Kids' Art Activity: Craft Felt Painted Collage Landscape

What kind of kids’ art activity are your little ones making today? If you’re not sure, this summer landscape idea combines fabric collage with painting – in a totally creative way (your kids’ creativity that is).

Your child looks out the window, and what does she see? Go ahead, ask her. She’ll probably give you an answer that sounds something like, “Trees, plants, grass, sky and clouds.” Now ask her what colors she sees. Chances are she’ll say, “Green grass, a blue sky, a yellow sun, a green and brown tree.” Right?

This art idea doesn’t necessarily follow what your child actually sees. Instead, she can take what’s in front of her and change it – using her own imagination.

If the weather feels like cooperating, take your child outside. Have a seat under a shady tree in the backyard or get ready for a park-side art activity. If going outdoors isn’t an option, take a look out of the window.

Now, ask your child to draw what she sees using colored pencils, crayons or markers. She can create a realistic landscape, with the colors of nature.

After she’s done with the real-life drawing, it’s time to make another landscape. But, this time she’ll create a colorful version that is more imaginative than ‘natural’.

 

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Card stock paper (thicker paper holds the collage and paint better than construction or drawing paper)

·        Scissors

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        Craft felt – in vibrant colors such as bright pink, red and aqua blue

·        Tempera paints

·        A paintbrush

Here’s What to Do:

1. Cut the felt into shapes. This lets you add in a math lesson to this kids’ art activity. Have your child name the shapes as you show them to her.

2. Create a landscape, using the shapes. Your child can collage the felt onto the paper using the glue. This is like putting together a puzzle. For example, a tree is three rectangles in a line with a circle on top.

3. Let the glue dry.

4. Pour quarter-sized pools of paint onto a palette or a piece of wax paper (it works as an inexpensive barrier that keeps the work surface clean – or at least, cleanish).

5. Paint the felt. Your child can add details or change the color of the felt. Mix the hues, making new ones too!

6. Paint the paper. Your child can add extra colors to the paper as well.

 

Compare the two pictures – the realistic drawing and the painted collage. Ask your child to tell you what the differences are and why she choose the colors and shapes that she did!