Five Age-Appropriate Art Activities for Early Childhood Educators

Posted by AIR Childhood Training Solutions Teacher Resource Team on Jun 27th 2023

July is World Watercolor Month, and we've got a host of engaging, age-appropriate, budget-friendly, and educational art activities for your students for summer and all year long.

Preschool students sit around a table cutting out pictures of butterflies

From exploring the color wheel to creating stunning watercolor paintings, these activities will not only nurture creativity but also incorporate essential learning concepts. Remember, every child is an artist; we're here just to guide their imagination!

Watercolor Rainbow

This simple yet vibrant activity helps introduce children to the concept of the color wheel and the primary colors.

Materials Needed: Watercolors, brushes, and watercolor paper.
Activity Instructions: Have children paint a rainbow using the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Guide them in mixing these primary colors to create secondary colors: orange (red + yellow), green (yellow + blue), and purple (blue + red). This way, they learn about colors while making beautiful rainbows.
Educational Value: This activity will help students understand the relationship between primary and secondary colors.

Fruit Stamping

Bring in a touch of summer’s bounty with this project.

Materials Needed: Apples or pears cut in half, paper plates, acrylic paints, and paper.
Activity Instructions: Pour a little paint on paper plates. Dip the cut side of the fruit into the paint and then stamp it onto the paper. Have children observe the shapes and patterns it creates.
Educational Value: Fruit stamping helps develop fine motor skills, enhances knowledge about different fruits, and can be linked with lessons about healthy eating.

Nature Collage

This activity gets the kids involved with nature and helps them appreciate their surroundings.

Materials Needed: Nature materials (leaves, twigs, flowers), construction paper, glue, and markers.
Activity Instructions: Take a nature walk with the children and collect materials like leaves, flowers, and twigs. Back in the classroom, have the children glue these items onto their construction paper and then decorate around the objects using markers.
Educational Value: This encourages an appreciation for nature, teaches about different plants, and enhances fine motor skills.

Watercolor Resist Art

This fascinating project lets the kids experiment with watercolors in a unique way.

Materials Needed: White crayons, watercolor paints, brushes, and watercolor paper.
Activity Instructions: Ask children to draw a picture or write a secret message on their paper using a white crayon. The fun begins when they paint over their drawing with watercolors and the image or message magically appears!
Activity Instructions: This activity introduces children to the concept of resist art and enhances their understanding of color and form.

Colorful Watercolor Silhouettes

A slightly more advanced project, this activity allows children to create beautiful art pieces.

Materials Needed: Black construction paper, watercolor paper, watercolor paints, brushes, pencil, and scissors.
Activity Instructions: Ask students to draw an image (animal, object, person, etc.) on the black construction paper and cut it out. They then stick this silhouette onto the watercolor paper. Now, they can paint around the silhouette with watercolors, creating a vibrant background.
Educational Value: This project promotes creativity and understanding of contrast in art. It also strengthens fine motor skills and attention to detail.