Cloud Pictures and Book: "It Looked Like Spilt Milk"

Ah...the lazy days of summer are coming to an end, but you can still enjoy the lovely weather and make some great art inspired by blue skies and fluffy clouds!

I see a dragonfly!

A great book to get your creative juices flowing is "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" by Charles G. Shaw. This book is simple but inspiring! Don't give away the ending--have the children look at the shapes in the book and guess what they are and THEN discover that they've been looking at cloud shapes! I have read it to children in Kindergarten through grade 3 and everyone enjoys guessing what the shapes are and then creating their own cloud shapes.

This is a great activity to learn about art concepts such as contour drawing and positive and negative space. It is quick and a good project to have on hand for a last minute fun project. Combine this with a trip outside on a sunny day to do some real cloud-spotting and you have an awesome time!

Cloud Pictures

Supplies Needed:

• Blue construction paper
• Pencil with eraser
• Elmer's glue 
• Cotton balls (large, fluffy ones work better than the tiny ones)

Directions:

1. Draw the outline of a simple item onto a piece of paper. Some ideas include a car, flower, butterfly or dragonfly. The sky's the limit (pun intended!!). Remember to keep it simple--don't include any inside details or make any of the parts too small.

2. Fill in the interior of your shape with glue. Liquid white school glue will work better than a glue stick.

3. Attach cotton balls to fill in the shape you made.

You are done! I told you it was super-easy!!

Flower, tree?

Airplane, butterfly, stingray?