Ever notice how some projects refuse to stay a one time thing? This Monet inspired water lilies lesson started as a sub plan and quickly became a class favorite that I bring back again and again. First graders can’t get enough of painting, cutting, layering, and watching their pond come to life. We begin by creating painterly papers using watercolor, tempera, and paint. The water lily shapes come from a simple cutting template I share on my Pensight page so students can focus on color mixing and