Earn 7 hours of professional development in visual arts education. Gain proper art literacy training to set up your classroom. Watch all 6 videos this summer. No more guessing on what art lessons you should be teaching!
There’s a lot of art advice out there that is not tailored to teach YOU proper art literacy for children. I’ve spent years designing curriculum and training courses to assist Montessori guides in effectively teaching art lessons to children. I have designed thissummer art video bonus to help you get on the right track!
When you purchase this 6-video set, you will also receive an invitation to a special Q&A session with me. This session aims to address all your questions and demonstrate the correct art materials to incorporate into your classroom. The live session is scheduled for mid-August (date TBA), allowing you ample time to watch and absorb the videos beforehand.
In this pre-recorded 20-minute training, Spramani explains the essential areas young children should learn in visual arts and discusses why it is important to teach these skills in the 21st century.
The Art Lessons You Should Teach First!
In this pre-recorded 1-hour training, Spramani delves into what Montessori art guides should prioritize teaching first. She outlines the key areas to focus on, provides examples of art lessons, and offers insights on what to present and demonstrate to children who are new to learning art. Gain access to a wealth of professional art teaching advice in this comprehensive session.
How to Theme Art & The Natural World
Embark on a journey of discovery with Spramani in this enlightening 3-part video series spanning 2 hours. Discover how to engage your child outdoors, fostering scientific and artistic observation skills. Uncover the power of using art in conjunction with Montessori subjects to ignite a curiosity for the natural world and enhance knowledge. Learn how art lessons can intricately represent diverse aspects of Montessori topics found in nature, including seasons, soil layers, energy, rocks and minerals, fossils, landforms, water, flora, fauna, and the atmosphere.
How to Stage A Montessori Art Shelf In this 1-hour pre-recorded video, Spramani shares her: – Proprietary staging system for Montessori classrooms – How to stage to meet the arts standards – What types of materials to stage – How to support group and independent work, and much more!
Positive Artful Ways To Talk To Your Students
She shares examples of how these conversations should sound, drawing upon her 30 years of experience in positively and supportively engaging with students to encourage creative expression as an art facilitator.
Watercolor Joy
In this 1-hour video, Spramani shows you which watercolor paints to use for teaching children. She provides you with all the tips on what to buy, how to set up, and how to prepare for watercolor process-based activities. Great if you are curious.
Get instant access to all 6 videos. Enjoy a 3-year viewing window, giving you ample time to delve into the pre-recorded live sessions led by the esteemed art teacher, Spramani Elaun.
Whether you choose to watch on your phone, tablet, or desktop, these videos are available for your convenience anytime, anywhere. Get the necessary training to start art programming in your classroom.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
As a Montessori teacher, you know it can be overwhelming to choose the right fun art activities. But, that is why I’m here with some guidance on which Montessori art activities for The Great Lessons are appropriate for your classroom and enjoyable! Art activities related to The Great Lessons are my favorite to teach. Because they allow children to explore their imaginations and get creative in a concrete, meaningful way. From drawing explosions to painting supernovas, students can visualize and understand such a big concept.
Integrating Art Into Your Lessons
Integrating art with science helps children express ideas creatively, stimulates their senses, and provides tactile experiences. So when it comes to teaching the universe, there is no reason you can’t integrate art and science to have some fun. To get started, take a look at some of your classroom books for visual inspiration. One of my favorite books to use is “Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story” by Jennifer Morgan. The illustrations are colorful and beautiful and can be used for many art activities.
These activities can easily be adjusted to fit early childhood, lower elementary, or upper elementary classrooms. Older students will, of course, pay more attention to details, while the early childhood students will engage with these art activities in an open-ended fashion. Fun and fascinating science topics you can incorporate into art projects. Below are ten art projects that Montessori teachers can use to teach elementary students.
Art Ideas
1. Create a Cosmic Painting: Take your students on a journey through the universe with a cosmic painting activity. Discuss the Big Bang and the creation of the universe with your students, then have them create a painting depicting the birth of the universe.
