experiment with different looks.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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?

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.

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

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

More Insect Activities

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

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.

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).

Allow to sit until mostly dry.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial

July 9, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have a fun watercolor flamingo tutorial if you’re learning about the Galapagos Islands animals in South America. Also, you’ll love ideas on my South America Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas post.

There are many unique and fascinating animals of the Galapagos Islands.

Some are native or endemic, and others that are plentiful there but might also be found in other exotic spots.

The Galapagos is an archipelago which is a sea or stretch of water containing many islands.

Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial

They are made up of 127 islands to be exact, of which only 4 are inhabited.

Many of which are endemic (native) to the Galapagos Islands from the well-known Galapagos tortoise to the small temperate weather Galapagos penguin.

About Flamingos of the Galapagos Islands

Flamingos are beautiful and graceful creatures that are easily identified.

And while flamingos are not endemic to the Galapagos, the ones that are found there are among the most brilliantly colored.

They are certainly eye-catching and that is why I chose to make them the focus of today’s activity.

The pink coloring of Galapagos flamingos comes from their diet.

These flamingos’ primary food source is crustaceans, which contain carotenoids, a pigment that helps the flamingos to maintain a bright pink color.

Galapagos flamingos live in large colonies, wading in the brackish, shallow waters of the Galapagos off the coast of Ecuador.

I found a beautiful two-page spread on flamingos in the Wildlife Anatomy from Julia Rothman.

This beautiful book not only served as inspiration for our watercolor painting but also covers the anatomy of a flamingo and a few fun facts.

Fantastic Facts About 8 Endemic Animals of The Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Penguin- The only one of its kind that makes its home north of the equator, they are the second smallest penguins and are the rarest penguin species in the world.
Galapagos Land Iguanas have a symbiotic relationship with the islands’ birds, who find a food source in the parasites that live on the iguanas’ skin.
Blue-Footed Booby, The name “booby” actually comes from a mispronunciation of the Spanish bobo, which means “clown” or “fool.”
Galapagos Tortoises inhabit most of the islands in the Galápagos.
Marine Iguana can live on both lands and in the water, diving to depths of up to 30 feet.
Flightless Cormorant is endemic to the Galápagos, yet flightless. They inhabit 2 different islands that are miles from any other shore.
Frigatebird birds have tiny bodies with enormous wingspans, and because they cannot take off from water, they will simply soar around for days, weeks, and sometimes even as long as two months without touching down.
Darwin’s Finches were discovered by Charles Darwin and belong to the Tanager family. Thirteen of the fourteen types are endemic to the Galapagos.

Also, look at these books and resources about the Galapagos Islands.

11 Books & Resources About the Animals of the Galapagos

Add one or two of these fun resources about the animals of the Galapagos Islands in South America.

Where Are the Galapagos Islands? (Where Is?)

The Galapagos Islands are a chain of volcanic islands located on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The isolated location of the islands has allowed a vast number of species to develop that are original to each island, such as the marine iguana, the blue-footed booby, the magnificent frigatebird and of course the giant Galapagos tortoise, which may live to be over one hundred years old.

Galapagos Wildlife TOOB

This Galapagos Island Toob is a must have item for sensory bins and dioramas, but they really give your child a better understanding of what creatures they may never get to see in person. They make great models for art projects as well from sketching to painting.

Galapagos (Earth's Extraordinary Places)

This is the ultimate book about the Galápagos for kids, covering the formation of the islands, the fascinating animals that live there, the evolutionary traits of the flora, the diverse climates, the brilliant conservation efforts and much more!This beautifully illustrated and photographic book provides a fascinating tour of the flora, fauna, and geology of the Galapágos islands. Children can learn about the unique and incredible wildlife, volcanoes, climate and Darwin’s theory of evolution from his visit to the Galápagos.

Karl, Get Out of the Garden!: Carolus Linnaeus and the Naming of Everything

Carolus (Karl) Linnaeus started off as a curious child who loved exploring the garden. Despite his intelligence—and his mother's scoldings—he was a poor student, preferring to be outdoors with his beloved plants and bugs. As he grew up, Karl's love of nature led him to take on a seemingly impossible task: to give a scientific name to every living thing on earth.

Exotic Birds TOOB

11 EXOTIC BIRDS: This Toob brings you some of the most amazing exotic winged friends from around the world. It includes a Parakeet, Quetzal, Yellow Macaw, Humming Bird, Hibiscus Flower, Keel-Billed Toucan, Cockatoo, Flamingo, White Ibis, Snowy Owl, and a Greet Parrot.

