2nd Grade - Symmetrical Monsters

A classic since the beginning, second graders learn a transfer technique to make both sides of their monster's face symmetrical.  It's a little tough at first, but once they get the hang of it, the results are awesome.  Take a look:

Kindergarten - Dice Monsters

To celebrate Halloween in a unique way, kindergarten played a game I call "Dice Monsters."  I've seen a bunch of variations before, but basically our version works like this:

I put dice in small condiment containers with a clear lid, then assign a facial feature to each number on the die.  The kindergartners shake their cup and see what number pops up, and that tells them what to add to their face.  A one is an eye.  A two is a nose.  A three is a mouth.  A four is an ear.  A five is a horn.  A six is wild.

The kids have an absolute blast with this project and love to share their crazy monster faces.  Here are a few shots of them in action:

Kindergarten - Roll-a-Monster

The kindergartners and I really enjoy this project, because the result is always pretty silly and it's constantly changing throughout the class.  I give each student a mini deli-cup with a clear lid holding a die.  The kids roll the dice and, depending on which number comes up, adds to the face they're drawing.  I write on the board what each number means and draw a mini example:

We go over the whole "game" as a class, then the kindergartners are off to try on their own.  Take a look at some of the hilarious results!

Kindergarten - Roll a Monster

More monster projects!  This time, each kindergartner was given a die in a little cup with a clear lid on it.  The kindergartners would roll the dice and give their monster an eye, a nose, a mouth, a tooth, a horn, or a detail of their choice depending on what number popped up.  Some monsters came out with a bunch of mouths or too many noses, but they all came out differently, and the kids had a blast figuring out where to put their next feature.  Once they thought their monsters were finished, they gave them some color before calling it a day.  Take a look at the hilarious and unexpected results!

2nd Grade - Symmetrical Monsters

The second graders expanded their math vocabulary and learned a pretty complex art technique as well with this project.  In order to make the monsters symmetrical, the kids first drew half of a monsters face onto a piece of paper, and transferred it onto a larger piece of sketch paper one side at a time so that it came together to make a full monster's face.  Check out a few spectacular examples!