Famous Artist Activities for Kids

Famous artists. After years of working in a museum, I’m partial to using some of the greats as inspiration for kids’ art activities. It was super-easy when I had access to galleries filled with real works of art. So, if you’re going on a trip to the museum, these projects make great after-visit activities.

What if you’re not going to a museum or don’t live near one? Easy. Search or the artist and artwork online or get a book from your local library. If you don’t have the real deal, swapping in a picture of it works too.

Before your child begins the art-making, ask her a few questions about what she sees when she looks at the famous piece. Keep it open-ended, avoiding anything that has a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Try questions like these:

·        What do you think is going on in this picture?

·        What is happening?

·        What do you see?

·        How do you think the artist made this?

·        What materials do you think that the artist used?

·        Where do you think the artist was when he painted this?

Now that your child is ready to make her own famous art, here are a few of my favorites (click on the name of the activity to read a how-to):

Paul Klee paper and paint collage

Any Warhol Styrofoam tray prints

Jackson Pollock paint splatter

Icy Pollock paint splatter with color mixing

Van Gogh clay paint

Claude Monet cupcakes

Jackson Pollock cupcakes

 

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Back to School Art Supplies for Kids

 It's back to school time! You’ve got the notebooks, pencils, pens and cute little locker mirror that your child begged for. But, what about the arts and crafts supplies? Sure, her art teacher will dole them out during lessons, but that won’t help her when she has to make a model of the solar system or color a poster for  class assignment.

 

 

 

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When my son was in kindergarten he had to make a collage flower using a cut paper cup as the petals. You would think that as an art teacher I had a treasure trove of craft supplies at home. I didn’t. What I did have was an enormously huge wall-sized closet of every item a young artist could ever dream of using – at work. At home, I had a few old crusty glue sticks and a mismatched set of markers. So, I had to run out the night before flower was due and get whatever I could rustle up in the grocery store office supply aisle.

Instead of waiting until it’s almost too late, stock up on arts and crafts supplies before the school year starts.

There’s an almost endless list of art materials that your child might possibly need or want. If you know she’ll need a specialty product for a class that she’s taking or a project that you know she’ll do, add that to your list. Here’s a general categorized list of back to school craft items that your child needs:

Glue

·        Clear drying school glue

·        Glue sticks – Get more than one. They dry out and break easily.

·        Glitter glue – or you can make your own DIY sparkle version.

Writing and Drawing Tools

·        Colored pencils

·        Markers – Thick and thin ones

·        Crayons

·        Oil pastels

Paper

·        Construction paper

·        Card stock

·        Poster board

·        Fancy papers for collage – Save the scraps so that your child can use them later for other collage projects. Examples include corrugated paper, origami paper or metallic paper.

·        Tissue paper

·        Cardboard – Save your money and reuse old boxes

·        Graph paper – Your child can use it for more than math. She can write letters in the blocks or use it to make her own patterns.

·        Foam sheets – Even though it’s not technically paper – it comes in sheets and your child can write or draw on it.

Paints and Brushes

·        Tempera paints and brushes

 

·        Water colors

·        Finger paint

 

 

 

Clay and Modeling Compounds

·        Air dry clay

·        Modeling clay
 

·        Model Magic
 

·        Your own play dough recipe!

 

Extras and Add-Ons

·        Pom poms

·        Glitter

·        Sequins

·        Buttons

·        Beads

·        Felt

·        Pipe cleaners

·        Craft feathers

·        Craft fur

·        Craft sand

Recycled Art Supplies

·        Egg carton – There are so many uses! From a craft sand or glitter caddy to a butterfly body, egg cartons are egg-cellent.
 

·        Cardboard – From a box.

·        Fabric scraps

·        Popsicle sticks

·        Foam – The Styrofoam from a fruit or vegetable tray makes an easy printing plate.

Now that you have the supplies, are you looking or creative crafts for your child? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

 

 

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DIY Kids' Train Table

Need a new train table? As a preschooler, my son loved Thomas the Train. That’s an understatement. He was crazy obsessed with the blue tank engine. He actually used to force the other kids on the playground to pretend that they were Percy, James, Gordon and Toby. It was super-cute until one of the kids wanted to play something else and my 3-year-old through a fit.

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He was such as Thomas fan that his grandmother (my mother) had my old bedroom painted with a Thomas mural for him. Keep in mind that my son slept over at his grandparents’ house all of three times during his preschool years. Even so, the mural was a sight to see. When I say mural I mean all four walls were filled with what seemed like life-sized scenery. Check it out:

 

Pretty cool for a preschooler, right? But, now that he’s almost 13, not so cool. Apparently grandma thought that he would always have a Thomas the Train infatuation.  By the time that he was 5-years-old he had switched his obsession to Hot Wheels.