My Father's Island (Guinness World Records Little Books)

A true story that incorporates biography, adventure and the elements of armchair travel. Angermeyer, who grew up in Nebraska, embarks on a search to discover what happened to her father, a refugee from Hitler, on the Galapagos Islands where he and her mother had lived before his death.

Marcel McDuby the Blue-Footed Booby

For ages 3-9... The strange little bird with turquoise blue feet spent all his time imagining being someone else. Follow him on a journey that leads to self-acceptance and a life-changing discovery: It's our differences that make us special and set us apart. What's really important comes from our heart.

Galapagos Wildlife (Bradt Wildlife Guides)

This new, thoroughly updated and lavishly illustrated fourth edition of Bradt's Galápagos Wildlife is packed with information and magnificent pictures to aid in identifying key species, all in an easy-to-carry format that covers everything from the wildlife that you're likely to encounter, whether flying in the air, running along the ground or swimming underwater, to a succinct history of the islands, their habitats and volcanic origins.

Galapagos animal adventure with 26 coloring pages for all ages

Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Galapagos Islands with this endemic animal coloring book. With 26 pages filled with detailed and realistic drawings, this coloring book will take you on a journey through the unique landscapes of the islands as you immerse yourself in the wild nature of the región.

Take Your Time: A Tale of Harriet, the Galapagos Tortoise

Harriet the tortoise likes to do things slowly. She explores her home on the Galápagos Islands―slowly. She eats―slowly. And when the sun goes down, she slumbers deeply all night long.

When Harriet’s friends tell her to pick up the pace, Harriet decides to journey to a neighboring island to see what there is to see. She parades with penguins and rides with dolphins, encountering adventure at every turn. But is life in the fast lane right for a tortoise who loves to take her time?

Marine Iguanas - Tails of the Galapagos Islands Series

Marine Iguanas. Discover the unique Galapagos Island critter called the Marine Iguana. Designed for Young Readers (Ages 5-7) in mind, your little adventurist can immerse themselves within the colorful pages that take them on a journey to better understand the Life of the Marine Iguana. Fun facts and vibrant photos make this book an enjoyable read now and for years to come.

Before you begin, have your child identify the Galapagos Islands on a map, globe, or atlas.

Also, have them locate Ecuador and the equator as well.

More South America Activities

Finally, look how to make this diy watercolor flamingo tutorial.

I do not claim to be an artist or an art teacher.

Also, I have a fun printable flamingo unit study that you can read about here.

Dynamic and Beautiful Flamingo Printable Themed Informational Packet Study for Young Learners
$4.00 Add to cart

Galapagos Islands Animals – Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial

But as long as I have been homeschooling, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks that helped me teach things like watercolor in a simple way that helps kids “get it”

If you feel confident, freehand your flamingo with watercolor.

But this simple tutorial is meant for kids (or adults) who like art but aren’t yet confident to jump in fully,

Supplies:

Watercolor paper
Flamingo picture
2-3 small watercolor paintbrushes
Pencil with eraser
Cup of water

Start by lightly tracing the curving neck and body of a flamingo.

It’s okay if it’s not perfect. You can erase and re-sketch as many times as you need to.

Now add some jointed legs, you can draw feet or let them disappear into the water line.

Next, erase your drawing leaving just the lightest pencil marks to give a basic guide.

Use a clean brush and “paint” the neck and body using only water, get it nice and wet.

Now, pick up a light shade of pink watercolor and begin to fill in the flamingo.

Do some wet-on-wet watercolor by adding a little bit of detail and shading with a darker pink while it is still wet.

You will be able to see how nicely it moves when you add wet paint to wet paint. This is a great time to start shaping the tale a bit.

Allow the watercolor to dry, it shouldn’t take long.

Once dry or most of the way dry add details like the leg color, as well as adding more details to the wing and tail.

Let the final layer of watercolor dry and add a black eye and a large, curved beak.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

December 25, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This easy cardinal birds in winter watercolor is a cute project. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page winter season unit study.

And the watercolor painting of the cardinal birds in winter and fun birch trees makes a fun display to bring a pop of color.

In addition, you can create it as an art piece on its own or use it as part of a unit on winter birds or winter in general.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

I have some great resources that will help you get started on your unit study.

Too, we are using two different kinds of paint on this cardinal project which are watercolor and acrylic

Also, you’ll learn a new technique to create a unique look to the bark of the birch trees.

