Materials
Children's artwork
Labels or blank stickers10 pennies per child
Gavel and block
Bowl or basket
Instructions
1. Have the children select which artwork they would like to sell in an auction. Assemble the collectionover the course of several days or weeks. Label each piece with the artist's name.
2. Have the children bring in 10 pennies from home in a plastic bag labeled with their name.
3. Before the auction begins, explain that the pieces of artwork will be sold to the highest bidder.Tell the children that they are to indicate their bid with their fingers, not their voices.
4. When you are ready to begin, name the title of the first piece of artwork and its artist, thendescribe the work, including the kind of painting (such as portrait, landscape, still-life) and themedium (such as crayons, watercolors, pencil).
5. Invite the children to bid. When you reach the highest bid, bang the gavel and announce thechild's name. Have another adult available to write the name and bid on a sticker and place thesticker on the back of the painting. Another adult can collect the money due in a small basket.Try to give all the children ample opportunity to buy a painting.
6. When the auction is over, the student artists keep the pennies they earned, and buyers keepthe art they purchased.More to doMore art: Exhibit the children's artwork during an open house before the auction. Have a localartist come to your class and give a demonstration, then donate a small piece of art to the school.Hold a silent auction so the parents may bid on the donation.
