Keeping your children busy when school is out can be a big challenge. If you can find activities that are fun, creative and educational, you are way ahead of the game. For elementary school aged children, art is almost always a big hit, so the next time you are planning a summer or rainy day activity, consider some of the following artistic suggestions.
Introducing your children to the works of a famed artist is an excellent idea, and there are many projects that highlight the works of Miro, Gaughin, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and other painters. For example, an abstract work such as Kandinsky's Color of Squares can be transformed into a great project. First you need to have 64 squares, each of which is the same size. Then show the painting and other Kandinsky paintings to your children and direct them to create their own colorful squares. At the end, you have a piece of collage art that mimics the actual painting but is still a unique piece of art.
If you visit a museum or check out a great art book from the library, you might find a particular painting or artist that truly speaks to the sensibilities of your child. While some of these artists can be fairly easy to mimic, others are more difficult. For example, impressionist works such as Sunday in the Park by Georges Seurat or Starry Night by Van Gogh can be tricky styles to copy.
There are some cool PDFs that you can purchase and download from the internet that make it easy. These PDFs are separated into different squares, and each square features a section of the painting. Children simply follow the coloring directions on each square and once it is down, you paste down each square like a puzzle onto a canvas or larger piece of paper. There are PDFs available from sites such as ArtProjectsForKids.org that feature many different artists and styles of art, as well as themed art for holidays and observances. These inexpensive PDFs are simply downloaded and printed from your computer and then you are ready to create.
While using paints, crayons or markers is fine, there are many other items that can be used to create art which offer a different look to the finished product. Charcoal is a fun option for elementary and older children, while chalk is an option that usually appeals to younger kids. Oil pastels, which provide a finish that looks a bit like oil paint, are as easy to hold and use as a crayon, which appeals to young children.
Tear art is another great way to create a unique piece of collage art, and it helps young children with their fine motor skills at the same time. Simply tear off bits of paper and paste them to another piece of paper to form a picture. You can have them draw an outline first or print out a PDF image from the computer and fill it with colorful bits of paper. Other options, especially suited toward pre-school and early elementary children, include using items such as pasta, beans and cereal to create a work of art.
Introducing your children to the works of a famed artist is an excellent idea, and there are many projects that highlight the works of Miro, Gaughin, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and other painters. For example, an abstract work such as Kandinsky's Color of Squares can be transformed into a great project. First you need to have 64 squares, each of which is the same size. Then show the painting and other Kandinsky paintings to your children and direct them to create their own colorful squares. At the end, you have a piece of collage art that mimics the actual painting but is still a unique piece of art.
If you visit a museum or check out a great art book from the library, you might find a particular painting or artist that truly speaks to the sensibilities of your child. While some of these artists can be fairly easy to mimic, others are more difficult. For example, impressionist works such as Sunday in the Park by Georges Seurat or Starry Night by Van Gogh can be tricky styles to copy.
There are some cool PDFs that you can purchase and download from the internet that make it easy. These PDFs are separated into different squares, and each square features a section of the painting. Children simply follow the coloring directions on each square and once it is down, you paste down each square like a puzzle onto a canvas or larger piece of paper. There are PDFs available from sites such as ArtProjectsForKids.org that feature many different artists and styles of art, as well as themed art for holidays and observances. These inexpensive PDFs are simply downloaded and printed from your computer and then you are ready to create.
While using paints, crayons or markers is fine, there are many other items that can be used to create art which offer a different look to the finished product. Charcoal is a fun option for elementary and older children, while chalk is an option that usually appeals to younger kids. Oil pastels, which provide a finish that looks a bit like oil paint, are as easy to hold and use as a crayon, which appeals to young children.
Tear art is another great way to create a unique piece of collage art, and it helps young children with their fine motor skills at the same time. Simply tear off bits of paper and paste them to another piece of paper to form a picture. You can have them draw an outline first or print out a PDF image from the computer and fill it with colorful bits of paper. Other options, especially suited toward pre-school and early elementary children, include using items such as pasta, beans and cereal to create a work of art.
About the Author:
Kate Halfey enjoys blogging about art projects. For additional information about fun art projects for kids or to find art projects like Kandinsky circle painting, please check out the ArtProjectsForKids.org site now.
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