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.

Big News!

I’m pregnant! I’m due at the end of April and we are having a boy. Holy cow! I still can’t believe it.

December 9, 2013
11

Children's colorful drawings of various subjects, including animals and people, displayed on a red fabric background.

1st Grade Fabric and Felt Collages

I loved these zig zag dolls by Patricia Saunders that were published in School Arts magazine earlier this year. We have a large tub of fabric and felt scraps that I wanted to start using up. After reading…

December 4, 2013

Winter-themed bulletin board with paper snowflakes labeled with names, and colorful paper houses below against a blue background, promoting a Winter Food Drive.

Winter Food Drive Theme: A Blizzard of Hope

During the month of December, our Student Council is collecting canned and boxed food items for a local food pantry. Last year we had a “chain of giving” theme, where students could attach a colored chain (designated by…

December 1, 2013

Create a Thanksgiving wreath using colorful paper feathers and various colored feathers attached, with words written on them. This festive project adds a personal touch to your holiday decor.

Thanksgiving Wreath Project

Are you looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving craft to keep the kids occupied after your turkey dinner? How about a “thankful wreath”? 1. Cut out the inside of a paper plate, so only the rim is left. 2. …

November 26, 2013

Colorful turkey crafts with multi-colored feather tails and circular bodies on a white background.

Colorful Turkey Project for Kindergarten

For those of you who celebrate, I hope you all have a very warm and happy Thanksgiving with your family.

November 25, 2013

A childlike painting by 3rd graders of a person with a brown face, short hair, and a colorful, abstract background using mixed media.

Mixed Media Self Portraits by 3rd Graders

A self portrait is one of those art projects that is always fun to do with kids. Kids often struggle to portray an accurate likeness of themselves (at least in their opinion), but their personality always shines through.…

November 24, 2013

A painted skull with red, yellow, and white colors against a background of patterned squares.

Look What a Student Brought In Today… A Painted Skull

One of my students paints deer skulls when he visits his grandparents. His grandpa paints them as a hobby. He brought one in to show us today! He is in 3rd grade.. isn’t this beautifully done?

November 20, 2013
1

A colorful abstract drawing with various geometric shapes and diverse patterns filling the entire canvas, created as part of a 1st Grade Alphabet Art Project.

Alphabet Art Project for 1st Grade

This is a great project to try at the beginning of the year or as your students are reviewing the alphabet and beginning to learn to write words and phrases. I got this idea from the book…

November 17, 2013
29

Hand shaping green and blue Model Magic clay with text overlay: "Creative Activities with Model Magic".

5 Art Center Ideas to Try

If you are looking for some new art center ideas for your classroom, look no further! Today I’m going to share with you 5 art centers my students have been enjoying lately. After visiting two choice-based art classrooms,…

November 10, 2013
1

A collage of kids' drawings featuring poppies, American flags, and messages of thanks and remembrance for Veteran's Day.

Poppy Posters for Veteran’s Day

Monday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day in America. My 5th and 6th graders had the privilege of a visit from a lady from our local senior center whose husband is a veteran. She talked to the students about…

November 7, 2013
1

Two small, hand-painted Clay Pinch Pot Monsters resembling open-mouthed, abstract fish in bright orange, teal, and white colors.

Clay Pinch Pot Monsters by 2nd Graders

These cute pinch pot monsters were made by my 2nd grade class. Here is a handout you could use about how to make a pinch pot. After making a pinch pot, the students turned them on their side,…

November 2, 2013
2

A colorful, whimsical clay sculpture of a small house with a tree-like structure and a blue creature on the left side.

Building Castles from Clay (5th and 6th grade)

Hi friends. I have so many projects back-logged to show you. I did clay with all of my classes during the month of September. We are building on to our school and because of construction, our kiln will…

October 31, 2013
3

Two abstract paintings with questions about their artistic techniques are featured in Set #2. The text describes melting clocks and colorful shapes, inviting a deeper dive into Art History or sketchbook prompts for further exploration.

Art History Sketchbook Prompts: Set #2

My first set of Art History Sketchbook Prompts have been popular and I recently made a second set with all different artists and prompts. This new set has 16 NEW art history prompts! 16 DIFFERENT artists. These…

October 29, 2013
2

Children's crafted pumpkins with various facial expressions, created from orange paper, arranged on a white background.

Halloween Pumpkin Painting Art Project for 1st Grade

Happy Halloween! These painted pumpkins were a hit with my first graders. Every year I do some sort of pumpkin project with my students. Whether it is actually painting on little pumpkins or creating an oil pastel drawing,…

October 27, 2013
2

Handmade clay flowers in various colors and designs displayed on a white background.

Clay Flowers made by 3rd Grade

I’m in love with these gorgeous clay flowers my 3rd graders made. This summer when I was on vacation in Michigan, I saw some lovely clay wall hangings in an artsy shop. They were layered clay flowers and…

October 23, 2013
2