By Kate Halfey
While we are constantly telling children to "use their words" when they express themselves, this can be very difficult. Children often lack the vocabulary and capacity to truly express their emotions, but through the use of art, they have a more abstract way to demonstrate how they are feeling. If you are looking for some fun art projects for kids, here are a few that will fit the bill.
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.
To make the giant initial, first cut out two identical giant letters out of cardboard. Glue five or six Styrofoam cups or bowls onto one letter and then glue the other letter on to the other side of the cups. Let the glue dry and then cover the letter thoroughly with strips of paper mache. Once this is dry, you can paint the letter with acrylic paints and then once all the painting is finished, coat it all with Mod Podge. For other projects, such as a bowl, you will fill up a balloon and cover the bottom half of the balloon with paper mache strips. Once it dries, pop the balloon and paint and seal just as you would with the initial.
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.
Don't forget to think seasonally when you are searching for crafts. For instance, during the holiday season, children have a lot of fun creating festive Christmas or Hanukkah decorations or wrapping paper. For Valentine's Day, have them create their own handmade cards for friends and family. For Fourth of July, they can make tissue paper flags by tearing and scrunching bits of red, white and blue paper. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and you can find hundreds of craft ideas to suit any holiday and also suitable for toddlers to teens.
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.
To make the giant initial, first cut out two identical giant letters out of cardboard. Glue five or six Styrofoam cups or bowls onto one letter and then glue the other letter on to the other side of the cups. Let the glue dry and then cover the letter thoroughly with strips of paper mache. Once this is dry, you can paint the letter with acrylic paints and then once all the painting is finished, coat it all with Mod Podge. For other projects, such as a bowl, you will fill up a balloon and cover the bottom half of the balloon with paper mache strips. Once it dries, pop the balloon and paint and seal just as you would with the initial.
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.
Don't forget to think seasonally when you are searching for crafts. For instance, during the holiday season, children have a lot of fun creating festive Christmas or Hanukkah decorations or wrapping paper. For Valentine's Day, have them create their own handmade cards for friends and family. For Fourth of July, they can make tissue paper flags by tearing and scrunching bits of red, white and blue paper. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and you can find hundreds of craft ideas to suit any holiday and also suitable for toddlers to teens.
About the Author:
Kate Halfey likes blogging about art projects for kids. For further information about animal art projects for kids or to find watercolor art projects for kids, please check out the ArtProjectsForKids.org site today.