Links

Here are some links to sites which we think will be helpful and/or interesting. We've only chosen a handful of the myriad available. Some of them have extensive links to other sites and can be good places to begin your searches.

An ecological footprint measures how much land is required to supply a person's living and lifestyle needs - that is food, housing, energy/fuel, transport, and consumer goods and services. 
A personal ecological footprint can be calculated at the NZ Ministry of Environment website.

Creative New Zealand (Arts Council)  For information on Maori, Pacific Island art with some historical information.

Feathered Friends

http://birding.about.com/od/birdingbasics/a/birdsteachkids.htm
Great educational site with a good section on observing birds in the backyard. Lists questions to encourage keen observation and record keeping

http://www.owlpages.com
Everything you wanted to know about Owls including Mythology. There’s even a sound gallery.

http://www.joannehook.com
Official web site of Australian artist Joanne Hook who has developed a style based on her love of colour, pattern and design. Combined with her love of composition, and the inspiration of the lush surrounds of Reef and Rainforest

http://art.com
A site primarily for the sale of prints but is also a great reference site which can be viewed sorted by subject (eg animals seasons, botanical) art styles (art movements eg Pop and Post impressionism) or by artist. There is also a Search button. Type in ‘birds’

http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/painting-by-themes/bird-painting.html
Information on the history of bird painting.

http://www.originalbirdart.com/artindex.htm
US site with an index to numerous bird artists with great close up images of their artworks.

http://www.creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_43.html#Bird 
Feeder from Pine Cone Ideas for making simple bird feeders

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/
Excellent simple kids site with interesting information everything. This is their page on birds eg mechanics of flight, heart rate and breathing, evolution etc They charge an annual subscription fee to access some of the resources eg printouts, but a lot is free from craft activity ideas to jokes to ‘fastest, biggest, smallest, heaviest’

http://www.ethnicpaintings.com
Glossary of artists, painting media and painting styles. Good for information but no illustrations.

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/birdsartscraftsideaskids.html
Simple bird craft activities

Threads and Textiles 

Fabric Art Sites 

http://www.cleverpatch.com.au/page8216/Activities.aspx
CleverPatch site. Loads of Craft Activities and art ideas

http://www.craftshq.com.au/article/24560-Sewing-Tools-And-History.htm
This site has some very interesting facts about the history of sewing. There is information regarding the first use of needles and threads, and what they were made from. The site also explains how people used the needles and threads to sew their clothes, blankets and shelters.

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/no-sewing--easy-artscraftsideaskids.html
Ideas for easy no-sewing arts & crafts projects and activities with scraps of fabric, cloth, yarn, string, velvet, felt, etc with patterns for children, teens, and preschoolers.

http://littleblackkitty.typepad.com/a_little_imagination_and_/fabric_art/
Very inspiring site mainly for adults but nevertheless well worth looking at beautiful colours and textures. Keep scrolling to the bottom - it just gets better and better.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html
Informative site on making natural dyes from plants, with detailed list of plant material and the colours they produce.

http://www.suekayton.com/Silkworms/Silkworms.doc
This site contains curriculum ideas, silkworm-raising instructions, and the history of silk.

http://www.textiles.org.nz/profiles/index.html
Profiles of textiles artists and designers in New Zealand 


General sites

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-finder.asp
Vast Australian site with everything from craft activities and games to support groups to tips on sleep problems, recipes, and with a directory for buying just about anything for babies and children.

http://www.mrsbrownart.com/kindergarten.htm
This is a great site with lots of great art and craft ideas for Kindergarten to Grade 6.

 

Get the Weave

All Fibre Arts An interesting page with a home-made loom made from a cardboard box.

Montessori World This Montessori site has lots of simple and unusual shaped looms eg circular and fan shapes.

Alien Travel Guide The history of cloth weaving in short paragraphs, from the Stone Age to the present.

Georgia College & State University History of Weaving Short introduction to the history of weaving and the development of the weaving loom, from pre-historic times to the present computer-driven loom.

Buildings Galore

Show me UK site Art and Design Instructions for marbeling, well illustrated.

Your Home.gov.au This site is a technical but readable site explaining passive design principles for home builders in Australia