I am always looking for ideas for art activities for my preschool art lessons. Art projects for preschoolers can be messy and take a lot of time to set up as well as clean up. Preschool art lessons should be fun for the children and should allow their creative skills to blossom. Art activities for preschool do not need to be overwhelming. There are two basic types of art activities that I use in preschool: Process art and directed art. Both types are important. Process art is open-ended and all about exploration and using ideas and creativity. Directed art is used for teaching a concept and how to use an element of art such as line, shape, color, etc. in their artwork.
Preschool Art Lesson #1
Different Kinds of Lines
I use the book Art Parts by Kim Bogren Owen to introduce the different elements of art. Take some time to talk about the different kinds of lines there are. I found this on pinterest and use it as an example of several different types of lines. Then, take some time to look at famous art and ask the kids about the lines in the picture. I like to use The ABCs of art and the 123s of art both by Sabrina Hahn to use as examples of famous art work. This line art activity was on messylittlemonster.com
Students choose 8 different types of lines. You will need to remind them to space the lines about 1 1/2 inches apart so that there is plenty of space to use watercolor paints in between the lines. Students will need to choose a different color of marker to draw each line, and then a different color of watercolor paint to paint between the lines.
Preschool Art Lesson #2
Drip Painting on Pumpkins
This is by far one of my favorite projects all year. Decorating pumpkins with preschoolers is always fun. But these brightly colored lines always come out amazing! The best size for my kiddos has always been 6-8 inch pumpkins. We wash and dry them before we begin. I allow children to choose 4 colors of paint to use for their pumpkin. In the past I used plastic spoons for kids to drizzle paint from the top. Most paints need to be watered down. I use Crayola Washable Tempera paint. I find that tempera paint cracks, so I add a spoonful or more of Elmer’s Glue and stir. This past year, I used plastic pipettes for children to drip paint from the top of the pumpkins.
Preschool Art Lesson #3
Mondrian Squares
Inspired by Piet Mondrian, Mondrian Square art can be done in many different ways. For my preschoolers, I let them use a ruler and a pencil and practice drawing straight lines that cross each other. Then, we use a black marker and trace the lines that they drew with the rulers. (I have seen black electric tape used for the black lines). Next, we fill in some of the squares. The colors that mimic the art of Piet Mondrian are red, yellow, blue, black, white and sometimes grey. I have had my students color the shapes in with markers, which was fine, but hard work for them. Painting the shapes with smaller paint brushes such as a watercolor brush, not only made the project go faster, but made it much more fun for the kids. I also use Crayola Washable Tempera paint mixed with Elmer’s Glue for this project. Acrylic paints would also work well. Apple Barrel Acrylic Art Set is a good choice for this type of project.
Preschool Art Lesson #4
Paper line Art
This project I saw on a social media post, or I would link you to the original project. This project, as with most of the others also incorporates the practice of fine motor skills. Draw lines on brightly colored construction paper. You can make these lines all straight lines, or you could include some curvy or zigzag lines. All the lines need to be uniform across the page because students will cut them into strips. For my preschoolers, I use only straight lines. After the lines are all cut, give the students a piece of either 9 x 12 or 12 x 18 construction paper. I like to use the larger paper to give the students lots of area to work with. I also like to use Black as the background to really make the colors pop. However, this can be done in any color combination that you choose. Students use the the strips of paper and glue sticks to make a picture or design of their choice. Make sure to remind them to use their space wisely.
Preschool Art Lesson #5
Paper Line Sculptures
Paper line Sculptures are similar to Paper line Art in that you start by cutting several strips of brightly colored lines. For this project, you will need tape. You can choose to use clear tape, masking tape, colored masking tape, etc. I use this set from Lakeshore learning.
Show children some ideas for connecting the ends of strips to make a circle, or connect 3 pieces to make a triangle. They can create a tower, or a person, or a tree. Encourage children to think about what they want to make before they start connecting the pieces together.
More ideas with lines
Wrapped Yarn Resist: Birch Tree Paintings
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