Friday, March 18, 2011

Lots Of Birds And A Nest

Finally the birds are singing and Spring will be here soon.  It was an appropriate day to create a project involving birds! Here is one of Cassie's finished pictures. Very cute!


To begin, you'll need some brown paint and some cardboard pieces for the branches. Corrugated box cardboard works nice for thicker branches.


Use the side of the cardboard dipped in brown paint to create the branches of the tree.


We used a potato cut in half and in half again (half circle) to print the birds body. We used red paint on a lid to print in. You could use blue too or any color you desire!


Cassie really enjoyed the potato printing part! She made a lot of birds!  I had to tell her to stop after a while!


Then we simply used our finger to create the heads of the birds.


Next, using the end of a small piece of cardboard, we twisted it to create a triangle bird tail.


Cassie did very well with creating the tails!!!


After the tails, we added the eyes, beaks, and feet with a small paintbrush.  Lots of work!!!  Almost too tired to finish!!!! Especially with all these birds!!!


Lastly,  we added a nest!!! We used pine needles that Cassie loves to collect, leaves, craft feathers, and some twine. I told her that many of the materials we used are also what birds use to make their nests---along with mud too! (We used glue instead!) You could also use raffia, straw, grasses, or anything that you can find! Make a nature hunt out of it!!! It seems that Cassie is always on a nature hunt and has some collection stored away (rocks, pine cones, leaves, seed pods) so it wasn't difficult to find inspiration!


We put a bunch of glue and arranged the materials to create the nest!  All the birds are coming out of the nest.  Ready to fly! Fabulous!



Now, if you want your picture to go along with this book: Bluebird's Nest by: Dorthea DePrisco, then make the birds blue!!! This is a great pop up book of a bird creating a nest----so cute!!! They used bendy pine needles, feathers, leaves and bark to build the nest in the story.  Cassie loves this book!


This is Cassie's bluebird version to go along with the story:


Which one do you like better?  Cassie said,  "I like the red birds and the blue birds!!".  Well said.


Another idea!  Since we had some pine needles and paint left over.... we had a little fun with painting with them! I think it looks really neat.  You could paint a nest this way!!?? What do you think??? Any ideas???

This post is linked to:
FUN FOR KIDS FRIDAY
FOR THE KIDS FRIDAY
THE PLAY ACADEMY
A Great StART
READ. EXPLORE. LEARN.
KIDS GET CRAFTY
THE MAGIC ONIONS
CRAFT SCHOOLING SUNDAY
PRESCHOOL CORNER
SCIENCE SUNDAY
NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS
HELPING LITTLE HANDS READ ALONG
MADE BY LITTLE HANDS MONDAY
MADE BY YOU MONDAY
MY DELICIOUS AMBIGUITY/EASTER BOX
SHOW AND TELL
SHARING TIME/RAISING MEMORIES
MONKEYING AROUND
CHILDMADE
WE PLAY
AN ARTY CRAFTY PARTY
RESOURCE CENTRE

37 comments:

  1. Your daughter did a brilliant job - I love all those birds (and her enthusiasm).

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  2. Awesome activity! I'm your newest follower from Read.Learn.Explore =)

    http://nextgenhomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/03/jack-and-beanstalk.html

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  3. Oh my! These are BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! How adorable. How cute!!! :-)


    Maggy
    (Thanks for linking to Kids Get Crafty!)

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  4. Wow! What a great work of art-- and we're fond of the pop up books too!

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  5. Fantastic idea!

    I am also going to check out the book!

    Also love that C has on a construction paper crown. My E put a reindeer one on yesterday for craft time. Maybe it makes them more creative:-)

    Kerri

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  6. I want to look for this book too. The blue birds and red birds are super cute.

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  7. Mekissa,
    These birds are just exquisite.
    I love the process, and that you take time to teach Cassie various ways to create each part of her birds.
    Brenda

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  8. I love painting with non-traditional materials. What great ideas!

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  9. I love the nature hunt to go with the art activity (which is adorable)! I featured your post at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LivingMontessoriNow

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  10. ohhh loving that painting. I'm sure my little ones will love trying out this cool painting. fits in really well with our spring and gardens theme!!
    Thanks for the great ideas
    Pipxx

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  11. beautiful!! love this and the printing component

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  12. What a great blog. Call me your newest follower, I'll be back often for ideas to entertain and challenge the children I work with.

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  13. Thanks for all the great comments! I am excited for our next projects!

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  14. Melissa,
    Thanks for checking in with me on my blog. I was just wondering if it is difficult finding me, now that I have the 2 blogs?

    I DO love this art Cassie did, and that you are helping her develop skills - scaffolding for her.

    I am thinking of doing a form of this with my 2 1/2 year olds.
    Brenda

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  15. Just popped over from Helping Little Hands - what lovely ideas you share on your blog. I used to make potato prints with my children when they were young...now that I'm a grandma, I think it would be fun to do again!

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  16. Really cute and fun! My daughter would go nuts for this. :)

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  17. So cute! I featured you again.

    http://smilemonsters.blogspot.com/2011/03/fun-for-kids-finds_21.html

    Jo @ SmileMonsters

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  18. This looks like so much fun. I must bookmark this and remember to make it with the kiddos. They would love it.

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  19. this is wonderful, melissa! your use of found materials is inspiring: potatoes, cardboard, yogurt lids, fingerprints, pine needles, etc.! my daughter says the exact same thing when i ask her if she prefers "x" or "y". so funny. and, as usual, i love cassie's head dress. she's so stylish!

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  20. love this!!! www.ourartlately.blogspot.com

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  21. These are so cute! What a great idea!

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  22. Love all the busy birds! The addition of the nest is perfect, too.

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  23. Beautiful art project. We did something similar but not as detailed with thumbprint painting bees and flowers.

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  24. The birds are so cute! I had to try it myself today and I am going to involve my firstgraders next week.

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  25. I found you through Adventures of Bear and I'm SO glad I did. I can't wait to sift through your archives and follow you. I love this project. So nice!

    Lori @ montessori MOMents

    http://mymontessorimoments.wordpress.com/

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  26. Oh my gosh, that is so sweet!!! What a great idea!

    Thanks so much for sharing these at For the Kids Friday! I'll be posting the next link party tomorrow night. I am excited to see what you'll be sharing this week!

    :)rachel @ SunScholars.blogspot.com

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  27. This is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Play Academy. I think we'll make some too :)

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  28. Love this, and especially all the different shapes that you printed in one piece, fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing on Craft schooling sunday!

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  29. This is the cutest thing ever! I can't wait to make this with my little ones.

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  30. I think I'll add that book to our library list, this week!

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  31. My kids are absolutely fascinated by what nests are made of. So this would be a huge hit at our house.

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  32. This is awesome...more than awesome!

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  33. Linking crafts to books is great I think. Classrooms have so many of them! The twiggy bits really make the picture look real! Hope you will link again next week!

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  34. Hi, I visit your blogs and read your content. Your content and blogs are very nice. The Bookmarks printing are uses to institution for business. I am impressed with your services.

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  35. Really great post, it looks like a lot of fun and I think I'll getthek ids to do this over the weekend.

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