Northern Lights Pastel Art Activity

This pretty northern lights art project is a great way to talk to kids about why the northern lights happen, color mixing, using pastels and more.

If you have a set of pastels already this is a quick prep activity you can do at home or in the classroom.

Check out all the details over at Taming Little Monsters. I’ll bet you’ll want to make one of these pretty projects yourself, too!

[Photo: Taming Little Monsters.]

Chalk Art Activity Play with Chalk to Make This Northern Lights Art

Why are guided art lessons important for Children?

Guided art instruction is important for children for several reasons:

It provides a structure for learning: Guided art instruction gives children a framework for learning and practicing new skills. This can help them to better understand and retain the information they are being taught.

It promotes creativity: Guided art instruction allows children to explore different art forms and techniques, which can help to encourage their own creativity.

It develops fine motor skills: Many art activities involve the use of small tools and materials, which can help to strengthen children’s fine motor skills.

It improves cognitive development: Art activities can help children to develop important cognitive skills such as problem-solving, spatial awareness, and visual-spatial intelligence.

It allows children to express themselves: Art is a powerful form of self-expression, and guided art instruction can help children to develop their own unique voice and style.

It can foster emotional and mental well-being: Engaging in art activities can be a great way for children to process their emotions and feelings. It can help them to relax and feel more calm, and boost their self-esteem and confidence.

It can be a way to learn about different cultures and historical context: Guided art instruction can also provide an opportunity for children to learn about different cultures and time periods through art history and techniques.

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Summer Reading Printables and Tips for Parents

It might seem weird to feature a book about protest movements around the Fourth of July, but as Rise Up! Powerful Protests in American History reminds us, protest is patriotic and part of the very fabric of American life from the beginning.

This picture book, written by history teacher Rachel C. Katz and illustrated by Sophie Bass, tells a rhyming story of how Americans have stood up throughout the nation’s history to protest and spread the word about injustice and unsafe conditions. From the Boston Tea Party to modern movements like the Standing Rock pipeline protests and the Obergefell case, it touches on women’s rights, environmental activism, civil rights, Pride, access for disabled people and more.

The illustrations, often based on historic protest signs and artwork, help tell the stories, while a timeline, map, and overview of each event for further discussion. Readers will learn about Silent Spring and The Jungle, the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, the Seneca Falls convention, Robert Smalls, the Delano Grape Strike and the movement to un-dam the Klamath River, to name a few.

Each event includes a few bullet points to provide context about what happened, why and what the result was. The book reminds readers that protests are not always effective, or don’t always get the people involved what they want right away (since it took women 72 years to get the right to vote after Seneca Falls, for example).

This book is a great way to introduce kids to the long and proud history of protest movements in the United States and could prompt discussions about current events and things happening that they might want to see changed. It could also be used to start kids researching different protests discussed in the book for further learning. You can talk about how art can educate people and encourage kids to make their own art pieces to educate others about something important to them.

Rise Up! is a great starting point for learning about the history of protest and the effects it has had on American history. The publisher’s website has more resources for teaching with this book at the link below.

About the book: 48 pages, hardcover. Published 2025 by Barefoot Books. Suggested retail price $17.99.

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