Do your students sometimes need a creativity 'jump-start'? When was the last time you assigned a project and immediately a student complained they didn't have any ideas or even know where to start? Coming up with an original idea can feel completely daunting to both kids and adults alike. Generating fresh ideas can be intimidating. It helps to know that it's not so much about … [Read more...]
Search Results for: elements of art
Happy Birthday, Teach Kids Art!
(Visit me on Instagram for a chance to win my TEN most popular products from my TPT store!) Ten years ago today, Teach Kids Art was born! I was teaching K-8 Art at a small private school and putting SO much work into every lesson I taught. It was rare for schools to provide an Art curriculum to work from.... most Art teachers were just expected to create their own. And this … [Read more...]
7 Tips for Successful Student Art Displays
Displaying student art throughout the year, and not only at your end-of-the-year art show, pays dividends in so many ways. From promoting your program to building student pride and self-esteem, it's worth the time and effort it takes to show off the wonderful art that your students are creating! Look for spaces to display student work not only in … [Read more...]
Kids Express Themselves with Art
These are just a few of the amazing paintings done by children in the tent cities of Haiti, on the anniversary of the earthquake.Sometimes I get so caught up in the academics and "mechanics" of teaching art (the elements, principles, and "how to's") that I forget the importance of art as a means of self-expression. On my recent trip to Haiti, I was enormously blessed to get to … [Read more...]
“Hide-a-Heart” Valentines
This lesson is adapted from Karen Card, my children's middle school Art teacher. You can do this versatile project with any grade level, scaling it up or down as needed. It's fun to give kids a little structure and a lot of freedom to be creative.... then watch as all the great ideas start flowing out!1. Talk about how the elements in a design can be obvious or more subtle. … [Read more...]
TIP #61: 5 Creative Thinking Skills for Kids
When you consider creative thinking skills for kids, it's easy to imagine those skills being useful in art class. But creative thinking skills are becoming more essential in every career as well as in everyday life. Creative thinking skills are vital to making progress in today's fast-moving world. Innovation depends on new ideas from creative minds. And you can develop … [Read more...]
TIP #57: 5 Ways to Help Kids Use More Values in Their Paintings
Value can make or break a painting! When we help kids use more values in their paintings, their work can improve dramatically. But until kids are specifically taught about value, it's likely to be overlooked. Has this happened in your classroom? A student looks at their painting and feels like “something isn't quite right” but they can't figure out what the problem is. … [Read more...]
TIP #50: 21 Ways to Nurture Imagination in Kids
Very young children naturally have healthy imaginations. But they become less imaginative as they grow older and their imaginary play is replaced by logic, reason, and facts. While this change is necessary for growth, kids need to combine both imagination and reality to become creative problem solvers. Fortunately, parents and teachers can nurture imagination in kids to keep … [Read more...]
TIP Vault
Sign up to have my “TIP of the Month" email sent directly to your inbox! You can view all of my previous TIPS here in the TIP Vault. Click on a TIP to read more! … [Read more...]
Patriotic Noisemaker Tacos
Take your summer craft projects to the next level when you include the Elements of Art (line, shape, form, space, texture, value, color) and the Principles of Design (contrast, rhythm, proportion, balance, unity, emphasis, movement, and variety). Look for ways you can weave some of this art vocabulary into every project you teach, like I've done with the project below. Be … [Read more...]