Art With Baking Sprinkles!

According to Allison McDonald, mother and blogger at Family Education, baking sprinkles and colored sugars aren't just for decorating cakes and cookies anymore! In fact, she recommends bringing some excitement to classroom craft time by using them to create works of art!

Supplies You'll Need
- Assorted baking sprinkles
- Assorted colored sugar
- School glue
- Kids paint brushes - Heavy black construction paper

The concept of baking sprinkle art is the same as glitter art - first apply glue to your paper, add the desired sprinkles, then shake off the excess. Because it may seem "mundane", here are some elements you can alter for increased learning and fun:

• Glue application. Have students apply their Elmer's the traditional way, but challenge them to create different line styles (e.g. one continuous line, a dashed line, a wavy line, a jagged line, a swirl, etc.) or dot sizes (e.g. 'microscopic', small, medium, large, gigantic, etc.). As they try these suggestions, they'll strengthen both focus and control. Next, have your students use paint brushes to apply the glue. Invite them to play with brushes of different sizes and shapes. Ask them to observe the difference created by using a paint brush instead of the glue applicator (i.e. using a paint brush the glue lines are flatter and wider). Take a poll to determine which method your students prefer, tallying votes on the board for an impromptu math lesson.
• Sprinkle application. Begin by pouring sprinkles straight from the containers. This will help students get a feel for how much the need to cover the glue. Next, to build fine motor skills pour the sprinkles into shallow dishes and have them use a spoon. If you really want to challenge your students, have them try controlling the spoon while wearing large work gloves or rubber household cleaning gloves. You'll be sure to get a lot of laughs with that one!

While unscripted crafts are important, finding ways to challenge and build important skills during art time is also a must! Your students are sure to have a great time with this activity!