After a morning rain while it still appears to be misty and the sun is beginning to peek through the clouds, take your students out or bring them to the classroom window to get a chance to possibly catch a glimpse of a rainbow. If the children cannot see a rainbow in person, bring in pictures of actual rainbows and show them to the class. Ask them to take note of the colors and how each one seems to blend into the next. This teaches the students how to mix colors. Give each student a watercolor set, sturdy paper, a tray for mixing colors and a jar of water. Have them create their own rainbows by mixing the primary colors -- yellow, red and blue -- to create different colors.
Tempera paint is inexpensive to buy and is safe for all ages. This paint comes in liquid, powder or jelly form and must be mixed with water to create a thick consistency. Have each child create a landscape. Their landscapes can be anything from tropical scenes to mountain ranges. The point of this project is to have each student use the entire piece of paper. Each child will need newspaper or a mat of some sort to keep paint from getting on the desk, as well as small containers of different colored tempera paint, paintbrushes and pencils. Have each child draw his landscape on the paper prior to painting.
Using pastel chalks can allow students to create an ethereal or close to glow-in-the-dark effect when used on black construction paper. Have students create a piece of art with a "Night Sky" theme. Give each student a handful of different colored pastels or chalk along with a piece of black construction paper. Allow them to sketch and draw anything they think might live in the sky. This is another assignment where the students' drawings should take up the whole page. After each child is finished, spray the paper with a light coat of hairspray to prevent the chalk from rubbing off and ruining the picture.
To accent a piece of art or add some dazzle, have your students apply glitter to their paintings. First each child must paint a piece of art. What they paint can depend on the theme of the day. Once the painting is done, give each child a small bottle of glue in a squeeze bottle and several colors of glitter in different shaker bottles. Have each child squeeze a think strip of glue wherever they wish for the glitter to go, and then shake the glitter on top of the glue. Once each student is finished, walk around with a garbage pail or box and gently shake off the excess glitter to avoid a mess.