Art Camp Curriculum
Art Camp - Monday Schedule
✅ Project Name: Classic Slime Making
📚 Age Range:
Grades 1–3 (adjust quantities or pace as needed)
🧠 Read-Aloud Art + Science Moment:
“Today, we’re making slime—which is fun, but it’s also a science experiment and a form of art!
When we mix glue and baking soda, we’re creating the base of a gooey substance called a polymer. That just means a bunch of tiny molecules are linking together into stretchy chains—kind of like spaghetti that sticks together.
Now, when we add contact solution, it helps those chains stay strong so the slime doesn’t stay liquid. And then—BOOM—slime is born!
The best part? You get to make your slime into a work of art. Add color, sparkle, scent—it’s your own creation!”
👉 Ask campers: What color is your slime? What does it remind you of?
🧠 Learning Goals & SEL Focus:
Explore cause-and-effect through combining materials.
Foster self-expression through colors, textures, and add-ins.
Promote responsibility and safety with hands-on materials.
🛠️ Materials Needed (per camper):
½ cup white school glue
½ tsp baking soda
1–2 tbsp contact lens solution (must contain boric acid or sodium borate)
Optional: food coloring, glitter, foam beads, scented oils, shaving cream
1 mixing bowl, 1 spoon
An airtight container or zip-top bag
Table coverings
⏰ Schedule & Flow:
8:45 – 9:00 | Camper Check-In
Greet warmly, build excitement by saying:
“Today’s project is squishy, stretchy, sparkly—and 100% camper-designed!”
9:00 – 9:10 | Introduction & Project Overview
Explain the slime-making process in this order: glue → baking soda → color/add-ins → contact solution.
Share fun facts:
“Did you know slime was first sold as a toy in the 1970s?”
“Today, artists even use slime in gallery installations!”Safety note: No eating, no rubbing eyes, wash hands after.
9:10 – 9:25 | Prep & Distribution
Give out bowls, glue, baking soda, and solution. Let them pick add-ins to customize.
9:25 – 10:30 | Main Activity
Pour glue into bowls
Mix in baking soda
Add color or mix-ins
Slowly stir in contact solution
Knead slime until smooth
Encourage creativity: “Can yours stretch across the table?” “Whose slime sparkles the most?”
10:30 – 10:45 | Snack Break ( and wash hands)
Supervised break—let them name their slime friends while they eat.
10:45 – 11:40 | Continued Exploration
Let campers trade add-ins, stretch-test, or “invent” slime types
Optional mini challenge: Slime Fashion Show (best color combo, silliest name)
11:40 – 11:50 | Clean-Up
Campers pack their slime, wipe tables, and return supplies.
11:50 – 12:00 | Wrap-Up & Pick-Up
Recap what they learned (safe mixing, color play, texture).
Bonus idea: “Slime Care Tips” handout to send home.
💬 Counselor Tips:
Use humor! Slime’s a natural giggle magnet.
Encourage campers who are hesitant to touch textures by using spoons/gloves at first.
If slime is too sticky, add more baking soda and contact solution gradually.
Art Camp - Tuesday Schedule
🌀 Day 2 – Tie-Dye Bandanas
✅ Project Name: Tie-Dye T-Shirts
📚 Age Range:
Grades 1–3
“Ever wonder how tie-dye works? It’s like art meets chemistry!
Cotton T-shirts are made of tiny fibers—when we twist and fold the shirt, we make patterns. And when we add dye, it sinks into those twisted areas in unique ways.
The science part is how the dye molecules bond to the cotton. That’s called a chemical reaction—once it happens, the color becomes part of the shirt and won’t wash out!
The art part is all you—your colors, your design, your style.”
👉 Prompt campers: What kind of tie-dye did you make? A spiral? A galaxy? A superhero logo?
🧠 Learning Goals & SEL Focus:
Learn about color theory, saturation, and fabric art.
Build confidence through wearable self-expression.
Practice patience and careful handling.
🛠️ Materials Needed:
1 plain white cotton bandana (one per person)
Tie-dye kits (multiple colors)
Rubber bands
Gloves (1 pair per camper)
Plastic table covers
Plastic bags for take-home
⏰ Schedule & Flow:
9:00 – 9:10 | Introduction & Project Overview
Show a few tie-dye styles (spiral, bullseye, stripes).
Fun Facts:
“Tie-dye dates back 1,000+ years and became popular in the ‘60s with rockstars and peace movements!”Safety: Gloves always. Dyes can stain.
9:10 – 9:25 | Prep & Distribution
Campers get a shirt, gloves, rubber bands, and access to dye.
9:25 – 10:30 | Main Activity
Slightly dampen bandana
Twist, fold, and band
Apply dye carefully
Seal in plastic bag
10:30 – 10:45 | Snack Break
10:45 – 11:40 | Continued Exploration
Create dye charts or mini designs on scrap cloth.
Tie-Dye Story Time: “What superhero wears your design?”
11:40 – 12:00 | Clean-Up & Pick-Up
Gloves off, tables wiped, dye bottles capped.
💬 Counselor Tips:
Help tie tricky patterns for younger campers.
Frame it as “fashion art.” They’ll be showing off these shirts!
Art Camp - Wednesday Schedule
🐯 Day 3 – Paper Mache Animal Masks
✅ Project Name: Paper Mache Animal Masks
🧠 Read-Aloud Art + Science Moment:
“Today’s activity is all about sculpture—3D art that you can hold and wear!
