Fun With Artist Trading Cards

I love being an art teacher! At the end of the year we plan ATC parties where my students create little mini artworks (2 1/2" x 3 1/2"). We bring in lots of good food to share and then the trading begins! Some artists have been making and saving their cards for awhile, while others do it just a few days before the party. Each child makes an arrangement of their cards on a table area and we all walk around viewing the creations. Trading is done by permission, and many of us (including me) end up with nice collections which are put in plastic sheet protectors.

I now have 3 very full notebooks categorized alphabetically by subject that are fun for students and me to look through. Just about anything can become an artist trading card. In my notebooks you will find: alligators, collages, mice with cheese, dripping paint, scratch art, hearts, fairies, squid and octipi (what is the plural for octopus?), food, shoes, manikins, lobsters, nature, and more!

This is such an easy way to engage kids in art making. It's also fun for adults. There are many fun websites about this. Here are a few I look at for inspiration:
http://www.atcsforall.com/