Back to School Theme Art Activities

Art projects can ease the transition back to school.

Going back to school means a return to academics, schedules and homework and an end to summer vacation. To ease this transition and provide a way for students to get reacquainted with one another, teach art lessons that focus on easing nerves, creative self-expression and school-year practicality.

Hearts and Hands

Young children love "The Kissing Hand."

To ease preschool students' nerves, read "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn. The story reassures children that their parents love them and think of them, even when they are at school. Paint the underside of each child's hand with tempera paint and press it onto an 8 1/2-by-11-inch piece of paper. Press each little finger and the center of the hand to ensure a complete print. When the hand print has dried, ask the child to write her name below or beside it and place a heart-shaped sticker in the center of the hand print. Mount the picture on a 9-by-12-inch piece of construction paper.

Book Bag

An artful, custom-made book bag is a creative way to go back to school in style. Give your child a piece of approximately 15-by-32-inch piece of heavy weight cotton fabric, such as cotton duck or canvas. Have her paint designs on one side with acrylic paint. Fold the painted edges over and sew a 1-inch hem. Fold the fabric in half with the painted sides facing each other. Pin each end of a long strip--this will be the strap--of fabric to each side and sew along the sides of the bag. Turn the bag painted sides out.

Morning Checklist Poster

An artful poster makes morning routines more fun.

Returning to a busy morning routine can be challenging. To make it easier, create a morning checklist poster. Write your child's morning responsibilities--brush your teeth, eat breakfast, make your bed--on a piece of poster board or 12-by-18-inch construction paper. Leave a 2- to 3-inch border all the way around. In this border, let your child draw or collage pictures that will cue your child about what to do. Older children might appreciate inspirational sayings and quotes. Laminate this poster to prevent it from tearing and give the poster a slick surface, perfect for placing sticky notes that you want your child to see every morning.

This Is Me

Facilitate a sense of community and cohesiveness in early elementary grades with a project that encourages individual self-expression and uniqueness. Give each child a cardboard cutout shaped like a person. Provide cutouts in a wide variety of colors and skin tones so that each child can select one that he thinks represents himself. Each child will decorate the cutout with markers, crayons and collage to create a self-portrait. Provide yarn, googly eyes, buttons and fabric scraps for the children to use to embellish their artwork.

References

• Family Fun: Back-to-School Crafts
• Gayle's Preschool Rainbow: Back to Pre-School Theme