Messy Monday #19 - Beach Week

No trips to the beach this summer for us, so we're making our own beach in the back yard.  Sand and water table, kiddie pool, slip 'n slide, beach towels, beach blankets, picnic lunches and all things beachy.  Beach and vacation books from the library and beach themed vocabulary words.  Here's one of the fun art projects we did this week that works with our theme.  A beach sunset/sunrise landscape - so fun and easy - here are the supplies you need:

salt, water, paintbrush, watercolors, at least seven strips of thick (preferably watercolor) paper at least 2 inches in width, a full sheet of paper, glue

paint strips of paper rainbow colors - this can be a color mixing lesson or just a fun paint lesson

paint one strip to look like sand - yellows and browns

sprinkle salt on the paper - you can leave this on for texture or rub it off and it will absorb the paint leaving a sandy look

carefully rip on side of the paper - leaving the white edge on the top - to create a neat effect

start at the sky portion of the paper and glue down painted strips one at a time, overlapping the next strip over the last strip

If you have older kids, they could paint more strips and paint/draw details of the landscape.  Your older kids could also do a black construction paper silhouette of trees or beach chairs and glue it down to the sunset/sunrise.