Oh my gosh! It’s been ages! Especially since preK and I have been Elf Owling it for some time now without a blog post to detail our adventures. I must admit, I’m a bit of a hodge-podge art teacher. I have so many interests, from nature to science to writing to language, which is why I find the visual arts to be the best place for a soul like me to be. If I weren’t an art teacher, I’d probably be a midwife or an astronaut, so I tend to frolic in the sciences while teaching art as much as possible. PreK has reaped the benefits, I think, I hope, over the last few weeks.

Elf Owls are amazing! They are among the smallest species of owls in the WORLD! They live in cactus, are nocturnal, and have many of the same cool features as other owls while being only 5 inches tall and weighing in at 1 – 1.5 ounces! It must be those bones full of air! Ask your preKer to fill you in on the magic. Along with all the fun facts surrounding Elf Owls, there is a plethora of great children’s literature out there about owls, most importantly, The Perfect Place for an Elf Owl, a book written and illustrated by students!

As we’ve explored the literature day by day, we’ve also begun the epic construction of paper mache Elf Owls. Below you can track the early stages of our progress. Tomorrow we’re onto yellow marble eyes, bushy white eyebrows, feathered wings and TALONS!It’s a hoot!

Naked owls! A sea of owl bodies without their “skin” after decorating our name tags. Our Elf Owls wont take on unique personalities until we add facial features.

Tucking our Elf Owls in for the night.They love small, dark places and when cactus are in low supply, a cabinet must do.

A messy good time. Flour, water and away we goo, I mean, go.

Painting in true Elf Owl colors, a mix of brown, black, white, and grey.

Be on the hunt for more pictures soon!