Our 7-year-old is still talking about seeing the Northern Lights last week and keeps saying she wants to see them again. So, inspired by that beautiful night, we decided to do a little art project together and talked some of her siblings into joining us as well! We grabbed some black construction paper and our pastels, and spent the afternoon recreating all the gorgeous colors we saw up in the night sky—blues, greens, purples, and pinks.
Supplies
- Black Construction Paper
- Legal Size Copy Paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Cotton Balls or Rounds
- Alphacolor Soft Pastels
- White Tempera Paint and Brush (optional)
Create a Mountain Stencil
Use legal-sized printer paper for this since it’s longer than regular paper and fits the construction paper better. If you only have regular-sized paper, just cut and tape an extra piece to make it fit.n I ended up taping down the mountain stencil for my little girls to keep it from moving while they colored. The older kids just held it in place.
Color the Mountain
Shade over the mountain stencil and extend the chalk up onto the black construction paper. Use different colors – blue, green, pink, purple, etc – to recreate all the Northern Lights!
She was so excited, blending and smudging and getting the pastels all over her little fingers!
Blend the Colors
While holding the stencil in place, use a cotton ball to blend the pastels from the mountain onto the paper. Overlap the colors a bit for a smooth, glowing effect. Switch cotton balls for different colors to avoid mixing them too much.
Reveal the Glow
Once you’ve finished blending, gently lift the stencil to reveal the glowing mountain and your beautiful Aurora Borealis.
Add Stars or Snowflakes and the Moon
To finish, dab small dots of white acrylic paint onto the sky using a small paintbrush to create stars or snowflakes, and the moon too if you’d like!
Tip: It can get messy! I should have put something over our table but it cleaned up easily with a towel.
It was such a fun way to relive the memory and bring a little more nature-inspired creativity into our homeschool. If your kids are mesmerized by the sky like mine, this is a simple, not-too-messy, project to try!
(Mom helped with the trees)
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