MINDS IN BLOOM BLOG

Celebrate the holidays with these fun 3-D star ornaments! Your students can color these templates and mix and match them to make festive 3-D stars! Click through to read about different ways to mix up the templates.

Got Kids Who Love to Color? Make this 3D Star Ornament!

If you want to do a Christmas craft with older kids or adults, then these stars could be just what you are looking for. Kids who like to color will love these 3-D Ornaments! Not only that – there is no mess! No glitter, no glue. To make the star, you will need to purchase the I Heart Coloring Star Templates, which come with step-by-step instructions. There are

Some teachers like to claim that there is no time for arts integration in their general education classroom, but our guest blogger begs to differ. In this guest post, she shares a variety of ways that arts integration can occur in general education classrooms.

Creating a Life with Arts Integration

Today’s guest blogger is Tracy from Wild Child’s Mossy Oak Musings. Tracy is sharing her insight on how integrating arts into general education makes for more rigorous, long-lasting learning. Enjoy! Many moons ago, in a teacher’s lounge far, far away, I sat around a lunch table with my colleagues eating a tuna fish sandwich, while trying not reach for the sleeve of thin mints seducing

Many teachers have said it before, and our guest blogger is saying it again: It IS possible to integrate art into all curricular areas! Our guest shares her insight into doing just this and describes different activities and projects she's done over the years to integrate art into her teaching.

Integrating Art into All Curricular Areas

Hi,  I am Susan from Lopez Land Learners.  I want to share you with engaging and entertaining ways to integrate art into all of your curricular areas. If your school is anything like our school, we don’t have an art teacher, so any and all art projects come from me. Budgets, along with the demands and pressures on testing, have taken that scheduled time out

Cooking in the classroom is a fun--but often messy--activity that you can do to integrate all content areas. Of course, reading is integrated, but you can also teach things such as the scientific method, measurement, and even the history of foods!

Cooking in the Classroom

Hi there! I’m Rachel Haltiwanger from The Cozy Learning Cottage, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to post on Minds in Bloom! I’ve spent my whole teaching career teaching elementary English learners either here in the US or abroad, and one of my favorite ways to integrate content, language skills, and collaborative learning is through cooking activities in the classroom. While these activities are

Teaching the solar system is always fun in elementary school; students love learning about outer space and other planets. Our guest blogger shares three tips for making a solar system unit even more fun by including STEAM elements! Click through to get more details for the upper elementary classroom.

3 Tips to “S.T.E.A.M.” up Your Next Solar System Unit

This is Meghan Vestal, from Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom, and I am honored to be a guest blogger for Minds in Bloom! Recently, the science trend has changed from S.T.E.M. to S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math). We all know hands-on learning makes a lesson memorable for students, and integrating art is a great way to add creativity to any lesson. One of my

As we see the arts leaving more and more schools, it's more important to connect the arts with academics. This guest post explores a variety of ways that you can do that for all major content areas.

How to Connect the Arts with Academics

Hi everyone! I’m Suzy from StudentSavvy! I would first like to give a big thank you to Rachel for allowing me to guest post on her fantastic blog! I am a huge fan of hers, and I’m grateful for this incredible opportunity! When I was a student in high school, I attended a charter school that was considered a “Performing and Fine Arts Academy.” Before I was accepted into this school (there

how to use art in the classroom

5 Simple Ways to Integrate the Arts

Hi friends!  It’s me, Tammy, from Literacy Loves Company!  I’m so excited to share with you a few simple ideas to integrate the arts into your day-to-day curriculum!  Before we begin,  I’d like to send out a big THANK YOU to Rachel Lynette for inviting me to guest post!  I’m truly honored.   I am a firm believer that the arts are a vital part

how to start an artist of the month club in my classroom

Artist of the Month Club

Today’s guest blogger is Jennifer from Jennifer Kime Creations. Read on to learn her tips and ideas for having an Artist of the Month Club at your school!   What could I do when budget cuts eliminated an organized art program at my school? How could I incorporate art into the regular classroom without taking away from time required to teach state standards? First, I had to get past my own

how to incorporate art in my teaching

Art Integration for Classroom Teachers

Minds in Bloom welcomes Jenny, the owner of Art with Jenny K., with her post on art integration. We know you’ll find it useful! “The creative adult is the child that survived.”  I came across this quote by author Ursala Le Guin a few months ago, and it has stuck with me ever since. It encapsulates why it is so important to integrate creative arts into

how to use art as a teaching tool in the classroom

Integrating Art Across the Curriculum

Minds in Bloom presents Renée Goularte, a former art-instructor, a working artist, and a writer, with her post on integrating art into your curriculum.   If you are a teacher, chances are you’ve said it: “We have no time for art.” Chances are equally good that you believe that art is important.  It is…and it’s worth making time for! Because you know what? Art education is important in and of

fun art-like activity to use in the classroom

Try Zentangle with your Students

  I don’t usually ever write about art, but recently a friend introduced me to Zentangle. I thought it was fun, so I ordered some materials, and when my soon-to-be step daughter came over the next weekend, she was thrilled because she had learned to tangle from her fifth grade teacher. So, I thought some of you might want to try it with your older students.*  

what are some ways to use music as a teaching tool in the classroom

How to Teach with Lyrics

You are in for a treat! We have Lessia of I am BullyProof Music with us today to show us how to use lyrics to enhance our students’ learning and self-esteem. Thanks, Lessia!   I’m tickled pink and very honored to be invited to guest post for Minds in Bloom. Thanks for the wisdom, warmth, and fabulous materials you share with us all, Rachel. You

Art In Classroom Management

Art in Classroom Management

Please welcome Christi of Digraphs, Decimals, Discoveries!  You’ll love her post today about using art as a method of classroom management.  These ideas create a caring classroom environment.  Thanks for sharing Christi! Sometimes children can’t find the right words or actions to deal with their emotions. In many cases, children are still learning what emotions are and how to deal with the overwhelming feelings that

Learn how to make waxed snowflakes with your class! While this does take some care and ground rules, your students will enjoy this fun craftivity, and the snowflakes will last for many years to come!

Easy and Beautiful Waxed Snowflakes

Dipping ordinary paper snowflakes in wax will not only give them a subtle sheen, but it will also make them durable enough to be used year after year. In addition, it makes them somewhat waterproof so that they will not be ruined by condensation if you put them on a window. After you have cut your snowflakes, slowly heat household wax in a frying pan

how to use art in the classroom

The Importance of Arts in Children’s Development

Minds in Bloom is happy to welcome guest blogger Elaine Hirsch! Elaine’s article on art in education is an important reminder why we should not let art go by the wayside, even in the current environment of strict adherence to academic standards and over-testing.   Arts education is an important component of any child’s development because it teaches  teamwork, analytic, and creative skills. These skills

how to get students to think critically and creatively about their art

8 Questions to Ask Children about Their Art Work

Your child (or student) comes to you with a picture she has just drawn. You look at it and say something like, “Wow, that’s beautiful.” Then, you put it on the fridge. And that is pretty much it. While there is nothing wrong with this scenario, if you want your child to think critically and creatively about her art, you could use this opportunity to

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