Last Minute Craftiness

I saw classes just one day this week.  I decided to do something special with them since I normally miss Monday classes due to holidays and such. In keeping with our Thanksgiving/fall/harvest theme this week I decided to use the old toilet paper tubes again with my younger students. We made Native American Symbol Drums! Quiet drums I might add. Gosh we just get so crafty sometimes it almost hurts. 

Native American Symbol Drum

This is created by using a 4 1/2 x 6 inch piece of brown construction paper, toilet paper tube, small piece of computer/scrap white paper, construction paper crayons, and glue.

I pre-glued white paper onto each tube (similar to the way we did the soup cans last week) for my kindergarten students. (Make sure this is dry before giving to students). Then I hand each student a drum and their brown paper. They looked at examples of Native American symbols and could draw their own using their crayons onto the brown paper. When they filled the paper, we glued the brown construction paper around each tube and students had to hold it with two hands, like an icecream cone, for a long time so the paper would stick.

When dry I showed students how to play the drum by tapping it with a flat index finger. Out of 37 kids only 3 tore the top by using a pointed finger. That's not too bad of a ratio. The kids loved playing the drum back to their classrooms and luckily the sound of tapping computer paper isn't very loud.

Native American Symbol Medallions

My younger sister is interning right now in a 1st grade classroom and happened to have some left over crayola air dry clay from a project she did. Well I snapped the extra up and used it with my 1st graders at my school. We ended up making Native American Symbol Medallions.

Clay? with 1st graders?  Totally. They are completely capable with the right rules, expectations, and instructions. I had 33 students create their medallions on Monday and they all turned out unique and awesome. I am so proud. We also looked at the same Native American symbols my K students saw, but my students drew with plastic utensils. I first showed them out to roll the clay piece into a ball in their hands, then on the table, then gently press the clay to make a disc. It should be as thick as their pinky fingers otherwise the clay will dry brittle. Several had to ball up and try again until we got it just right.

Then they drew into the clay with their plastic utensils. I love these and the kids were so surprised and thrilled to be part of this special opportunity. I used the end of a paintbrush to poke a hole in each one and strung yard through when they were more solid. 

Now... its time for a break. Woo hoo!

Jive Turkey!

Every year around Thanksgiving the kids are getting antsy. I do a silly little drawing with all of them that keeps things fun and light to survive the days before we get out. We create Jive Turkeys! These cool dudes will not be on the serving dish this Thanksgiving. They will be out dancing and boogeying until the wee hours of the morning. They are turkeys with "attitude."


I'm afraid I don't have examples that the students did because I send them home the day we do the drawing.

Jive Turkey 1

We start by drawing the head as a circle, then work our way down the body using lines and shapes. We draw a horizon line for our dance floor and a disco ball above. Students could choose the attire of their turkeys and even add hair if chosen.

I did more guidance though with my 1st graders and Kinders to simplify the process for them. 2nd grade and up can come up with many good ideas on their own. 

Jive Turkey 2

We drew first with pencil, traced with marker, then colored with crayons. Although, just drawing the whole thing first in black crayon works well with K's so that they don't start coloring all over everything they just drew with marker. This can take between 1 or 2 forty minute classes depending on how quickly your kids move.

With my 2nds and younger I will actually teach them the hustle that they perform down the hallway back to their classrooms. Its mostly for my amusement, but they get a kick out of it too.

Yay for Thanksgiving!