I have been planning on sharing another easy project with you all but I have been distracted.

Would you like to meet my distraction?

Her name is Sadie and she was a Christmas gift for the family. She is super sweet and crazy fast. I hope to find time to post again soon and until then I'll be chasing this little pup around.

Thumbprint Alphabet

A friendly blogger recently left a comment on how great it would be to have an art project ready when the kids get home from school. I actually struggle with this. The mom in me says, "that will be so messy to get all out and then clean up". The art teacher that is living inside is saying, "What? Get messy! Create! Have a ball!"

I thought I would feature some art activities that you could have get out and put away without too much fuss. Yesterday the kids and I created some thumbprint art inspired by something I saw at the small object. The thumbprint alphabet is fun and easy to clean up. (unless you do what I did and mix up some permanent ink pads with your washable ink pads)

Dick Blick Art Lessons

The Dick Blick website has come out with a new list of art lesson plans for 2008. You can take a look here. The picture above is from the Drawing with Yarn lesson. The Paper Sampler below is a fun way to introduce kids to original needlepoint samplers.

The last image is from the Masterpiece Magnetic Puzzle lesson plan and is a great way to use your favorite artwork.

**During my student teaching I was discussing the above artwork, Grant Wood's American Gothic, I asked my 1st graders what their first impression was and one little girl said,

"Well, that guy and that girl look like their about to join an angry mob!"