• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Printables Terms of Use
  • Subscribe!
  • Printables
    • Free Printables
    • Circle Time Printable Packets
    • Fall Printable Packets
    • Themed Printable Packets
    • Fine Motor Printable Packets
    • Dramatic Play Printable Packs
    • Literacy and Story Time Printable Packets
    • Color Recognition Printable Packets
    • Winter Printable Packs
    • Spring Printable Packets
  • Preschool
  • Toddlers
  • Lesson Plans
    • Preschool Lesson Plans
    • Toddler Lesson Plans
You are here: Home / Art / How to Teach the Elements of Art to Preschoolers

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thanks for visiting!

How to Teach the Elements of Art to Preschoolers

November 9, 2016 by Sheryl Cooper

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Inside: Wondering how to teach the elements of art to your preschoolers? Here are some activities we’ve done that invite young children to explore each element in a different way.

I have written quite a few posts on the value of art in the preschool classroom. Art is just as important in our curriculum as reading, writing, science, and all the other areas of learning. Teaching preschoolers the elements of art allows them to explore creativity while strengthening fine motor skills and hand-eye development.

You might be wondering how to teach the elements of art to preschoolers.

Really, it is quite easy if you provide the materials that allow preschoolers to explore. I thought I’d share some art activities our children have enjoyed over the years, each focusing on one or more of the elements.

elements of art

 

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of Art Parts: A Child’s Introduction to the Elements of Art for review. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

How to Teach the Elements of Art to Preschoolers

Recently author Kim Bogren Owen sent me a copy of her book Art Parts: A Child’s Introduction to the Elements of Art. Using simple text and children’s art, Art Parts introduces children to the 6 elements of art:

  • Art is lines.
  • Art is shapes.
  • Art is color.
  • Art is texture.
  • Art is space.
  • Art is feelings.

Art Parts is designed for children between the ages of 3-8 and includes blank pages after each element where children can experiment each of the 6 concepts. In the classroom, rather than experiment directly in the book, children can create on pieces of paper where they can then be displayed, put in a memory book, and/or taken home.

Art Parts would be a great addition to your art center. The book includes an activities page for parents and teachers to expand on concepts in the book.

After reading Art Parts, I reflected on some art that we had done in the past few years. How did we add elements to them?

Art is lines.

 

Day and Night Activities for Preschoolers

Painting with Golf Balls and Marbles 

As our preschoolers moved the balls back and forth, they made lines of paint on their paper.

Fun Spin Art Spiders for Preschoolers

Spin Art Spiders

Squirting paint onto paper and then spinning it created interesting lines.

preschool Easter art

Painting with Easter Eggs

This process was the same as the marble and golf ball painting, except we used plastic eggs instead.

preschool spring art

Painting Spring Flowers

We painted lines for stems using feathers.

fine motor art in preschool

Colorful Waterfalls

Squirting watercolors from pipettes on a vertical surface causes the paint to drip down the paper, creating lines.

 

Art is shapes.

Build Fine Motor Skills with this Toddler Shapes Art Activity

Shapes Painting

Painting with shape toys onto paper.

How to Put Together a Toddler Square Art Activity that Is Busy and Fun

Square Painting

We explored squares as we stamped blocks in paint and then onto paper.

 

Art is color.

Little Blue and Little Yellow Activity

Little Blue and Little Yellow: Mixing Colors

After reading Little Blue and Little Yellow, we stamped two colors to make a third.

How to Make a Mobile for a Toddler Rainbow Activity

Hanging Rainbow Mobile

Each year we create some sort of display that features each color of the rainbow.

Rainbow Crayons - Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Rainbow Crayons

We sorted crayons by color and then made our own rainbow crayons.

Fun Toddler Painting with Legos

Painting Rainbows with Legos

We drove Lego bricks through puddles of paint in the colors of the rainbow.

Preschool Painting with Balloons

Painting with Balloons

Using slick paper, we explored mixing colors while painting with balloons.

Art is texture.

simple toddler art for winter

Snowball Prints

Painting on top of muffin tins allowed us to experience texture as we pressed paper on top, creating a print.

Easy Pumpkin Painting for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Making Prints with Pumpkins

Wrapping our hands around small pumpkins created uneven marks of paint on our paper.

Freezer Bag Painting for Preschoolers

Painting with Marbles in Freezer Bags

Pushing marbles and paint through plastic is an interesting texture on our hands and fingers.

Toddler Painting with Balls

Painting with Nubby Balls

The texture of these balls created interesting prints as we rolled them back and forth across the paper.

Art is space.

toddler winter art

Snowflake Snowmen

While stamping with spools, we noticed the space around the paint.

Art is feelings.

introducing art to preschoolers

We talk a lot about our feelings and will draw them on paper.

 

What are some of your favorite ways to teach elements of art to preschoolers?

 

elements of art

 


FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

Get your FREE circle time planner as a gift when you subscribe to my free weekly newsletters.

Here is my Privacy Policy

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Filed Under: Art, preschool Tagged With: art, preschool

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « Preschool Leaf Sorting Activity with Free Printable Cards
Next Post: How to Create a Christmas Fine Motor Activity Using Yarn and Paper »

Primary Sidebar

You can also find us here!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something specific?

Categories

Welcome! I'm Sheryl Cooper, teacher of 2 and 3 year olds for over 22 years. Read more about me here!

More Printables!

preschool printables

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds is a participant in Amazon Associates.

preschool printables

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds · Privacy Policy