Art activities help kindergartners learn about the world around them. Exploring colors, textures, shapes, and contrasts opens their eyes to details big and small. Kindergarten art projects allow kids to work on their hand-eye coordination through cutting and tracing. They teach about primary colors and color mixing. More importantly, they encourage kids to be creative and embrace the creativity they see in others around them.
We partnered with one of our favorite art teachers on Instagram, Briana Dams, (@art.party.with.ms.d), to bring you this incredible list of ideas. Her projects are inspired by a wide variety of artists, while also making connections to the time of year and what students are studying in other subjects. “Beautiful art + happy students + teaching about a wide range of artists will always be a winner for me!” she says. Visit this talented teacher’s page for more photos, details on the projects shown here, and even more ideas for primary art students!
Teaching Kindergarten Art
“I believe that for all grades, the most vital art room skills are learning the classroom routines and understanding the expectations for materials and behavior,” Briana shares. “By consistently modeling clear expectations, students know exactly what to expect and how to act in the art room. An educator can research, plan and prepare the most exciting lesson, but none of that matters if students aren’t able to take responsibility for their learning by following visual and verbal directions.”
Briana also believes in engaging young learners from day one: “Going over routines and expectations can be dry and repetitive for both students and teachers, so several years ago I made an art agreement video starring my dogs. My students are always far more engaged when a dog is demonstrating the expectations and it only takes us about 15 minutes to cover everything.
“Our first project for the year sometimes changes, but it always covers lines, shapes and incorporates the materials we use most often in the art room,” she continues. “I believe once students are able to identify and draw different shapes and lines, they can learn how to draw anything. I also use this project to pre-assess students’ fine motor abilities and art skills before planning new projects.”
One last tip for making kindergarten art inclusive and achievable: “When planning any project, I always make an example first,” says Briana. “This helps me identify where a student might struggle and how I can scaffold steps to make a more complex task achievable. Templates, drawing guides, and tracers are great tools to help students gain more confidence in their abilities and provide them with a jumping-off point.”
Take a look at these impressive art projects that this talented teacher uses with her students!
Kindergarten Art Projects
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