Paint a Popsicle Poem

Hello and Happy Summer!

Today I’m sharing a poetry idea that’s been hanging out in my brain for the last couple of weeks.

It’s called Paint a Poem!

I saw a similar idea on Instagram and I believe it was done with either an upper primary or early intermediate class. But I think it could easily be adapted to Grade 1.

The idea is to use watercolors to paint a shape and then write a simple poem or print some descriptive words to accompany it.

I thought it would be fun to start with a popsicle.

Here’s what you need:

1. Watercolor paper for everyone. If you’re a classroom teacher I suggest using a Canson mixed media spiral bound book that can be used as a year long Paint a Poem journal. 140 lb paper is best, but 98 lb will also work. These are cheap enough that I’m sure parents wouldn’t mind buying one for their kids.
2. A round watercolor brush, size 8 to 10.
3. Watercolor paints. You could use tubes, liquid watercolor or pan paints.
4. Pencil and eraser.
5. Table salt.
6. Black Micron pen (0.5) or a thin tip black Sharpie.

Directions for Painting the Popsicle:

1. Do a directed drawing with your child or class. Show them how to draw a simple popsicle shape and stick.
2. Sketch it lightly on the watercolor paper with a pencil.
3. Paint a layer of clear water in the popsicle shape. It shouldn’t puddle — it should just glisten.
4. Add some yellow paint at the top of the popsicle and some red at the bottom.
5. Let the colors touch and carefully move your brush so they intermingle a bit.
6. My paper ended up being a bit dry so I sprayed some clear water on my popsicle to get things moving.
7. Add a few drops of red on the yellow area, and a few drops of yellow in the red area.
8. When everything is still a bit damp sprinkle a little bit of table salt on the popsicle. That’s how I got those cool snowflake effects (the little ones).
9. When everything is dry paint the popsicle stick using yellow or light brown.

Directions for the Poem:

1. Before writing your poem, gently erase as many pencil lines as you can. If they’ve been painted over you probably won’t be able to remove them, but erase as many as you’re able to.
2. Brainstorm some descriptive popsicle words.
3. Print some or all of your words around the popsicle, as shown above, using a Micron pen or a Sharpie.

The yellow/red popsicle was painted on a cotton 140lb paper.

The blue/red popsicle was painted on Canson’s mixed media 90lb paper.

I hope you enjoyed my first Paint a Poem post.

PS Don’t forget to enjoy a yummy popsicle after completing your painting and poem!