All Aboard Week!

This week's projects are REALLY fun. We have a nephew/son really into trains and we wanted to do something fun for kids of all ages. The concepts aren't hard or new, but put together they make a fun and beautiful collection of artwork!

Making the Train

First, we have to make the train! If kids need it, we have a step-by-step drawing of a locomotive and it's cars. Have kids draw the train and then it cut out. We wanted a paper train that could drive on a bridge, climb a hilly road, and traverse through mountain passes. The easiest way to achieve this (without making three trains) was to have kids secure each part of the train with a piece of yarn. This enables to the train to "move" in each drawing.

Snowy Mountain Pass

Then kids can collage a snowy mountain pass. We first drew mountains in the background using Kwik Sticks. We cut triangles out of leftover artwork to make the mountains and the track. Obviously, kids can use any kind of paper, but we always have old artwork to "recycle". Have kids then glue the smaller mountains in the back, glue the track in front, and save the biggest mountain to secure around the track. To make the "pass," only place glue on the top and bottom of the biggest mountain, so the train can move through the snowy mountain pass. Then we have kiddos using white Kwik Sticks to color in the snow.

Train Rolling Through Farmland

We love having the train able to go up an down hills. First, have the kids draw the farm scene in pencil starting with the hills. Have kids draw the track going up the closest hill (for the train to go up). Then have kids make a smaller track going up on of the hills in the back. The kids can fill in with decoration. On our tables, we include a step-by-step of cows, pigs, and sheep. Next, simply fill in color with a mix of markers and oil pastels. We used Crayola's oil pastels. For the older guys, have them press hard with the oil pastels and experiment with blending colors.

Bridge and Sunset

We love having a painting element in each of our weekly projects. For this project, we are using watercolors. To start, kids can draw a bridge for the train to cross using oil pastels or crayons. Then use watercolors to fill in the color - reds, pinks, yellow and oranges for the sky, blacks and whites for the bridge, and blues and greens for the water. Kids can paint right over the crayon or oil pastel lines. It will resist the watercolors. Next, for fun, we crumbled up white tissue paper for the smoke and green tissue paper for more landscape.