What Is a Zine? How to Make Zines with Kids
Wondering what is a zine and how to make zines with kids? This simple guide will give you materials, blank templates, steps and ideas for themes of a zine. What Is a Zine? A zine (short for magazine…
Art Projects for Kids + Tips for the Teacher!
Art Projects for Kids + Tips for the Teacher!
Elementary Art Projects & Creative Lessons for Kids
Welcome to Art is Basic, a blog full of elementary art lessons, easy art projects, and teaching ideas for K-5 classrooms. Browse hundreds of engaging activities designed to inspire young artists.
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13 Spring Art Projects for Elementary Kids + Spring Book Read Alouds
Now that Spring is here, you might be looking for art projects that celebrate the fresh air, birds, flowers and signs of the season! I love incorporating the beauty of nature in our art lessons. In this blog…
Butterfly Art Project for Kids + 5 Beautiful Butterfly Books to Inspire Your Lesson
Spring is a great time to explore butterflies in the elementary art classroom. Butterfly art projects are a wonderful way to connect science, nature and creativity! In this post I’m sharing a butterfly art project for kids along…
Elementary Art Sub Plans: No-Prep & Emergency Substitute Lesson Ideas
Looking for easy elementary art sub plans? Emergencies happen, and your substitute may not have an art background. The good news is that sub days can still be creative, structured, and meaningful with the right low-prep lesson ideas.…
Look, Find and Spy Creative Art Challenge for Kids
Look, Find & Spy Creative Art Challenge One of my favorite types of art projects is the kind that lets students make lots of choices and truly own their work. In this “Look, Find & Spy” drawing challenge,…
8 Valentine’s Day Art Projects with Hearts for Kids (Elementary)
Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different Valentine’s Day art projects. Some worked better than others. These 8 are my favorite heart art lessons for kids. If Valentine’s Day art project planning always sneaks up on…
How to Make a Vision Board with Kids | 2026 Vision Board Inspiration and Printables
Are you looking for a creative way to set goals and share your inspirations in an expressive way? Creating a Vision Board with kids is a great way to create a visual representation of goals, dreams and inspiration!…
18 Winter Books for Children – Snow, Snowmen, Fun!
Are you looking for some fun winter art books for children? These are great to read in your classroom before doing a winter art project! 18 Winter Books for Children General Winter Books for Children First, here are…
Thanksgiving Art Projects for Kids: Gratitude Tree, Thankful Turkey, Patterned Leaves
Are you looking for some fun Thanksgiving art projects to encourage thankfulness in your students? Here are some fun Thanksgiving art ideas! Plus, keep reading down to the very bottom for some of my favorite suggestions for books…
Pumpkin Art Project with Texture Leaf Crayon Rubbings
If you’re looking for a fun and easy end-of-October art project, this is one I always love to do with my first graders. Begin by reading a book about leaves or pumpkins! Here are some of my favorites…
Halloween Children’s Books that are Spooky and Fun!
Looking for some new Halloween children’s books? I recently went on a shopping spree for Halloween read-alouds your class will go batty for! I picked out my favorites to share with you. Most of these are probably on…
Scarecrow Art Project with Template – Fall Art Lesson for Kids
A Perfect Scarecrow Art Project for Kids Are you looking for a fantastic fall art project for your elementary art students? This is one of my favorites! I do this with my second grade classes. I looked through…
Drawing Cartoons with Mark Kistler – An Interview!
I have a special guest for this blog post today! I had the exciting opportunity to talk with Mark Kistler, who has written many popular drawing books (with over 1 million books sold) and has shared his love…
150 Children’s Art Books With Art Projects: A Huge List for Art Teachers
Are you looking for amazing children’s art books that go along with art projects? One of my favorite ways to introduce an art lesson for grades K-2 is to pair a children’s book with the project. There are…
The Ultimate List of Art Supplies for an Elementary Art Class
Do you need a printable art supply list for elementary art? Are you stocking up a brand-new art room or simply looking for some recommended art supplies for kids? Ordering art supplies can be overwhelming when you don’t…