CMP Activities

Materials for Spray Bottle Art Books: Art and Paint Me a Picture 3 spray bottles Paint: red, blue and yellow (I added water to make the paint thinner) Thick paper (cardstock) We have been learning about colors and how primary colors mix to make secondary colors. We read Paint Me a Picture and Art and […]

Materials for Directed Drawing: Permanent black markers Paper Watercolor paint White board and dry erase marker (for teacher to demonstrate line drawing) This activity is a simple way to help your kids follow multi-step directions and work on fine motor skills. Give your child a black marker and a sheet of white construction paper to […]

Materials: Paper Markers and crayons We have been talking about pirates all week and decided to make our own treasure maps. We started out by taking a look around our classroom and looking for places we could hide a treasure chest. We created a large map together to brainstorm ideas and how we wanted to […]

Materials: “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds Variety of colored liquid paint Paper Corks For this simple art project we first read “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds. While reading the book, we had a group discussion about different things that inspire us to create art. We also talked about shapes and what we know […]

Materials: Large white paper Various colored paint Marker Paper plates This is a simple and fun group art project to try. First, draw a large fish onto the white paper. Then, pour paint onto a paper plate and have the kids dip their hands into the paint. The kids can use one color at a […]

Materials needed for Moon Rock Science experiment: 4 Cups Baking Soda 1/4 Cup water Powder Tempera Paint Glitter Vinegar Pipettes Paper Crayons Pencils We began our Moon Rock Science by taking 4 cups of baking soda, 1/4 cup of water, and paint/glitter. The kids helped measure out each ingredient. We mixed everything together and the […]

Materials: Construction paper Glue In our Kindergarten Prep classroom we are studying art appreciation. For this project, we used recycled paper scraps to create our own unique paper sculptures. We folded and twisted the paper in various ways. We used our fingers to wrap and wind the paper. This activity is simple and an easy […]

Materials: “Paint Me a Picture” by Emily Bannister White paper Black permanent makers Glue Scissors Yellow watercolor Paint brushes Assortment of flowers For this activity we read “Paint Me a Picture” by Emily Bannister. We talked about the colors in the book and the feelings associated with each color. During our discussion, we noticed that […]

Materials: Tempra Paint Thick Tissue Paper Paint Brush Variety of objects to paint with Scissors Glue Construction paper “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle This week we are doing an author study on Eric Carle. We read “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle and talked about what we observe about the pictures in the book. […]

Materials: Liquid watercolor paint Water droppers Paint brushes White construction paper Animal templates cut from black construction paper. 1. Trace animal shape onto black paper and cut out. For this, I googled animal templates and printed it out. I traced and cut out the animal shapes to save time and some animals were to hard […]

By: Julie Goldstein This week up in The Studio our CMP artists learned all about cutting shapes and creating colorful collages inspired by the books “Perfect Square” and “Drawing with Scissors”. They learned all about the artist Henri Mattise, who was famous for his colorful cut collages. For some of our students, this was the […]

Materials: Black and yellow yarn Cardboard Scissors Newspaper Makers Buttons 1. Cut out an oval shape from the cardboard. This will be the body of the bee. For younger kids, cut small slits into the cardboard so that the yarn won’t move while wrapping. Have the kids start wrapping the yarn around the oval cardboard. […]

Materials: Paper plate Bubble wrap Yellow and orange paint Yellow and blue construction paper Glue Paintbrushes 1. Paint a white paper plate yellow. 2. While the paint is still wet, lightly paint a piece of bubble wrap with orange paint. Have kids dab the bubble wrap onto the plate. Keep dabbing until the paint has […]

Materials Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink Yarn Cardboard cut into a rainbow shape This is a simple and easy fine motor art project. First, I cut a rainbow shape out of cardboard for each child. Then, they were given a piece of yarn in each color. I tied the first piece on and […]

Materials: Green Construction paper Popsicle stick Brown yarn Green crayon Flower cut out Bingo dotters Glue Marker After talking about the parts of a flower during circle time, we created our own flower during art. First, I cut out a flower for each child and had them use bingo dotters to decorate their flower however […]

By: Julie Goldstein This week up in The Studio, we went on another nature adventure. This time we learned all about “Textures” in nature. First, the children passed around a pinecone and used their own words to describe how it felt in the palm of their hands. Some said, “it’s squishy” and other “it’s soft” […]

Materials: Watercolor Eyedroppers White paper 1- Have kids dip eyedropper into watercolor and squeeze drops of watercolor onto paper. This is great fine motor activity to increase finger strength. 2- When they are drone adding paint, have them stand over a garbage can or tray and tilt their paper so that the paint drips down. […]

Materials Blue acrylic paint A black and white photo of child holding an umbrella Glue Modge podge “Love” sticker Scrapbook paper cut into heart shapes 1. Paint white canvas with blue acrylic paint and let dry. 2. Cut out a black and white photo of your child holding an umbrella. 3. Modge podge onto canvas […]

