Cure the Winter Blues with an Artful Advocate Fab Five!

Here's a sure cure for Cabin Fever from this past week's bitterly cold temps and snow, especially for those not able to get away to a warm place for break!  Beat the  mid-winter blues with these 'Fab Five' ideas as a prep for YAM.  Start now, and build momentum for March 21st!

1  Organize an Urban Sketching event in your community for students - particularly good to tie-in with a study of local history.  Think about a historic place - with indoor space to sketch.  Or, do it virtually, with Google Street view on a Smart Board, if you cannot travel!

2  Make an in-house video of what art means.  Have student releases signed, and have 'interviewers', volunteers to speak, and 'videographers'.  Edit and play in-house or on your district web/Facebook page.  Students can use a prop titled "What Art Means to Me" and write their responses to hold up.

3  Use props from #2 and post daily to Twitter. 

4  Challenge students to create an Art Rap - lyrics and choreography to create a video.  Show them all on a Friday afternoon, with popcorn for all!

5  Have students make mini-sketchbooks and do a drawing challenge.  Involve the staff, too!

Bonus Idea!

6  Create 'walking paintings' - cardboard with a face cut out from a famous work of art.    

Thanks to frequent contributor to The Artful Advocate, Donnalyn Schuster, for providing this week's  'Fab Five' post!