Paper mache means ‘chewed paper’ in French. Don’t worry—we won’t chew anything! But we will dip paper in paste and layer it onto a form to build up a shape.
Each layer dries into a hard shell. That’s called air-drying, and it’s how the paste turns from soft and sticky to strong and sturdy.
Once it’s dry, it becomes your animal mask. And here’s the fun part: you’re not just decorating a mask—you’re inventing a character!”
👉 Ask campers: What kind of creature did you make? What’s its name? What sound does it make?
🧠 Learning Goals & SEL Focus:
Build 3D art skills and spatial awareness.
Strengthen imagination, narrative play, and motor skills.
Encourage focus and creative freedom.
🛠️ Materials Needed:
Balloons or cardboard face forms
White paper strips
Paste (glue+water)
Brushes, paints
Feathers, glitter, googly eyes, sequins
⏰ Schedule & Flow:
9:00 – 9:10 | Introduction & Project Overview
Introduce paper mache as ancient sculptural art.
Fun Facts:
“Paper mache means ‘chewed paper’—ew and awesome!”Safety: Paste stays off faces and out of mouths.
9:10 – 9:25 | Prep & Distribution
Campers get a baloon, paste (diluted glue), paper strips, brush, and decor.
9:25 – 10:30 | Main Activity
Soak strips of white paper in the diluted glue (50/50 glue/water)
Apply soaked strips layer by layer
Shape nose, ears, or horns
Let dry during break (or longer if needed)
10:30 – 10:45 | Snack Break & Hand Washing
10:45 – 11:40 | Continued Exploration
Paint & decorate!
Bonus: “Mask Parade” or Animal Voices Game.
11:40 – 12:00 | Clean-Up & Pick-Up
Dry masks on trays. Wipe surfaces.
💬 Counselor Tips:
Pre-cut strips for speed.
Encourage stories: “What does your animal eat? Where does it live?”
Art Camp - Thursday Schedule
🍃 Day 4 – Nature-Inspired Printmaking
✅ Project Name:
Leaf & Flower Printmaking
🧠 Read-Aloud Art + Science Moment:
“Today we’re turning nature into a stamp! Printmaking is an art form that uses objects to make shapes and patterns.
When we press a painted leaf onto paper, we’re creating a print. And because every leaf has its own veins and edges, each one makes a totally unique design.
This also teaches us about negative space—that’s the space around the leaf, not just the shape itself.
So you’re not just painting—you’re observing nature closely and using it to create something beautiful.”
👉 Encourage creativity: Try overlapping leaves or using two colors on one leaf!
🧠 Learning Goals & SEL Focus:
Observe and transfer natural patterns.
Learn about negative space and printmaking technique.
Spark appreciation for nature.
🛠️ Materials Needed:
Drawing paper
Acrylic or fabric paint
Leaves, petals, grasses (collected carefully)
Paint trays
Rollers or sponges
⏰ Schedule & Flow:
9:00 – 9:10 | Introduction & Project Overview
Explain textures in nature and printmaking as art.
Fun Facts:
“Artists have used natural printmaking for centuries—like stamps with leaves!”Safety: Only collect what’s safe. Wash hands after.
9:10 – 9:25 | Prep & Distribution
Give each camper paper, paint, roller, leaf tray.
9:25 – 10:30 | Main Activity
Paint onto leaf or flower
Press to paper, peel gently
Try layering shapes/colors
10:30 – 10:45 | Snack Break
10:45 – 11:40 | Continued Exploration
Campers can create cards, wall hangings, or nature scenes.
11:40 – 12:00 | Clean-Up & Pick-Up
💬 Counselor Tips:
Try drying leaves slightly to reduce dripping.
Talk about seasons and colors in nature.
Art Camp - Thursday Schedule
🏺 Day 5 – Handmade Clay Treasure Bowls
✅ Project Name: Clay Treasure Bolws
🧠 Read-Aloud Art + Science Moment:
“Today’s project is functional art—that means we’re making something that’s both beautiful and useful!
We’re using air-dry clay, which is a soft material that hardens without baking. When we shape it with our hands, we’re learning about form, texture, and balance—all big ideas in sculpture.
Once your dish is shaped, you can carve patterns into it or paint it however you want. You could make it look like a turtle shell, a treasure bowl, or something no one’s ever seen before!”
👉 Ask campers: Who is your bowl for? You? A pet? A magical creature?
🧠 Learning Goals & SEL Focus:
Develop fine motor skills and 3D shaping.
Express personality through decoration and function.
Practice care and calm during clay work.
🛠️ Materials Needed:
Air-dry clay
Rolling tools
Paints, brushes
Sealant (optional)
Texture tools: forks, leaves, stamps
⏰ Schedule & Flow:
9:00 – 9:10 | Introduction & Project Overview
Talk about pottery as ancient functional art.
Fun Facts:
“Some ancient pots are over 10,000 years old—and still intact!”Safety: Wash hands. Clay is not edible.
9:10 – 9:25 | Prep & Distribution
9:25 – 10:30 | Main Activity
Roll clay into a disc
Shape edges gently
Press textures or patterns
Let dry partially
10:30 – 10:45 | Snack Break
10:45 – 11:40 | Continued Exploration
Paint & seal the dishes
Bonus: “Who is your dish for?” (Dragon? Grandma? Bunny?)
11:40 – 12:00 | Clean-Up & Pick-Up
💬 Counselor Tips:
Keep a few “demo” samples ready.
Encourage storytelling and sharing at the end.