It's also pretty easy to adapt for those who don't celebrate Christmas and are not able to do Christmas activities. They just did birds and the boarder was done with small squares of coloured paper not Christmas wrapping paper.I found a couple of simple bird illustrations by googling Christmas birds illustrations. I chose these two illustrations specifically to illustrate the use of simple shapes to construct pictures. These birds are made up of semi circles, tear drops, triangles rectangles, circles and diamonds. Another art lesson that supports learning in maths, there is a direct overlap between this art outcome and the maths outcome in the junior primary levels.
I traced over the basic shapes on my interactive while board and showed them ways of using simple shapes and 'letters' to create birds. D makes a body, a head and a wing. W can make a wing or a tail. M can make an open beak. SO if you can write the alphabet you can draw!!!
The kids took these ideas and created their own birds.
The branches were added last to tie the composition together. Then musical notes, stars, snow or other features were added at the artist's whim.
Once the painting was done with the ordinary everyday tempera discs a boarder was stuck down using pre chopped squares of colourful xmas wrapping paper.
All of this was achieved in one 1&1/2 hour session.
As a special treat for the kids I have laminated them so they can take them home to use as festive place mats.
