Splash Art Creation

Learning Context

Age group: Year 3 (7–8 years)
Class size: 28 pupils
Duration: 45 minutes
Curriculum for Excellence Level: Early Level / First Level (Art and Design)

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WALT

We Are Learning To:

• Explore colour and texture by mixing paint and water to create splash effects.
• Use tools (straw, sponge, scissors) to create and assemble a mixed-media artwork.
• Develop fine motor skills through cutting, painting, and sticking.
• Express ideas imaginatively by designing wellyboots to complement our puddle splash art.

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Success Criteria

I can:

• Mix blue paint with water to create different consistencies.
• Use a straw carefully to blow paint and form splash shapes on my paper.
• Use a sponge to decorate and design wellyboots with creative patterns.
• Cut out my wellyboots neatly and stick them onto my puddle art.
• Talk about how the splash effect makes my picture look like a real puddle.

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Curriculum for Excellence Alignment

Experiences and Outcomes	Description
EXA 0-02a / EXA 1-02a	Explore and experiment with colour, texture, shape, form and pattern in 2D work.
EXA 0-03a / EXA 1-03a	Use a variety of tools and techniques to create images and objects, including cutting and sticking.
EXA 0-04a / EXA 1-04a	Respond to and describe their ideas, feelings and thoughts about their own and others’ artwork.
EXA 1-06a	Develop confidence and control in using different materials and tools.

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Explain what a 'puddle splash' is using a photo or short video clip of a wet day with splashes.
• Show a sample puddle splash art piece, highlighting the use of blowing paint and painted wellyboots.
• Briefly discuss the tools and materials: blue paint, water, straw, sponge, scissors, paper, glue.

2. Demonstration (5 minutes)

• Model how to mix blue paint with water to create a translucent paint.
• Demonstrate painting an oval puddle at the bottom of the page.
• Show how to use a straw to gently blow the paint and create splashes radiating from the puddle.
• Demonstrate sponge painting to decorate a wellyboot shape on a separate piece of paper.
• Show how to carefully cut out the wellyboots and glue them onto the puddle splashes.

3. Activity: Create Your Splash Art (25 minutes)

• Pupils paint an oval puddle using mixed blue paint.
• Using straws, pupils blow paint from the puddle to create abstract splash lines.
• Pupils sponge paint their wellyboots with their choice of patterns and colours.
• Cut out and glue wellyboots onto their puddle splash artworks.

4. Reflection and Sharing (7 minutes)

• Pupils share their puddle splash art in small groups or pairs, describing their wellyboot design and the splash effect.
• Encourage use of descriptive vocabulary about colour, shape, and movement inspired by the splash.

5. Clean-up and Wrap-up (3 minutes)

• Organise materials for tidying.
• Praise creativity and effort, reinforce success criteria.

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Differentiation

Learner Need	Strategies
Fine motor challenges	Provide thicker paintbrushes, larger sponges, pre-cut wellybooot shapes.
EAL and vocabulary support	Display key words with pictures (puddle, splash, wellyboots, blow, sponge) and simple sentence starters.
SEN (e.g., sensory needs)	Allow choice of quieter workspace, less paint to avoid mess anxiety, provide hand-over-hand support if needed.
Dyslexic learners	Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and clear visual instruction sheets with simple wording and symbols.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Experiment with mixing other colours to create themed puddles (e.g., green for garden pond).
• Use different shaped sponges to add texture to wellyboots.
• Create a background scene (e.g., rainy sky or muddy grass).
• Write a simple poem or sentence about the puddle using effective descriptive language.

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Materials and Resources

• White A4 or A3 paper
• Blue poster paint
• Water pots and mixing trays
• Drinking straws (wide enough for blowing paint)
• Sponges (different shapes)
• Paintbrushes (medium size)
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Sample images of puddles and wellyboots for inspiration
• Visual prompts with key vocabulary

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Assessment

• Observe pupils’ ability to mix paint and manipulate it with a straw to create splash patterns.
• Assess task completion: painted puddle, splash effect, wellyboots designed correctly and affixed.
• Listen to pupils’ explanations of their work during reflection for understanding of process and descriptive language.
• Provide constructive feedback and encourage self-assessment against the success criteria.

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Teacher Tips to Wow!

• Add a scientific twist by briefly discussing how water behaves when blown (surface tension) to link art and science.
• Use an overhead projector or document camera to model techniques live or zoom in on a pupil’s work as a demonstration.
• Incorporate gentle background sounds of rain to set an immersive atmosphere during the painting phase.
• Celebrate art by creating a “Puddle Splash Gallery” in the classroom or corridor with pupils' art and written reflections.

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This detailed plan ensures rich engagement with visual art skills appropriate for young learners, fully aligned to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes, and includes practical ways to differentiate and extend learning.