But first look at these cardinal bird resources.

Cardinal Bird Hands-on Ideas

Do the Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity.
Work on this Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study.
Make a yarn wrapped cardinal art project.
Try out my How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft but make it a cardinal.
While you learn about these colorful winter birds you can help feed them with this Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders.
Cardinal Fun Fact Coloring Page.
Track how many cardinals visit your yard each day for a week, how many are male? How many are female?
YouTube, listen to the cardinals song with this video.

Next, add some fun books and resources about cardinals.

12 Northern Cardinal Bird Books and Resources For Children

Add a book or two to your unit study or to your learning day. Cardinals are fun to study anytime of the year.

Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal

Packed with information, the writing is clear and direct and accessible to bird watchers at every level.

Backyard Birding for Kids

With bird facts, an identification guide, and how-to instructions, this is a perfect children’s introduction to bird-watching.

Albert

The morning begins like any other. Albert reaches out the window to check the weather. But from the moment a twig lands in the palm of his hand, life is never the same

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

One of my go tos for nature study.

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

Toy Bird Figures Kids

Because children's thinking is more visualized, the intuitive demonstration of the model can better help children construct in the brain. This birds playset can help children get a more direct understanding of real birds world and stimulate their interest in exploring nature.

Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

One autumn evening, Little Redbird settled down for one last sleep before flying south for winter. As he slept, a strong gust of wind shook him from his cozy nest . . .

. . . Little Redbird hurts his wing and misses his chance to fly south for the winter. As he searches for a new home amongst the trees, he begins to realize that not all trees are fit for the winter cold. As more and more trees refuse him shelter, too preoccupied with their preparations for the frost, Little Redbird fears the worst. That is, until he comes across a friendly bunch of evergreens.

In the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of kindness and why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long.

Backyard Birding Flashcards: 100 Common Birds

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds is now transformed into 100 easy-to-reference cards housed in one handsome pull-drawer gift box. Divided into one stack of 50 common Western and Eastern North American birds, and one stack of 50 common birds found across North America, each card features precise illustrations and text concerning habitat, behavior, and voice description necessary for easy identification.

Attracting & Feeding Cardinals

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year—and nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out. You love these beloved birds, and you want to see them visiting your backyard or garden. Professional naturalist and award-winning author Stan Tekiela teaches you all that you need to know about cardinals.

Cardinals (Backyard Bird Feeding Guides)

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year. And nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out.

Authentic Bird Sounds, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Chickadee

Kids and adults of all ages love these birds, and are captivated by their sounds. They also make great baby toys, and sensory toys for kids any age.

Includes 3 Realistically designed bird toys that produce authentic bird calls from the Cornell lab of ornithology archives of bird recordings.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children

The Burgess Bird Book for Children (1919) is a classic nature book by Thornton Burgess, who introduces young listeners to the subject of bird life by means of a series of interviews within a story. Peter Rabbit and Jenny Wren interview Slaty the Junco, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, and many other common birds to learn about their appearance, their eating, mating and nesting habits, and their songs and calls. The text remains popular as an exceptional combination of information and entertainment.

Cardinals (Backyard Birds)

Whos that singing in the backyard? Its a cardinal! Find out where cardinals live, what they eat, and how to identify the birds and their eggs.

Furthermore, here are some cardinal facts.

Cardinal Facts

Northern Cardinals are mostly non migratory and stay in their habitat year round.
Their lifespan is about 3 years and the oldest recorded lived to be almost 16 years.
Cardinals are usually the first to visit backyard feeders in the morning and the last to visit at night.
Both male and female cardinals can sing unlike most other species of songbird. Male cardinals might sing up to 200 songs in just an hour.
Male cardinals are the bright red ones you see, females are a dull brown with just a bit of red on tail and wingtips.
Northern Cardinals are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, which means you can’t have one as a pet and it is illegal to kill them.
They get their red feathers from carotenoids in their food.

In addition, look at some more winters unit study ideas.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Look at these other winter unit study resources.

Now, grab your art supplies and make this fun winter art project.

How to Make Cardinal Birds in Winter Watercolor

First, you will need:

Watercolor paper
Watercolors
Paintbrushes
Black acrylic paint
An old credit card

Next, here are the direction.

Use a watered down black or gray with a small paintbrush to outline a few general tree shapes and branches.

On as many branches as you would like, paint a red tear drop shape for your cardinals and add a little wedge at the base for a tail.

