Elementary Art Lessons, Projects & Teaching Ideas for K–5

Because art is fundamental to who we are. Art has always been a basic form of human communication. From cave walls to classroom walls, art helps us express ideas, tell stories, and better understand the world around us. I believe art is an essential part of every child's education, which is why I chose the name Art is Basic. Here you'll find K–5 creative art lessons, teaching ideas, and printable resources to help K–5 art teachers inspire young artists.
A person with glasses takes a selfie near a large red "LOVE" sculpture in an urban area, captioning it, “I am here!”

I am here!

I’m in New York!  I made it to the National Art Education conference!  Proof: I already went to a bunch of sessions and am thoroughly exhausted.  More updates and pics to come!

Read More...I am here!
A display stand with various colorful artworks in a public indoor space near a bookstore will attract art enthusiasts.

Art Show

We had our Youth Art Month regional art show at the mall this week.  The reception was yesterday.  The judges pick one artwork from each teacher to go on to the state art show at the capitol building,…

Read More...Art Show
Child's drawing of a landscape with tents, a tree, a river, people, a camel, and faint mountains in the background.

Winter Landscapes

2nd Grade Winter Landscapes For this project, we read a book about Grandma Moses:  Grandma Moses (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) We discussed how to draw a river or road showing depth (by drawing it converging…

Read More...Winter Landscapes
A child's print of a fox on blue paper with "Daisy" written at the bottom in pink, surrounded by playful Arctic animals.

Arctic Animals

The 1st graders studied the Arctic in their Language Arts/Social Studies class.  In Art class, they chose an animal from the Arctic to depict in a print.  They made impressions on styrofoam printing plates using regular pencils. Then,…

Read More...Arctic Animals
A worksheet featuring a value scale with boxes labeled White, Light Gray, Medium Gray, Dark Gray, and Black for shading.

Value Scale

I made a Value Scale worksheet for an upcoming project.  Use it if you’d like! I use this for kids in grade 3-4. Value Scale Handout  

Read More...Value Scale