Art is a great way for your children to express their creativity and have fun. However, you can also take the opportunity to turn a fun craft into an educational lesson. In this focused art lesson, we will be using jars, since they are usually easy to find around the house. Here are five fun educational jar crafts to get your kids’ creative juices flowing!
1) Make pencil holders out of jars
Teach your kids organizational skills by making pencil holders or other organizers with jars. To make a fun pencil holder jar craft, first paint the jar on the inside or outside. Then, use chalkboard paint to make a label on the glass. To personalize it, your kids can write their name on their pencil holder with chalk! This tutorial at thecountrychiccottage.net explains how to do this in detail, with pictures to follow along.
2) Bookend jar craft
This is another great organizational tool you can make out of jars. Simply have your kids decorate a mason jar however they desire, then fill them partway with rice or sand to weigh them down. As you are making this craft, you can teach your kids about important organizational skills they should have.
3) Educational snow globe
It doesn’t have to be winter to make a fun snow globe! Your child will love this simple educational jar craft. To make this, have your child take a figurine, small plastic toy, or whatever small item they desire and glue it to the lid of a jar. Then, put some water in the jar and add some glitter. Finally, glue the lid shut so that water won’t seep out. For more detailed instructions of this bottle craft, check out Kami Bigler’s article on babycenter.
This jar craft can easily be turned into either a Language Arts or Social Studies lesson. Reflect on the previous holiday or break by having your students pick one specific memory and putting in a souvenir that represents it. After they make their snow globe, have them do a little write-up explaining the significance of the scene. Or, have them choose an event from what they are learning in social studies, and create a scene from that using small plastic toys or decorations from the dollar store. This is a great creative way to represent their learning.
4) Herb jars
If you are looking for a fun science lesson, you may want to consider making herb jars or jar planters with your kids. You can follow the steps in this video by Budgetsavvydiva on youtube. If your kids are learning about the life cycle of plants, start with seeds so they can see the full cycle as they grow, through the transparent glass. If they are learning about photosynthesis, maybe buy an herb or flower to plant in the jar so they can directly see the work of photosynthesis as they water it and keep it in the sun.
5) Candle holder educational jar craft
To make a unique candle holder, glue flat-backed marbles to the outside of a jar. Or, paint glitter on the inside of the jar. This will make everything sparkle when a candle is lit inside! With this craft, you can teach your kids about the science of fire, how it produces energy and what causes it. To find information on this topic, visit an article on this topic at sciencelearn.org or check out some books from your local library.
Hopefully these educational jar crafts inspire you and your children to find a fun and creative way to express their learning. Have fun with these artistic lessons!
