Kindergarten Art Ideas - 3 Favorite Materials for Kindergartners and Projects to Use them
Kindergarten is a great time for young artists to take the next step in their art journey by expanding their use of different materials. Adding new materials to your kindergartners’ repertoire will keep art engaging and fresh they flex their creativity and critical thinking skills.
New art materials can add a new layer to your students' art while improving the quality of their work and the fun they have while creating.
Here are three art materials we love right now and how you can put them to use.
These adorable Kindergarten portraits were painted with tempera cakes.
Construction Paper Crayons
These crayons are designed to make vibrant marks directly on construction paper. The pigment is strong enough to show up bold and bright on any color of construction paper. These crayons come in a variety of colors making them perfect for your kindergartener’s next project.
The pigment in these construction paper crayons is perfect for a bright and lively drawing of a sea turtle. This activity uses basic shapes to make a dynamic and colorful sea turtle drawing. Incorporating simple shape drawings into pictures of animals is a great way to work on foundational art skills while exploring the natural world.
2. Farm Animal Stamps
These farm animal stamps are another great tool to add to your kindergartner's art toolbox. Much like the sea turtle activity above, these farm animal stamps can help kids work on their creative thinking, composition, and farm animal identification.
Creating a colorful cozy cottage is a great way to help teach young artists the importance of space in their artwork. This activity is also a great way to teach kindergarten artists how to use a variety of mediums and materials on one unique project.
Have students start by drawing a few curved and straight lines across their paper to create the rolling hills of your farm. Students will then choose where to draw their cottage. If students choose near the bottom of their paper, they will draw their cottage bigger. If they choose the top, they will draw it smaller. This will help students practice establishing depth in the work.
After they have their hills drawn from lines and their cottage drawn from simple shapes, students can begin filling their pasture with all of their favorite farm animals. Students should be sure to place the feet of their animals on a line to help establish a good understanding of space. Be sure students fill as much negative space as possible with all of their fun new farm animal stamps to create a cozy cottage and farm.
3. Tempera Paint Cakes
Tempera cakes are very similar to traditional watercolors. These small cakes are packed with vibrant pigment and offer great coverage with a fraction of the mess of traditional tempera paints. When working with young artists it is always a smart idea to limit messes whenever possible. These tempera paint cakes let kindergartners access a variety of great pigments with minimal waste and less mess.
Tempera paint cakes are a great tool to use when exploring color with kindergarten students. One of the best ways to explore the power of vibrant colors is with a character trait exploration painting. In addition to exploring the bright pigments and great coverage of the tempera paint cakes, students will have the opportunity to learn about characterization in their favorite storybooks.
Start by creating a color key that prescribes a specific character attribute to each color of tempera cake. Be sure to align the colors of the paint to meanings and emotions that are typically aligned with each color. Green may represent envy while red represents anger or power. So on and so forth.
Once the key is established, have students draw their favorite storybook character. Once they have a basic outline done, let them use vibrant tempera paints to fill their outline with color. Be sure that students are using colors that represent the characteristics of the character they chose. Remind them that their depictions do not need to be realistic, but they do need to be colorful!
This activity allows students the opportunity to explore colors while making a visual depiction of a vital ELA skill.
These portraits were created with tempera cakes.
Final Thoughts
Kindergarten is an exciting time for young artists to explore and expand their creative horizons.
By incorporating a variety of materials like construction paper crayons, farm animal stamps, and tempera paint cakes, you can keep their artistic experiences fresh and engaging. These tools not only make art fun but also help develop critical skills such as creativity, composition, and color theory.
Whether your students are drawing vibrant sea turtles, creating cozy farm scenes, or painting character traits, each project offers a unique opportunity for growth and expression. Embrace these materials and watch your kindergarteners’ artistic abilities blossom!
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