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Home / Early Learning / Preschool Arts and Crafts / Summer Art for Kids – Colorful Shell Sculptures

Summer Art for Kids – Colorful Shell Sculptures

Shared by Mary Catherine 5 Comments

I am so excited to be teaming up with My Nearest and Dearest, Nothing if Not Intentional, Buddy and Buddy, and Play Trains for Summer Play Days!  We’ll each be sharing fun summer ideas Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Be sure to check back each day!  Today, I’d like to share a bit of summer art for kids to create with shells.

During a preschool ocean theme, the kiddos made colorful shells with liquid watercolors.  After the shells were dry, we decided to use them for this art project.

Are you following Fun-A-Day’s Summer Camp at Home Pinterest Board?

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 7

Table of Contents

  • summer art for kids with colorful painted shells
  • Done-for-You Preschool Resources

summer art for kids with colorful painted shells

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Materials
I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Painted seashells
Air Dry Clay
Bits and Bobs from our art center
Wax paper
Colored Sand

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 5

How the Kids Created
Oh, boy, did the students have such fun with this art project!  As usual, they exceeded my expectations with their creativity. I set lumps of clay on wax paper, along with the children’s shells.  Then I let all of them create to their hearts’ content.

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 2

Some of the children enjoyed making shell impressions with the clay.  Others just loved poking the clay with their fingers for a while.  Once they’d explored the clay, they started creating.

The shells were added to the clay in a variety of ways.  Some were pressed down into the clay, while others were used in more vertical ways.

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 3

A few of the children decided their sculptures needed more pizzazz, so they raided our art supplies.  Purple craft sand was brought in, along with sequins, pompoms, buttons, and sequins.  Needless to say, some of their creations were seriously blinged-out!

Once the kids were happy with what they’d made, we left the shell art to dry.  The thicker creations took a few days to dry, with the thinner art drying faster.  We kept them on display for a few weeks before the end of the school year.  After drying, the sculptures were a bit fragile, so we had to handle them with care.

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 1

Other Ideas
My students were happy using the air dry clay, as they really liked the texture.  I think Model Magic, or something like it, would have been a good alternative.  The sculptures would end up less fragile that way, but the expense of the project would have sky-rocketed.

summer art for kids colorful shell sculptures 4

What summer art for kids are you going to try in the next few months?  I’d love to hear all about your ideas in the comments below.

Be sure to come back Tuesday and Wednesday for more Summer Play Days!  While you’re waiting, why not pop by my partners in summer fun —

Play Trains! – Toy Surfboard Craft

Buggy and Buddy – Fine Motor Sun Craft

Nothing if Not Intentional – Summer Sunshine Air Dry Clay

My Nearest and Dearest – Ocean Cloud Dough

Done-for-You Preschool Resources

Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week, all while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life, can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!

Preschool Teacher 101 is excited to share with you some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and much more! We offer a wide variety of themes that are frequently used in preschool classrooms, as well as some less common (but super interesting) themes. Click on the images below to learn more about some of our fun resources, perfect for summer

Shells Lesson Plans
Beach Preschool Lesson Plans
Beach Lesson Plans
10 Little Seashells preschool resource cover.
10 Little Seashells Song Pack & Book Set

Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. And we even have three different membership options to suit your needs!

Filed Under: Preschool Arts and Crafts Tagged With: Ocean, Summer

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Comments

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  1. Ann @ My Nearest and Dearest says

    June 9, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    So pretty and so fun to make! Love this idea, Mary Catherine!

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      June 11, 2014 at 9:38 am

      Awwww, thanks so much Ann! You always leave such sweet comments. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jessica @ Play Trains! says

    June 10, 2014 at 5:08 am

    I love the combination of the painted shells and the colorful sand!

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      June 11, 2014 at 9:37 am

      Thanks, Jessica! My preschoolers just loved that colorful sand this year! They managed to incorporate it into sooooo many activities!

      Reply
  3. Natalie PlanetSmartyPants says

    June 15, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Terrific idea! Makes me think of beach days… except that we are off to Alaska in a week 🙂

    Reply
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My name is Mary Catherine, and I love to share meaningful {and fun} learning activities for kiddos! Feel free to browse and stay awhile!

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