These thirty easy kinder art lessons are perfect for engaging your five and six year old student and inspiring a love of creating!
What’s important in kinder art lessons…
The school of thought for what’s important in an art lesson for any age varies depending on the educator.
My goals when developing art experiences for kindergarten age students are as follows
- expose them to a variety of techniques and materials
- involve students in lessons that use all of their senses
- expose them to great artists
- begin building an art vocabulary
- present experiences in such a way that allows for self expression
And most importantly…. I want my students to know that making things and being creative is an outlet that feels good and is fun.
No matter their level of innate talent or the development of their fine motor skills- I want young artists to know that making things is enjoyable and a tool for self expression.
Students of any age should have the chance to make art that is their own and makes them feel good and successful. I think those very first art experiences in preschool and kindergarten are especially important. Art is for everyone. Kindergarten art lessons are not the time for rubrics or harsh assessments. Kinder art lessons are the time for exploration, fun, and joy!
Process art is perfect for kindergarten….
Process art means the focus of the project is on the process of art making, rather than on the finished product. There is no end goal in mind when making process oriented art.
Process art is a perfect place to start for kindergarten art activities. There is no right or wrong when making process art- just the open ended experience of making.
Scrape painting….
Use an old gift card or credit card to create a paint scraper. Your little people can help with this step too!
It’s fun to move layers of paint around and create a variety of textures with this DIY scraper.
Foil painting….
Sometimes the only thing that’s needed to create a new invitation to make art is changing up one simple thing.
Grab your tempera paint and instead of painting on paper- try painting on foil. A slippery shiny painting surface makes the whole experience new!
Paper towel painting…
Drawing and painting on another household basic allows for a new sensory experience. The element of absorbency when painting on paper towels is a fun addition!
Bleeding tissue paper…
This tissue paper uses art tissue that allows the color from the tissue paper to “bleed” when water is added.
That means tissue paper painted with just water leaves behind a beautiful, colorful painting.
Spaghetti paint brushes….
Trade in your standard paint brush for one made out of spaghetti noodles. Kids can help with the paintbrush making and the painting!
Marble painting for kinders….
Marble painting is a great art lesson for kinders because it involves those large motor skills! Shake, roll, and bounce your marbles through paint for a fun process art experience!
Kinder art lessons with paper…
Sometimes you want to provide a creative experience for your little ones but it’s just not the day to drag out all the supplies. I totally get it.
These paper art lessons for kinders are perfect for those days!
Make paper books…
These adorable little books are made from index cards and rubber bands. they come together quickly and could be the perfect segue way into first writing experiences or illustration of any theme you’re studying.
Paper bag houses…
Turn small paper lunch bags into a three dimensional village with a few simple folds. This process is so fun- as soon as you show your kiddos the process they’ll be off and making. And the playing is just as fun as the making!
First weaving experiences…
Weaving is an art skill that encompasses so many big concepts- like patterning, fine motor skills, and spatial concepts like over and under. Paper weaving is a great place to start with this skill.
This post will help you introduce the simplest of weaving projects to your kindergarten students.
Easy paper frames for kinders to make…
These paper frames come together in minutes and can be as decorative or as plain as your little artists choose.
These work great as a stand alone craft for kindergarteners but they really shine when they’re filled with a bit of original artwork!
Nature art lessons for kindergarteners….
Is there any better place to look for artistic inspiration than nature? I love teaching my young artists to look for the beauty all around them. It’s everywhere!
Rainbow leaf prints…
All you need to make these colorful prints with your kindergartner is washable markers, paper, water, and of course, leaves!
Watercolor leaf prints…
Play with watercolor paints then lay leaves down in the puddles for some super striking nature prints. The results are always a beautiful surprise!
Leaf rubbing activities…
The classic leaf rubbing activity can turn into an art activity with tons of science connections if you choose to make them!
This one is so simple and nature provides all the details!
Magic leaf rubbings…
Another variation of leaf rubbing art uses a white crayons for the rubbing. this creates a “magic” effect when painted over with watercolor paint!
Outdoor kinder art lessons…
When making art with young kids going outside is always a good idea. Being in nature is sure to provide some creative inspiration as well as a give kids some room to burn off their own energy. Plus- there’s less to clean up because it’s all outside!
Chalk & water….
Grab your grubby basket of old sidewalk chalk and give it new life by adding water. Adding water to chalk makes the colors super brilliant and also allows the chalk to blend like paint!
Make your own chalk paint…
This recipe is three ingredients- so easy. Your kiddos can follow the recipe themselves because it is so forgiving!
The paint from this recipe is a great way to spend an afternoon creating in the sunshine!
Let’s paint a mural…
Use the paint recipe above to create a super size sidewalk chalk mural. This is a great collaborative art activity for kindergarteners and beyond!
Textile art lessons for little kids…..
Textile art is so fun for kindergarteners because it’s often art that gets used. Kids are so proud of their creations and love to see it being used and appreciated!
Easy tie dye…
Make your own super easy version of tie dye using Sharpie marker and alcohol. The resulting designs are so colorful and beautiful. The process is way simpler than traditional tie dye.
Sand paper prints….
Coloring on sand paper is a fantastic sensory experience and you can make amazing prints on fabric. Regular crayons make these amazing textural prints.
Custom stencils for shirts…
Make your own custom t-shirts using stencils and craft acrylic paint. Take advantage of six free templates or make your own.
Kids LOVE wearing their own artwork and these shirts will take being washed over and over and remain vibrant!
Printmaking art activities for kinders…
Printmaking is one of my favorite art activities do with kids if any age. The process is just for gratifying and there are so many possibilities!
Found object printmaking…
Go on a treasure hunt around the house and look for some thing that feature interesting shapes. There are plenty of items perfect for printmaking that might otherwise get thrown away. Think about boxes, lids, packing materials, etc.
The hunt for materials is just as fun as the printmaking process itself.
Printmaking with Lego…
Use Lego blocks to create prints of robots. This one is always a hit with the boys- Lego blocks and robots is a great combo!
Block prints…
Use scraps of wood to create textural prints using washable markers. Print on one large paper or print and cut them out and use them like building blocks!
Simple tie dye lessons perfect for kindergarten…..
Tie dye can be a great place to focus on color and color mixing. It’s a more spontaneous and unpredictable process than typical color mixing exercises but that’s what makes it so fun!
Tissue paper tie dye…
Plain old gift wrapping tissue paper gets a vibrant makeover with this tie dye technique. Grab your tissue paper and food coloring and get making!
Tie dye coffee filters…
Did you know you can create a tie dye effect on coffee filters using washable markers? These coffee filters are so pretty and great to use in future art projects!
Tie dyed flowers….
Remember those tie dyed coffee filters? These flowers are a great example of something to make with them!
These flowers are so pretty you won’t believe they’re made from coffee filters!
Sensory art experiences for kindergarteners….
Sensory art is a great way to appeal to young kids who have a shorter attention span than some art projects require.
Ask your young artists to tune into all of their senses with these creative experiences!
Make your own paint…
This paint uses only four ingredients and they’re all found in your pantry. This paint is fun to make and to use. While it’s not specifically finger paint this does lend itself to using your hands, q- tips, paintbrushes, or any other way you your artist can imagine moving paint around!
DIY air dry clay…
This recipe also uses household materials but this time they come together to make this silky soft white clay.
This clay isn’t as stiff as polymer clay. It’s soft and perfect for little hands.
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