Art Activities to Do With Children

Do art activities with children to foster an interest in the arts.

Young artists grow up to be creative problem solvers. Encourage your child's creative pursuits by engaging her in age appropriate art activities. Dabbling in watercolor or building with clay on a rainy afternoon may be the catalyst for a lifelong affinity for the arts. Engage her senses, interests and naturally curious mind.

Preschool

Create letters of the alphabet with modeling dough.

Young children love to get their hands into everything. Use air-drying, non-toxic modeling dough to create sculptures and pinch pots. Roll a small ball of dough on the table to create long strands of rope to coil into alphabet shapes, small pots and eclectic designs. Provide cookie cutters and rolling pins for additional clay making fun.

Young Elementary

Make prints with children ages six to nine with paper and paint. Fold a 9-inch by 13-inch piece of typing paper in half lengthwise. Instruct the child to paint half of a shape, such as a heart, butterfly or diamond on the paper, beginning at the fold. When finished, unfold the paper, then fold again with the painted side touching the blank side of the fold. This is a great way to teach symmetry and printing techniques.

Upper Elementary

As children mature, their fine motor skills become smoother and more fluid. They can make a colorful candle holder with tissue paper, glue and empty jars. Provide small trays with multicolored pieces of tissue paper, cut into one inch squares. Paint glue onto the jars. Layer the tissue paper squares in colorful designs creating a stained glass effect.

References

• Art Projects for Kids: Cermamics

Resources

• Craftystylish: How to Weave on a Cardboard Loom
• Nick Jr.: Crafts
• National Gallery of Art: Kids Zone