Fill in the blank spaces between the trees with various shades of blue; you don’t have to make it solid, whitespace looks great in watercolors.

Put a little black paint on a paper plate and tap the edge of a credit card into it, wipe off a little bit of excess.

Start on one side of the tree outline and set the edge of the card and then drag the card across the tree stopping halfway across.

This will give your bark the look of a birch tree. You can do this as much as you like up and down the tree.

Allow the black paint to dry fully.

Once paint is dry go back and add a little bit of black to the center of the bird’s face, black feet, and a bit of yellow for a beak.

When everything is dry your cardinals are ready to be displayed in a frame or as is.

What do you think? Ready to try this for a fun homeschool art, science, and hands-on lesson?

Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids

November 14, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If your kids are looking for winter watercolor art projects, they’ll love this easy diy salt project. Add it to a winter season unit study for more learning fun.

If you live in Texas like I do, you won’t see a lot of snow unless you’re vacationing somewhere else.

But it’s still nice to dream about beautiful forests under a blanket of snow.

Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids

So, today we are going to create our own winter watercolor art project to capture some of that snowy magic with a few different types of paint.

I’ve seen a technique like this done using snow but obviously that’s not an option for us.

Instead, I set to thinking about how I could make it happen here and turn into a fun art lesson too.

Over and Under the Snow

And my solution was a spray bottle filled with water instead of letting the snow melt over my picture.

You will probably want to take this one outside or put a plastic tablecloth on the table under your craft to help contain the mess.

No matter what you’re studying this winter or where you live, snow or not, it can still be fun and informative to learn about snow.

Topics like snowflakes, ice, hibernation, glaciers, icebergs, and everything else winter entails keep it fun.

Add a fun book to this winter watercolor art project like Over and Under the Snow to investigate what happens when that white blanket of snow covers the earth.

As a matter of fact, the book which inspired this project progresses from day to dusk to night as the child and father ski over the snow noticing it all.

I love the darling images of creatures sleeping beneath the earth.

Winter Subnivean Zone

And above there are busy people, squirrels, owls, and a big full moon.

It is a great way to introduce snow, hibernation and terms like subnivean zone (it’s the network of open spaces and tunnels between the snow and ground) to your kids.

The word subnivean comes from the Latin “sub” (under) and “nives” (snow).

There is a fantastic appendix of animals at the back of the book.

It introduces animals and gives a bit of information on each spotted throughout as well as suggestions for more winter books.

More Winter Season Unit Study Resources

Then, here are some other winter unit study resources you’ll love.

Add in a few of these activities to make a fun learning about winter day.

Let’s make this watercolor art project.

How to Make DIY Winter Water Art Project

You will need:

Watercolor paper. It really makes a difference with this paper.
Fine Salt
Food coloring
Black craft paint
White craft paint
Paint brushes
Water in a spray bottle
Baking sheet

First, place watercolor paper on a baking sheet and spritz the entire paper well with water.

Pour a few tablespoons of salt into a small container.

Mix with a few drops of food coloring and repeat for as many colors as you would like to have.

Scoop colored salt all over paper randomly and in different sized piles with different thicknesses to create a mottled watercolor effect.

Spray the colored salt until completely saturated with the spray bottle.

You want to make sure that the salt is very wet so that the food coloring can absorb into the paper.

Allow it to sit undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes.

The longer it sits the more saturated the image will be.

Too, you can let it dry overnight if your little one has the patience to wait.

Flip over your paper quickly to remove all the salt and use a dry brush to remove excess or just wait until it dries naturally and brush then.

Now you should have a beautiful watercolor paper that resembles a dusky night sky or the aurora borealis.

Winter Crafts

Allow your paper to dry completely.

Then, paint a few straight lines straight up from the bottom using a thin flat brush. Draw any amount of trees you want, just leave room for the branches.

Take the same brush dipped in black paint and start at the top line and drag it away from the line in a downward stroke.

This creates the shape of an evergreen tree.

Also, draw some scraggly spindly trees with just limbs and branches using a small, pointed tip brushed if you like.

Finally, allow your black paint to dry a little and then dip your paintbrush in white paint.

If it’s thick, add a tiny bit of water to loosen it up.

You’re gonna want your paint a little runny so that you can tap it on your hand over the paper and create splatters for snow.

Paint a moon if you’d like up in the corner.

Let your completed painting dry.

Because the paper was so saturated it may crinkle up a bit. Lay a couple heavy books on top once it’s dry to help smooth and flatten it.

What do you think? Easy winter art?