What to do with the little ones in art during Christmas, especially if you school district is strict on holiday themes.

Poinsettias are always a great Christmas time art project. Just red, green paint, a little gold glitter and fingers.

This year I have been thinking about non-religious holiday themed art projects. Now my school is religious catholic school and very easy to do pretty much anything. I have done the normal nativity etc. but I have also done Chinese new year, Islamic tile art, and let the students study military paintings from Napoleon to modern Iraq war watercolors. Now that isn’t holiday Christmas but many public school teachers in my area I have talked to just wonder why they can't  do these type of lessons. Everything is very censored. My neighbor who is also an art teacher was worried about letting her students draw spiders during the month of October because it may be to halloweenish. In her art room seasonal seems to be safe fall, winter, spring and summer themed lessons. So I started to brain storm what lessons would be appropriate in that type of administration atmosphere? I started with poinsettias Christmas yet still winter themed. I know I would be be very controversial teaching in her school district.

Another project is cell painting or faux stained glass depending on the lesson and age group. Cell painting is the old style cartooning when animation was created by hand. These examples are created by 1st graders (snowman) 3rd graders (angel and snowflake ornaments) and 7th grade (Saint stained glass) 

These are created by drawing with permanent black marker on overhead transparency plastic then paint using acrylic paint and/or sun catcher paint. Older students can draw their own design and younger students can trace from clip art.

**If anyone goes to the Gettysburg Outlets in PA check out my school Christmas Card my 8th grade class did!