Materials: Black, orange, and white construction paper Glue Googley eyes Water colors Pencils Scissors 1. Have children use watercolor paints to completely cover a white piece of construction paper as the background. We used permanent markers to write our names so they didn’t run with the watercolors. 2. On a half sheet of white construction […]

Materials for Part 1: Bubble wrap White paint Rolling pin 1. Tape bubble wrap to a large rolling pin. Then, spread white paint on a plate or tray and have children roll the bubble wrap into the paint. Then, they will paint their whole piece of paper. We choose to use black paper. While the […]

“Creating Art with Nature” Julie Goldstein I love to be in nature, I get so inspired and excited about the textures, space and overall experience. The children also love to be in nature and often create drawings or collect objects from nature to use in their artwork. For this particular project, we went on a […]

Materials Red tissue paper Circle cut from yellow construction paper White paper Glue Water Paintbrush 1- Have children rip red tissue paper into strips 2- Mix equal parts glue and water to get a “runny” glue consistency. After children have ripped paper into strips, have them glue the strips down using a paintbrush over the […]

Ideas for children to explore shapes. 1. Pattering with blocks and paint. Use a variety of blocks to have children create a pattern. Have your child dip the block into paint and make any pattern they choose. 2. Shape tracing. Use a simple shape pattern and have children place flat glass beads to make the […]

Materials Green paint Glitter A stick White paper A star sticker or star bead Glue Painters tape 1- Lay two pieces of painters tape in a triangle to make a tree. 2- Have children use green paint to paint in between the two pieces of tape. 3-Remove tape very carefully. Add a star at the […]

Try these fun and easy “DIY” holiday themed learning centers. Jingle Bell Sorting You’ll need an ice cube tray, a variety of jingle bells, and a set of kid friendly tongs. Have kids transfer the bells into the ice cube tray. For older kid they can sort, match colors, and make patterns. Christmas Tree Decorating. […]

Materials “Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcake by Kimberly and James Dean Yellow, brown, and pink paint Brown and white construction paper This is a fun way to revisit your Pete the Cat read aloud. For younger children, cut the white paper into a a cupcake shape. For older kids, they can cut out […]

Materials “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” story Stickers “Old Lady” Template Crayons Story props for re-telling Our preschoolers love stories they can sequence and retell. We read “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” and after we finished, we discussed the sequence of the story. For this activity, we […]

In this activity you will need: Tall jar or glass Popping corn Baking soda Vinegar Water Spoon DIRECTIONS: 1. Add 2 cups of water to the jar 2. Take 2 tablespoons of baking soda 3. Stir until it resolves 4. Add corn 5. Add vinegar slowly Dixie cup size 6. Then watch it dance!!

Materials: White construction paper Green, yellow, brown, blue, and white paint Paint brushes This is a great activity to explore landscapes with children. After discussing the type of landscape you might see in the country or on a farm we painted these pictures. First, we folded the paper into 4 sections. I drew a light […]

Materials White paper Black marker One large cardboard circle and one smaller cardboard circle for tracing Pink crayons Blue, green, and yellow water color paint Paint brushes For this activity, your preschooler will be listening to and following multistep directions. First, have your preschooler trace the large circle with a black marker for the pigs […]

Materials: Brown, yellow, and red paint White construction paper cut into leaf shape Dried, brown leaves from outside Acorns Tray for rolling acorns on Spoons This is a great process art project for fall. First, have kids collect the leaves and acorns from outside. Talk about how seasons change and leaves begin to change color […]

Materials: Black, white, yellow, and orange construction paper Glue Q-tips First, draw a candy corn shape on a piece of black construction paper. You can free hand each one or create a template to trace. After talking about the pattern of the colors in candy corn, have the kids use q-tips to spread glue on […]

Materials: A variety of kool-aid Water Baking soda Vinegar Clear bowls or cups First, you need to put a few scoops of kool-aid into a clear bowl or cup. Then, add water to the kool-aid so that it all dissolves. Give it a good mix! Once you have your kool-aid mixture the fun begins! Have […]

Materials: Orange and brown construction paper Hole punch Scissors Black Marker Orange yarn Newspaper For this activity we cut an identical pumpkin shape onto two pieces of orange construction paper. Then we used the hole punch to punch holes along the outside of the paper. Attach a long piece of yarn to the paper using […]

This week, our 2 year old friends learned all about corn! The used a variety of skills to explore and investigate.

Materials: Apples Equal amounts Vinegar and Baking Soda Tray Knife First, cut the top off the apple and make a hole for the baking soda and vinegar. We let the children scoop the baking soda into the apple. We then poured the vinegar into the apple. We stood back and watched the science happen!

Materials: Assortment of large shapes Pencils Scissors Construction Paper Markers “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” by Joe Troiano Step 1. After reading the story, allow children to choose any colored construction paper they like and a shape that they can trace. Step 2. Have children trace the object and then cut out the shape. Step 3. […]