Composition Red Yellow Blue, kid style

I am always searching for fun and different art projects to do with the boys. While searching Pinterest, you know this site... right?, I saw a link to Mondrian for Kids Art Project.  I thought this would be a fun, educational and easy art project for the boys.  I showed them the site above as well as more Mondrian images.

I gave each of the boys a white piece of paper, a black marker and a ruler and a square from their tool sets.  I told them to make as many lines on their paper as they would like in as many directions as they'd like.  (Interesting side trip they took.  Both began writing the length of the line on their papers.  You can see the numerals on Blake's finish product.  I think Colby painted over all his measurements.)

I then gave them red, blue and yellow paint.  We talked about the fact that Mondrain did not fill in all the spaces, but left many of them white.  I then let them decide which spaces to fill in and which to leave white.

When the pictures dried I cut them down to size and put them in the frames I have on my credenza.  I try to rotate out their art work every few months.

How's Your Garden Grow?

When I was growing up in Massachusetts, we had a huge garden in our backyard.  We grew tons of vegetables every year.  This is one of the reasons my brother and I like vegetables.  They taste sooo much better fresh off the plant.

Last year I decided I wanted to grow some vegetables so our boys could see how plants grow and be able to pick the vegetables themselves.  I sort of was hoping it would spur them into eating more vegetables too!  I initially bought two kits at Lowes that came with everything you need to grow a garden.  Colby picked a garden salad garden and Blake picked a salsa garden.  These were really cool.  They had the child plant the garden from seed and there was a computer link to track the progress and tell you what steps to do next.  Once we outgrew the initial containers that we planted the gardens in (and weeded out the vegetables that weren't growing well) Richard and I decided to build a raised garden.

We decided on a raised garden for a few reasons.  One the soil, um dirt, um sand, um clay  here is not conducive to growing good vegetables.  Two we have conservation land behind us and in it lives lots of wild life, so we wanted to be able to prevent them from getting our plants (they ate a pineapple we were growing before).  Three we wanted it contained and raised for easier access for those working with the plants.
Richard and I collaborated on the design, size and got to work.