We had quite the train collection. With the trains came the pleas for the accompanying train table that my son just couldn’t stop playing with at the toy store. During a Saturday afternoon shopping trip grandma bought the table for him. But, if you’re like me – hesitant to invest in a store-bought train table – you can make your own. Ok, so it’s more of a play mat. But, you can put it on a table. Instead of the ready-made tracks your child can make his own. Reuse a cardboard box and set up your own course. Your child can make a straight drive, curvy track or even two racing roads.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        A large-sized cardboard box

·        Scissors

·        Tempera paints

·        Markers

·        Paintbrushes

·        Tissue paper

·        School glue

·        Modeling clay or Model magic
 

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Cut the box apart at the joints. Start at the open end and cut down along all four places where the sides come together. You’ll need to do this step for your child, especially if the cardboard is thick.

 

2.     Unfold the box and cut away and excess cardboard. You’ll have a straight line left.

 

3.     Draw the track. Have your child choose how big, curvy or straight he wants to make the track. He can make one main line track, two or more.

4.     Paint the cardboard. Our child can make green grass, brown hilly areas, blue water or white snow and ice.

 

5.     Add trees and bushes. Tear apart and crumble tissue paper. Glue it to the cardboard. Your child can make all four seasons. Use green tissue for summer and spring, brown for winter and red, yellow or orange for fall.

6.     Add modeling clay or Model magic for texture. Your child can use white clay to make snow on the ground.

 

When your child’s done playing, fold the mat up and store it for later!

 

 

After taking Thomas for a trip around the track, read one of these train-themed books to your child:

Thomas Gets a Snowplow

Go, Train, Go!

King of the Railway

Thomas the TankEngine Story Collection 

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Process Art for Kids: Paint with Gauze!

 

Kids’ painting projects don’t always have to revolve around the ever-popular brush. Put it away. Just for now – you can bring it out later for another artsy activity. Now that your child is officially brush-less (or if her entire set of artist quality ones are currently so covered with school glue and glitter that you don’t even want to deal with them) she’ll need something new to paint with.

Gauze. You probably have some in your first aid kit. Or, if you’re a bit less organized (as I am) it’s shoved in the back of the linen closet underneath the pile of free toothbrushes from the dentist and fancy soaps that you might set out someday. If you take the gauze out and look at it up close, you’ll notice the teeny tiny delicate pattern that the weave makes. When you add paint, you get a pretty print.

A gauze print paint creates a grid-like texture. Your child can create an abstract piece of art, mix colors or make her own design!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Gauze

·        Card stock or construction paper

·        Tempera paint

·        A paint palette – If you don’t have one, there’s no need to go out and buy one. Turn over a plastic container lid and sue that as a palette.

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Cut the gauze into strips.

 

2.     Pour golf ball-sized pools of tempera paint onto your palette.

3.     Ball the gauze up. Your child can crinkle it around her fingers.

4.     Dip the gaze into the paint. To make a clear print, your child only needs a small amount of paint. Help her skim the paint’s surface. If she goops it on, don’t worry. The first few prints will look somewhat smeary, but as the paint comes off onto the paper the prints will show more of a pattern.

 

5.     Try mixing the colors. Add a lesson on the primary colors to the activity. Have your child dip one piece of gauze into the yellow, and then another into the red. Print the yellow first, and then add red on top to blend into orange. Repeat with yellow and blue to make green and red and blue to make purple.

 

 

 

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Creative Kids' Cooking: Modern Art S'mores

 

It’s National S’mores Day, and I’m totally ready to celebrate! The first thing that my son asked me (at 6 a.m.) was, “Is it time for s’mores?” Well, not that early. But, for my S’mores Day holiday celebration I decided to take my kids’ “cooking” (I use that word loosely, as the only cooking that I did was in a microwave) up a notch.

I’m a fan of the non-traditional s’more. If you’re looking for creative chocolate and marshmallow ideas, check out my pink princess strawberry sparkle, Frozen's Olaf melting snowmen and cherry red coconut ideas. I’m also a fan of combining just about anything with children’s art activities. Math, reading, science ….and, cooking! Since I’m not a fab chef, I stick to the basics. I’ve made cupcakes that match famous artists’ work such as Monet and Jackson Pollock, along with coloring mixing primary to secondary ones.

In recognition of this dessert-themed day, I’m combining my love of art and all things sweet by making Modern Art S’mores! These abstract marshmallow creations are fun to make and tasty to eat.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Marshmallows

·        Graham crackers

·        Food coloring

·        Chocolate

·        Colorful sprinkles

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Stack the bottom graham cracker, the chocolate and the marshmallow.

2.     Drip drops of food coloring onto the marshmallow. Help your child to add one small drop each. Like magic (or science) the teeny tiny drop will spread out across the marshmallow. Keep in mind, food coloring stains. It will stain your table, your carpet your clothes and your child’s hands. This is a messy art/cooking activity. Prep for the mess accordingly and don’t fret if your little artist turns her hands into a rainbow.

 

 

3.     Microwave the colorful creation for about 10 seconds. Every microwave varies, so you may need to adjust the time. The colors will melt into an ooey, gooey puddle. Even though I prefer the summer-time camping open fire version of roasting marshmallows, it just won’t work with the food coloring.
 

 4.     Take the s’more out of the microwave. Add colorful sprinkles and out the other graham cracker on top!

 

 

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