If the Egg Fits...Paint it!

Thank Heavens it’s April. As a gardener, I love spring, but also as a teacher, I’m eyeing the last day of school. At this point in the school year, the teachers are worn out and the kids are jumpier than ever. A rough combination. But we’ve made it through this busy month without the wheels coming off (entirely) and I’m back to show some awesome art made by my wiggly, loud, bold, creative, eraser-throwing, growing-before-my-eyes students. I teach at a private school, so spring involves Easter art. Some has a religious feel and some of the art is simply cute. I told the kids about my brief but memorable stint as a mall Easter Bunny in the late 90s. There were mixed reviews on whether mall bunnies are terrific or terrifying...

My Kindergarten students made Easter chickies that have a stand behind them so they can be vertical table décor. These kids did a good job with cutting, gluing and coloring.

First grade made Easter baskets from paper plates. You know I love paper plates for art because they are cheap and strong.

This student didn't follow my "yellow and brown basket" instructions, but how can I get mad when I student is obsessed with color? I just can't.

Second grade colored cheerful Easter egg wreath coloring pages.

Third grade did a coloring sheet I designed. They finished the sentence “Easter means…”  Some were very earnest, talking about Easter being about Jesus, and some were more focused on candy, but hey, candy is great! I told them they could answer however they wanted to. Let’s keep it real.

Fourth grade did something that I have never taught before. I invented it for this class, and it took a little adjustment along the way. These are pop-up Easter chicks. Did you ever read pop-up books as a kid? I loved them. You move a tab to reveal something hidden on the page. These kids push up the tab below the egg and up pops a chick. They had a lot of fun and I love how different the eggs look…

The tab is stopped by a line of hot glue at the bottom so it doesn't fall out.

Just a few eggs, right? Including a waffle egg.

Now the chickies have hatched!

Fifth grade made 3-d Easter baskets. They aren’t strong enough to hold actual eggs, but I think they rank high in the fun factor. How adorable are these?

Sixth graders were asked to color crosses and I think these turned out beautifully. With the colorful tones I think they look like stained glass…

This student told me he chose blue and yellow
to support Ukraine.

Seventh grade made yarn baskets/bowls this month. They are not Easter baskets—the timing was just a coincidence--but now that I think about it, this does fit with my basket theme this month. In a way, these shallow bowls are nests, not for housing real baby chicks, but anything the kids want to put in them. Some bowls are shallow, and some appear deeper. This depended on how the kids wove their yarn (tightly versus loosely) but all of them are wonderful. Except for a few weird moments with yarn (knots, tangles, and a pile of yellow yarn cut into small pieces resembling macaroni), this project turned out well.

Eighth grade also colored Easter crosses. A few kids scribbled their way through the project, but most took their time and were thoughtful about color choices and detail. I will miss this wild group of teens. They are graduating in about a month and I can’t believe I’ve taught them for five years and they are leaving my art room nest. It’s time but I’m not ready!

And on that note, I will sign off. There is a lot to do in May but I’ll be back soon with another dose of medicinal art. Guaranteed to lift your mood. Side effects may include elevated spirits, artistic inspiration, sleepiness or sleeplessness. If you feel uncontrollable art urges, proceed immediately to a craft store.