Kinders had a terrific time creating their collage snowman. It’s a very simple lesson to do with this age group. You’ll need two, 30-minute sessions.
Art Supplies:
- 12″ x 18″ white or light blue sulphite paper
- tissue paper (cool colors)
- white, black, orange, red, blue liquid tempera paint
- liquid starch (available in the laundry supply aisle of your supermarket)
- sequins
- medium sized all purpose brushes
Creating the background
Cut small pieces of tissue paper (violet, blue, pink and any other cool colors) and arrange on trays. Set tray in the middle of table for each group of kids. Demonstrate how to apply tissue paper to 9″ x 11″ white or light blue paper using liquid starch and a small brush. Encourage the kids to add tissue paper even to the edges; they can be trimmed later.
Painting the snowman
Put out a few colors of tempera paint (white, light blue, red, orange, black) and demonstrate how the kids might paint a snowmen. They have their own ideas, so I usually don’t force them to stick with the three-circle theory! You may want to consider placing the white tempera paint in a separate container. The children will use this color first and then, after they are finished with it, you can remove it from the table. Another good tip is not to add any water to the white tempera paint. You want it to be thick enough to cover the tissue paper.
Final details
Place a small container of snowflake-shaped sequins on each table. The children can use white school glue to add dots to their artwork and place sequins on white glue dots.
Want more ideas for holiday art projects? Download this free lesson plan by click the yellow button below and we’ll send it to you!
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I discovered your site this year, and love it. I’ve tried a few lessons with great success. I am wondering if you do any more winter lessons you could share. I’m tired of doing the same thing and would love some new, fresh ideas.
Thanks for sharing!
Carey
I did this project, and it cameout absolutely amazing!!!!!
Hi Carey,
Thanks for visiting. You know, I did a “Snowy Day” project last year and it turned out very well. I’ll see about doing it again, and try to remember to photograph it.
Also, check your school library for picture books about winter. That’s where I get many of my art ideas. There are really only a few techniques to teach kids, so it’s only the subject matter that requires creativity!
Stay tuned…
This art project was a HUGE hit with my kids and parents. It’s so lovely on the wall that we did it right before Christmas break and they are still up…coming down this first week of March though so new things can go up! Thanks for sharing your projects on this site and linking other great sites too!
I’m so pleased! This was a fun lesson for my kids as well. Thanks for letting me know!
Hello,
I find the outcome quite beautiful and plan to make my kindergarten students do it.
I live in montreal and cannot find liquid starch.
What alternative product could I use?
Try Mod Podge (craft stores). Use matte and water it down. It’ll work great.
Do you ever have a problem washing the glue out of the paint brushes? Can you still wash it out if the brushes dry before you can get them all washed up?
Thanks.
Hi Melody,
Make sure you use paintbrushes that you don’t mind throwing away. I use the yellow plastic default brushes that come with some trays of watercolor paints. I only use these cheap brushes for glue but haven’t had to throw any away yet! I place them in a jar of soapy water after the students leave class. Have the jar ready because if the brushes dry, it’s pretty hard to get the glue out.
Hi Patty,
I love your site. Have gotten so many amazing ideas! I’m just wondering is it ok to use white glue instead of liquid starch for this lesson?
Thank you!
Yes and I have before. Water down the glue a bit so the kids can brush it on easily. Here’s another reason to use glue: one year, I recycled some liquid starch from an old project and it went bad. When I poured it into containers for this project, the liquid starch smelled like vomit. The kinders were nearly sick themselves. To this day, I can’t look at this project without feeling queasy! Moral: Liquid starch goes bad. Have fun!
I was wondering what the liquid starch did? Can the children just used watered down glue?
p.s. I loved the craft!
This is a wonderful looking project! I am always looking for ways to use tissue paper in my lessons because I inherited a lot of it when I took over the art position at my school. However all of mine seems to be “bleeding” tissue. Could you use that with this project? I’ve used it with the liquid starch in the past, but it definitely bleeds – especially the darker colors. Any thoughts?
Also, just a general thank you for posting so many of your beautiful projects. I have really enjoyed looking at your site this school year and have tried several projects with painted papers. They have been a hit from 1st through 5th!
You can buy non-bleeding tissue paper, but I always end up buying the bleeding kind. That’s what I used for this project and truthfully, when the colors bleed, I think it enhances the art. Be carefully of combining red and green or purple and yellow, etc. It’ll bleed muddy (as you know from the color wheel!).
My seven-year-old and four-year-old are making these for Christmas presents for their grandparents this year. I am planning to photograph their snowmen and have the images printed on mugs.
My kids just completed step 1. It was fun and funny to watch how differently they approached making their collages. My four-year-old was very precise and careful, while my seven-year-old slapped on a ton of modge podge, stuck on a bunch of tissue paper pieces, and completed his collage in about five minutes. I’m glad to have finally introduced them to tissue paper + modge podge. We will be doing more collages in the near future.
Waited glue works perfectly fine
Patty,
I think I’ll have my kids do a smaller version, for a holiday card.
Can this be accomplished in one class period?
More specifically, will the starch dry in time to paint over it?
Thanks,
Andrea
If you use a tissue paper that bleeds, then if the mod-podge isn’t dry, the white paint will smear with the color of the tissue. That’s what the mod-podge helps with. But if you use a non-bleeding type of tissue paper, the mod-podge is only necessary to hold down the paper. Paint over the mod-podge even if it is damp. The best way to know if it will work, of course, is to try a little sample yourself. Good luck!