Deep Space Sparkle Art Lessons for Kids
This lesson is based on symmetry so as far as teaching kids cool subjects, this one is perfect. In my opinion, there is nothing more pleasing to the ear than hearing a six year old explain symmetry, let alone saying it. It’s a fun word…lots of syllables that when spoken correctly (or very near to [...]
Here is a lesson that I taught to my second graders a few years ago. It was a great “intro-to-drawing” lesson but after teaching the lesson, I felt it would be more age appropriate for third grade and up. The skills are slightly complex and while most kids did very well, I remember a few [...]
Dogs are one of our most loved animals and kids love to draw them. This 9-page booklet uses directed-line instruction for three types of dogs: Basset Hound, French Bull Dog and Cocker Spaniel. Students draw then paint their dogs then “glam” ‘em up with crowns and jewelry! How-Draw Handout for all three dogs, full photo-tutorials, student [...]
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Sometimes I like to experiment. Test out an art project at different grade levels. This lesson worked equally well with both age groups, so as a result, it’s now included as one of my all time favorite art projects. Here are the samples from third grade. This lesson is now free! To download this lesson, [...]
This is a favorite art lesson of mine for spring time. I typically do this lesson with my third grade students but the results would be fanatstic at any age. Supplies: Colored Paper (I used some leftover “Eric Carle” painted paper from earlier in the year.) White paper (this is 9″ x 6″ but a larger [...]
Fred Babb is one of my favorite artists. His art is expressive, meaningful and above all, unique. It’s a perfect description of what children’s art should be. Fred’s website features a book with pull out pages. It makes a fantastic accompaniment to this lesson. I urge you to purchase it. Not only is it great [...]
The quintessential art lesson for elementary school: self-portraits! This 24-page lesson plan booklet includes six easy portrait ideas. Easy-to-follow steps, supply lists, full-color photo-tutorials, original Deep Space Sparkle handouts and student galleries included. The Portrait Lessons includes: Matisse-Inspired Portrait for early elementary: Using oil pastels, kids draw a simple self-portrait following either a directed line drawing [...]
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Understanding how shapes come together to form pictures is one of the easiest and most satisfying lessons to teach younger kids. Many of my lessons involve drawing simple objects, and flowers are one of them. The idea is to think about composition. Show the kids how drawing the centers of the flowers first gives them [...]
This is a simple, yet satisfying drawing lesson suitable for 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th grade. Begin with a paper plate (8″) , a small rectangle cut from tag board (approx. 2″ x 3″), pencils and a sheet of 12″ x 18″ white paper. Trace the plate towards the top of the white paper. Trace [...]
This lesson is part math, part magic and all art! Students fold a piece of paper in half, draw on one side and press to create a symmetrical butterfly. If you have time, it’s wonderful to cut out the butterfly and add glue lines along parts of the butterfly and then sprinkle with glitter. I [...]
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Here is a great twist on the Paper Self-Portraits I do with my third graders (full instructions here). Instead of using realistic colors, I encourage the kids to mix it up. It’s hard for some kids to choose a pink or green for a face color but once they get going, there is no stopping the [...]
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Coming up with an Aboriginal Painting lesson is not as easy as I thought it would be….most ideas feel too complex or too simplistic. This one falls right in the middle. 1. I start with giving the children sheets of “drawing aids”; illustrations of typical aboriginal icons. Have the students pick one and draw it [...]
This is an easy lesson to do with any grade level. I introduced this to third graders who seem to really grasp the chalk techniques. Starting with a black oil pastel and a piece of black paper, I had the children draw rolling hills, rounded mountains and finally, a sun/moon with concentric circles. I encouraged [...]
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Eric Carle is one of my favorite illustrators. Over the years, I have used many of his books as inspirations for art lessons. These instructions are basic, using templates and pre-painted paper. Making Painted Paper I set out 3-4 pots of pre-mixed tempera paint per table. When I say pre-mixed, I mean I create the [...]
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Van Gogh’s famous Sunflower series is one of the most recognizable art subjects in a classroom. My students loved the flexibility of drawing sunflowers and enjoyed the opportunity to create many types of flowers. Using oil pastel to color is a mess-free choice, although not nearly as “fast” as paints. Drawing with Oil Pastels The [...]
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