Art is one of the world's great methods of communication, expressing ideas and emotions. For children, who don't always understand their own emotions or how to express them, art can become a vehicle for letting go of emotion or expressing joy and creativity. Here are a few art easy art projects that provide your children with an opportunity to express themselves and create something beautiful in the process.
One fun and easy idea is to mimic a work by a famous painter, such as Vincent Van Gogh or Claude Monet. You can go online to a site like ArtProjectsForKids.org and for just a few dollars, download mural of a painting such as Starry Night or perhaps Klimt's Tree of Life. Then simply print out all of the mural pages and have your children color each section. Once all the coloring is complete, and you can use anything from crayons to watercolors, you just organize the pieces into the correct order and paste it all onto a large piece of paper or perhaps an actual canvas. The end result looks like a famous painting and this is a great way for children to learn about a specific artist.
Many children enjoy really digging in and getting messy with art, so think about creating a project that allows them to really get their hands dirty such as paper mache. With this medium, you can create any number of decorative or useful items. Children can create cupholders or bowls or perhaps create a giant animal or a huge version of their first initial as a room decoration. Paper mache can be made using newspaper strips soaked in a solution of glue and water or perhaps flour and water that has been boiled and cooled. Check online and you will find a variety of easy recipes. Whatever mix you use, you will want to do several layers of paper on your project, and newspaper is an excellent and inexpensive source of material. If you don't subscribe to a newspaper, just ask a friend or neighbor to save their old ones for you.
The letter or initial project is a fun idea because your child can paint it using their favorite colors and it makes a great wall decoration. To make the letter, you need two large pieces of cardboard, and you simply draw and cut out two identical letters. Glue several Styrofoam cups onto the back of one letter, let it dry and then glue the other letter on top. Now the fun begins as you wrap the letter with strips of gluey paper. Be sure to do several layers and then give it a full day to dry. The following day, paint with acrylic paint. It's wise to paint the main color, let it dry overnight and then add more colors on the following day. After all the painting is done, cover it with a sealant such as Mod Podge.
Tie dye is often a hit, and can be a fun project for children 8 and up, as there is some skill involved. While you can purchase all of the needed items separately, for your first venture into the tie dye world, it might be a good idea to purchase a kit that contains all the dyes, ash, rubber bands, gloves and other items you will need for the project. You also need shirts made from 100% cotton as dyes adhere better to the natural fibers. Cotton shrinks, so definitely consider getting a shirt one or sizes bigger than you typically wear. For younger kids, it can be fun to simply let them decorate a t-shirt with fabric paint which comes in a huge variety of styles and colors. This is a great project for a sleepover or a birthday party.
Every season brings a holiday, and each of these observances can be celebrated with a cool art project. Take a look around the internet and you will find something special for each and every major holiday, from Christmas to Fourth of July to Halloween. Folk art flags make a cool tabletop decoration for your Independence Day table, for example, and these can be created using popsicle craft sticks. Pom poms in vibrant Christmas colors can be glued to Styrofoam balls to make festive ornaments. For Thanksgiving, have the children create festive placeholder cards for eat table setting. The only limit is your imagination and that of your children.
One fun and easy idea is to mimic a work by a famous painter, such as Vincent Van Gogh or Claude Monet. You can go online to a site like ArtProjectsForKids.org and for just a few dollars, download mural of a painting such as Starry Night or perhaps Klimt's Tree of Life. Then simply print out all of the mural pages and have your children color each section. Once all the coloring is complete, and you can use anything from crayons to watercolors, you just organize the pieces into the correct order and paste it all onto a large piece of paper or perhaps an actual canvas. The end result looks like a famous painting and this is a great way for children to learn about a specific artist.
Many children enjoy really digging in and getting messy with art, so think about creating a project that allows them to really get their hands dirty such as paper mache. With this medium, you can create any number of decorative or useful items. Children can create cupholders or bowls or perhaps create a giant animal or a huge version of their first initial as a room decoration. Paper mache can be made using newspaper strips soaked in a solution of glue and water or perhaps flour and water that has been boiled and cooled. Check online and you will find a variety of easy recipes. Whatever mix you use, you will want to do several layers of paper on your project, and newspaper is an excellent and inexpensive source of material. If you don't subscribe to a newspaper, just ask a friend or neighbor to save their old ones for you.
The letter or initial project is a fun idea because your child can paint it using their favorite colors and it makes a great wall decoration. To make the letter, you need two large pieces of cardboard, and you simply draw and cut out two identical letters. Glue several Styrofoam cups onto the back of one letter, let it dry and then glue the other letter on top. Now the fun begins as you wrap the letter with strips of gluey paper. Be sure to do several layers and then give it a full day to dry. The following day, paint with acrylic paint. It's wise to paint the main color, let it dry overnight and then add more colors on the following day. After all the painting is done, cover it with a sealant such as Mod Podge.
Tie dye is often a hit, and can be a fun project for children 8 and up, as there is some skill involved. While you can purchase all of the needed items separately, for your first venture into the tie dye world, it might be a good idea to purchase a kit that contains all the dyes, ash, rubber bands, gloves and other items you will need for the project. You also need shirts made from 100% cotton as dyes adhere better to the natural fibers. Cotton shrinks, so definitely consider getting a shirt one or sizes bigger than you typically wear. For younger kids, it can be fun to simply let them decorate a t-shirt with fabric paint which comes in a huge variety of styles and colors. This is a great project for a sleepover or a birthday party.
Every season brings a holiday, and each of these observances can be celebrated with a cool art project. Take a look around the internet and you will find something special for each and every major holiday, from Christmas to Fourth of July to Halloween. Folk art flags make a cool tabletop decoration for your Independence Day table, for example, and these can be created using popsicle craft sticks. Pom poms in vibrant Christmas colors can be glued to Styrofoam balls to make festive ornaments. For Thanksgiving, have the children create festive placeholder cards for eat table setting. The only limit is your imagination and that of your children.
About the Author:
Kate Halfey loves writing about art projects for kids. For more information about animal art projects for kids or to find watercolor art projects for kids, please visit the Art Projects For Kids website today.
