Watercolor Earth

I love coffee filters! They are great for many different uses in the classroom. I've used them for butterflies, angels, snack cups, and many different art projects.

During our Earth Day Activities this year, I opted to try a project that I saw online. The project used a method that the kids and I used during the holidays to make our angels.

We began by using markers to color blue and green on the filters. Originally I told the children to color lightly, but they are four and five. Of course, they did the opposite and colored very dark. As it turns out, their Earths looked so much better than mine! I provided the kids with a sample, similar to the one in the picture below to show them where to put the blue and green colors, but the kids had their own ideas.

Using waterbased markers (Crayola) color the filter.

After all the coloring is done, spray the filters with water.

Watch the colors bleed. This is fantastic!

When the filter is lifted off the table it leaves a pretty image it's place.

Once the filter is lifted from the table, they drive fairly quickly. Place the filter on a white background to make the Earth really stand out.

I'd like to try this same method with the other planets. I think it'd be great to make the solar system to hang in my room.