Children have an abundance of creativity! Put it to work with art experiences that foster self-expression and exploration. Art also encourages fine motor skills, neural development and problem-solving abilities, and can be used to teach other key subjects like reading, writing, math and science.

It’s important to encourage students early on to be innovative and experiment freely with colors, textures and techniques. Remember, it’s the process that’s important, not the finished product. Try these simple art activities below to unleash students’ inner artist:

Eggshell Mosaic

Materials:

• Eggs
• ¾ cup alcohol
• Food coloring
• Construction paper

Instructions:

1. Boil some eggs and save the eggshells.
2. To dye the eggshells, place them in the alcohol mixed with food coloring. Leave them in the dye until the desired shade is reached.
3. Let students create their mosaics by gluing the eggshell pieces onto construction paper. Encourage them to be creative with their designs!

Dotty Art

Materials:

• Multi-colored construction paper
• A selection of signal dots in all sizes and colors (can be purchased at any office supply store)

Instructions:

1. Ask students to think of a picture they want to create. It can be an actual object, like a flower, or an abstract design.
2. To create their picture, students will simply choose the dots they want to use, peel them off and stick them onto the paper.
3. Once finished, have students critique each picture to decide whether the picture is of an actual object or a unique design. Remind students to keep comments positive!

Clay Bead Necklaces and Bracelets

Materials:

• Clay
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp. alum powder
• Whisk
• Bowl
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Yarn or twine
• Toothpicks

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, salt and alum powder in a small bowl. Gradually add water until the mixture forms soft modeling clay.
2. Roll a small ball of clay into a bead shape.
3. Then, use a toothpick to pierce the clay. The goal is to create a hole in the bead to string it onto the yarn or twine.
4. Allow one day for the beads to dry. Then, let students paint their beads however they like.
5. Once the paint has dried, let students string their beads onto yarn or twine. Note: cut string long enough to make necklaces that will fit over students’ heads or bracelets that fit onto their wrists.
6. Have students tie the two ends of their string into a knot to close the necklace. Students can wear their handmade bead jewelry or give it away as a gift!

These activities were repurposed from Summer Sizzlers & Magic Mondays: School-Age Theme Activities