3-D Paper Rainbows

Is this not THE MOST ADORABLE art project you have EVER seen?  (Ok, I get a bit overly excited about rainbows, lol).  This was a project I did with my Kinders yesterday.  We sorted the paper strips, compared the sizes, ordered them from least to greatest, and used patterning.  Whew!  Let me say, it did take the entire hour of art class for these creations, but it was worth it!  You start with an 18" red strip and decrease the size by 1.5" for each color until you end with the pink strip.  Doing this, it causes the paper to bend into that fabulous arc.  You should definitely give this project a try!

Handprint Rainbows

Here in STL, we are not even close to Spring weather and I cannot take another minute of 20 degree temperatures, so we are bringing Spring into the building with flowers, bees, and RAINBOWS!  What says 'elementary art' other than a rainbow painting?  Nothing.  I did this project with my 2nd graders and they did a great job.  I wouldn't go any lower than that unless you have some really great Kg. & 1st graders who have self-control, can handle a mess, and have exceptional listening skills.

First, we drew some clouds and colored the 'negative space' with the blue crayon for sky.  Next, I went around and lightly drew a big arc on their paper so they had a guideline to follow for the handprints.  I demonstrated how to press (not slam, slap or tap) their hand into the puddle of paint and carefully stamp their hand on the arc, wipe off the paint with a paper towel, and stamp the next color.  Of course, we had to discuss ROYGBIV and the color spectrum so they knew what order to print their colors.  The results were great, but I have to say...I probably won't be doing this again until NEXT Spring.  It was a lot of prep work and a LOT of clean-up!  Hahaha.