Top Tips and Lessons for Using Chalk in your Art Room!

Hello!

Last week I dumped everything I could think of into one video all about watercolor painting with kids. I hope you got something out of that video and enjoyed it! I made it just for you (and your sanity.

This week, I thought I'd share all things chalk! I know a lot of art teachers avoid chalk because of the mess. I'm going to encourage you to give this video a watch and try some of these tips on for size. I think you'll find it helpful...and maybe even fall in love with using chalk with your students! 

Also in this post, I'm throwing in all of my very favorite chalk lessons and projects. All are free for you and your students to enjoy. 

I shared several projects in that video so I thought I'd place them and the links below for you to use!

Always a hit! This one is done with the liquid starch and chalk hack I shared. Here's the video. And here is a blog post of the finished results!

This project was done with the same method of starch and chalk. It's a huge hit with the kids. Video lesson is included here!

Another method for liquid starch and chalk is this one I did with my fourth grade! Video lesson included here. 

One of my most popular lessons of all time is this one! BUT don't do what I did: don't make black glue! Instead, follow my demo in the video and go the much easier route of using Elmer's Glue All and black marker. 

Here's a blog post with the finished results. This one is always a crowd pleaser!

Here's another one inspired by the artist Sandra Silberzweig! Video lesson included here. 

Yet another glue and chalk combo! Lesson video here. 

Before tackling their butterfly ceiling tile project, one second grade class created these beauties! A fun project for the end of the school year. 

Looking for a quick chalk project that introduces a contemporary artist? Try this one! 

I have a LOT of videos and blog posts on our annual chalked event but this blog post breaks it all down for you, if interested!

This lesson is fun to show kids how to use stencils with chalk! Full lesson and artist reference included in this blog post (with video!).

Floating chalk prints is ALWAYS a huge hit! And this year, I did it with kindergarten. Independently! You can read the details here. 

Still want more?! I got you! Check out even more chalk pastel lessons here and have fun!

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In the Art Room: My Favorite Chalk Pastels Projects and Techniques!

Hey, friends! We are currently up to our elbows in chalk projects in my art room and it got me thinking...I should share my Top 12 Chalk Pastel Projects with y'all AND my tips and tricks. I steered clear of chalk for the longest time because of the mess; the lack of understanding how to set the stuff and because the chalk I had on hand for my kids was, well, crap. So I'm gonna debunk all of this chalk nonsense and hopefully help you get excited to bring this beautiful and vibrant medium into your art room. In this post, I'll share my fave projects but if you want even more details, check out this podcast episode:

Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Abstract Portraits I don't often repeat lessons, but this one is a hit year after year. Follow the link to a video that you can share in your art room. 

 Symmetrical Butterfly Project with Second Grade This lesson includes a video! It was a fun project that I did with my second graders and each one was a beauty. 

Claire West Inspired Landscapes with Chalk and Liquid Starch If you've never used liquid starch with chalk before, oh boy, y'all are in for a treat! This hack is magical and I cannot wait for you to give it a go. More details in this blog post. 

Faux Stained Glass Project We did this a few years back and the results were so striking! You can find more details here. 

 Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Fish! I love Sandra Silberzweig and her work as do my students. Anytime I can share her with the kids, you better believe I'm gonna. This project did just that. Video included!

 Crayon Chalk Collaborative Working together, my students created these large pieces that were so fab. You can see all the details here. 

 Fourth Grade Fauve Portraits This project uses the chalk and liquid starch trick and the results are so vibrant. More details here. 

 Desert Landscapes with Third Grade Stencils and chalk go so well together. More details on this fun lesson here. 

 Floating Chalk Prints! Behold! This is the coolest thing you can do with chalk. Don't believe me? Check this link! 

 James Russo Inspired Animals with Chalk and Oil Pastel We're the tigers at my school so this project was just perfect. More here. 

 Glennray Tutor Inspired Marble Project This one was fun and had the kids so excited to work in the third dimension! 

Annual Ceiling Tile Legacy Project! This is a massive undertaking I do every year with second-grade students. They create chalked ceiling tiles that are then placed in the ceiling permanently. How fun is that? More here. 

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