Masterpiece Monday: Henri Rousseau (Part 2)

Oops!  Just a day later than I promised...here is part 2 of the project we started Monday!

Supplies:
Paint
Paintbrush
Leaves

1)  Collect several types of small leaves.  Cover the leaves with a thin layer of paint.

2)  Press the leaves on the painting to make prints all over the background.

Masterpiece Monday: Henri Rousseau (Part 1)

Because he painted many jungle scenes (and because our theme is zoo animals), I've picked the artist Henri Rousseau for our Masterpiece Monday!

Henri Rousseau was born in France in 1844.  He was a self-taught artist and painted in his spare time.  Although he never visited a jungle, he often painted jungle scenes -- using his imagination and time at zoos and parks to create his paintings.  You can find out more about him here.

Supplies:

Paper*
Paint
Paint brushes

1)  Paint the body and head of a "jungle" bird.

2)  Add handprint wings.

3)  Paint a beak and tail.  Add feet if desired.  Use an index finger to dot on an eye.

*If we do this project again, I will definitely use a larger sheet of paper.

I found this project from The Usborne First Book of Art. This is one of our favorite art books...and a springboard for many ideas! We'll finish the project in Part 2 tomorrow!

What Shape of Nest is Best Experiment

Try this simple experiment to understand why many bird's nests are shaped like a cup!

You need:

Paper plate

Plastic bowl or cup (we substituted a coffee filter)

Two plastic eggs

1)  Pretend to be a tree.  Put a paper plate "nest" on one hand and a bowl "nest" in the other.  Place an egg on the plate.  Place an egg in the coffee filter.

2)  If you've made it this far without an egg falling off, move your arms like branches swaying in the wind!  What happens?  Discuss why a cup nest is the most common type of nest.

Here are some fun books about nests!

        

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

Here's a classic bird feeder!

You need:

Pine cone

Peanut butter

Knife

Bird seed

Yarn or twine

1)  Spread peanut butter on the pinecone.

2)  Roll the pine cone in birdseed.

3)  Tie a piece of yarn on the top of the pine cone and hang in a tree!

If you have a peanut allergy, try using suet (animal fat) instead of peanut butter.

Eat Like a Bird Experiment

Eat like a bird in this fun experiment!

You need:

Gummy worms

and/or sunflower seeds

Butter knife

Clothespin

1)  Attempt to pick-up seeds or gummy worms with a butter knife (Make sure to supervise -- this may be an unsafe idea for some children!  You could substitute a craft stick).

2)  Pretend the clothespin is a "beak" and pick-up gummy worms and/or seeds.  Discuss which is easier:  Using a "knife" beak or "clothespin" beak?  Why?

Enjoy a snack.  We attempted to break open the sunflower seeds with the clothespin!

Binocular Craft for Birdwatching

This week we'll do a little birdwatching!  Let's make some binoculars!

You need:

2 toilet paper tubes

Tape

Markers

Stickers or other embellishments (if desired)

Hole punch

Yarn

1)  Tape two tubes together.

2)  Decorate with markers and/or other embellishments.

3)  Punch a hole in each side.  Tie a piece of yarn through each hole to make a neck strap.  Take a nature walk and look for birds!

A field guide is great to have when you're out exploring.  Our favorite books are the Take Along Guides from NorthWord Publishing.  They are perfect for beginning birdwatchers (and nature explorers)!  They even include several pages in the back for notes and sketches.  I noticed several are currently part of Amazon's 4 for 3 promotion (where you buy 3 and get a 4th one for free)!