Googly eyes are always a big hit in preschool so I thought I would try using them as a fun easel starter…
As I have done for each of my easel starters, I glued the googly eyes to blank sheets of easel paint paper the night before so they would be dry in time for class the next day. Then I set out the prepared googly-eyed easel papers as well as blank sheets of easel paper and a set of easel paint colors for the children to explore the easel painting process…
Unlike my other easel starters, I did not tie the googly-eye easel starters into any other part of our day. They were just ready to go for the taking. I loved observing the different choices each child made as to what they wanted to do with this process…
Even children who don’t normally “opt-in” on the easel painting process decided to give the googly-eyed easel painting a try…
One of my favorite things is when two or more children stand at the easel and have a discussion about their paintings. These two boys stood together while one of them painted and the other one made suggestions along the way. They were truly collaborating on a piece of art which I happen to think is super, super cool…
The googly-eye easel starter resulted in some very fun paintings. The children were quite creative and took their time painting until they felt their painting was finished…
A super simple way to add a little fun to the easel painting experience…
I just have to add a few more photos below so you can see the broad range of creative expression we had going on here…
Simply beautiful!
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24 Comments
This has got to be one of the easiest, most awesome ideas you have ever posted. Friday is our last day, I am hoping to squeeze this in.
It’s funny how the easiest ideas can really be the most fun in the classroom!
oh we are going to do this soon. Painting is one of our favorite activities thanks now why had I not thought of that? So fun!
So nice…very good!!!Thanks for sharing !
Teresa Rebelo
What an elegantly simple idea! Giving children choices, options- that is what it is all about!
I just shared this on facebook. What a great way to get the children started with their painting.
Thank you for sharing on Facebook! Such a sweet thing to do:)
I love all of the easel starters you have share, but this one is a favorite 🙂
Do you have any ideas for an end of the year party? I have 6 students plus mommies and siblings. My classroom is small. I was thinking of doing pizza and an outside activity like water balloons and bubbles. I have an awesome group of kids, but when the mommies show up, class rules kind of disappear.
This is brilliant! We can’t resist a good googly eye craft/activity around here!
This idea is great! It is so simple and creative! I will definitely try it!
Hi Shelly,
Haha – I have the same problem:) Well a pizza party would be fun – perhaps the moms and kids could work together to make their own pizzas? But if you want to keep things fairly simple here are a few suggestions…
1. Make ice cream sundaes (children and moms add their own toppings)
2. Have a picnic outside.
3. Make a memory bottle or memory book (set out a clean plastic water bottle or blank paper book for each child – let the children fill the bottles with items to remember their school year or draw pictures and sign each other’s books).
4. Set out buckets of water and paint brushes for the children to paint anything they want while outside.
5. And keep your bubbles and water balloons for more outdoor fun.
Easel starters? I love this idea! Such a fun, yet simple way to spark imagination and from your post collaboration. What a brain you have lady! Amazing, just amazing!
what a great eye-dea! this definitely started some very creative art.
Googly eyes make everything more fun 🙂 What a great idea! I’m adding this to our Eye activities next fall, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be doing it before then too. Thanks!
Such a great idea! And they sell googly eyes at the dollar store so it’s frugal too. 🙂 Vicky from https://www.messforless.net
Tried this idea with my pre-schoolers yesterday. They loved it, one little boy spent his time pulling off the eyes on his paper saying, “Now it can’t see.” 🙂
Haha – got some good fine motor work in!
As always, you’ve given us all another fun, simple, and very creative idea to get our children started on a terrific painting experience! Have you also tried a single, colorful pompom as an easel starter? We did this last week and it was a bit hit! I thought the children would visualize the poms as the middle of a flower blossom, but they all had different ideas when they saw the pompom glued onto their paper. So each painting turned out quite different and lovely. I love the individual creativity this simple item provides for them! Thanks.
We did this last Thursday (our Friday)!! But we used markers and feathers. I told them they could make whatever they wanted out of the papers and used two examples; what that I had made into a face, and another that I made into flowers. One artistic soul made his into a clock. I LOVE what they can come up with on their own!!
I love this idea, and it opens up so many more!! Thank you 🙂
LOVE IT! I’m going to share this idea with my EELP neighbor and use with my whole class (I’m pre-K and K). Can’t wait!!!!
Love it Jocelyn! I especially love how you put your own spin on the idea!
As usual, your ideas are fantastic. I would like to see what they’d do with a toothpick, straw, button etc glued on to a blank sheet. I love the open endedness of the activities. Too many teachers make a sample for the children to copy. Have you seen that once you praise a child’s painting that many of them will do the same thing over and over? I have seen that over the years.. Great Stuff!!!
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