2. Constellations: Give your students a chance to create their own constellations using paint or clay. Educate them on how the Big Bang gave birth to stars and how stars are the building blocks of constellations.
3. Paper Mache Planets: Introduce the concept of planets and solar systems by having your students make paper mache planets. You can use this opportunity to discuss the origins of planets and how they were formed following the Big Bang.
4. Galaxy in a Bottle: Encourage your students to learn about galaxies by creating a galaxy in a bottle. This can be a great way to explore the vastness of space and how galaxies form after the Big Bang.
5. Moon Phases Art: Discuss the moon phases and how they are caused by the changing position of the moon. Have your students create art that depicts the different phases of the moon using paint or chalk.
6. Starry Night Sky: Teach your students about stars by creating a starry night sky mural. This activity can help them learn about the different types of stars and how they are formed.
7. Cosmic Collage: Give your students an opportunity to create a cosmic collage by cutting out pictures of planets, stars, and galaxies from magazines and newspapers. Discuss the Big Bang and how all these celestial bodies came into existence.
8. Sun Catchers: Discuss the origins of our solar system’s star, the sun, and have your students create sun catchers using colorful tissue paper. This can be a great way to explore the different colors of the sun and how they are visible to us.
9. Universe Mobile: Make a universe mobile to showcase the Big Bang and the creation of our universe. Students can create planets, stars, and galaxies to hang from the mobile.
10. Astronaut Art: Discuss space travel and astronauts’ role in exploring space. Let your students create astronaut art that depicts them exploring the galaxies and space beyond, giving them a glimpse into the vast universe beyond our planet.
By incorporating these art projects into your Montessori lessons, your students can learn the vastness of space in a fun and interactive way.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Every Montessori school should have an art environment. Whether an art shelf inside the classroom, dedicated classroom, or specials visiting. Elementary students should be engaging in some type of art lessons regularly. Allowing children to express creativity plus building basic skill sets. One of the reasons art programs exist is to expose children to different kinds of mediums. In this blog I want to share some ideas on How To Bring Art Into The Classroom
When children are exposed to different art activities they are likely to find the right art domain they enjoy. As children find the right art experiences they enjoy, they become independent as they practice these skill-sets. When elementary students work independently they can also self regulate their own stress with hand work in the classroom. Independent working students can also reach creative flow states! So where should you start with to bring art into the classroom?
6 Art Areas To Focus On
Schedule Art
Choose Art Subjects
Teach Art Elements
Choose Art Mediums
Choose An Artist Technique
Teach Skill Building Foundations
Focus On Art Direct Aims
Schedule Art Lessons
Start with scheduling regular interactions with art making in the classroom. Schedule daily, weekly or even bi weekly art lessons. Even bi monthly if your teaching schedule is super busy. I did this as a visiting Montessori art specials and I heard from Montessori guides how the children learned so much from just 4 visits! Once you have chosen the day, move to creating time segments. Be sure your timeline is specific to lower or upper elementary attention spans.
Art Subjects To Teach
Then move into deciding which visual art subjects you want to explore. I recommend choosing from my five art domains. Subjects like painting or color theory. Learn more about the 5 domains by buying: Defining Visual Arts Book HERE. Once you decide the area you want to focus on then you can decide on the lesson plans.
Art Elements To Teach
To meet the national art standards it’s important to teach children the Art Elements. The Art Elements cover things like line, color, shape – etc. Each one of your art lessons should always focus on a key art element. I can’t stress enough how important this is to a solid art program. I meet many Montessori guides not even aware of art literacy standards. Even how to teach the artistic process, how-to scaffold art lessons, or what art sequences should come next. Learn more about the Art Elements by buying: Defining Visual Arts Book HERE
Art Mediums & Technique
Then the fun stuff starts by deciding on which mediums to experiment with first. This also includes what presentations and demonstrations to schedule. For example you could teach the subject of painting and focus on the watercolor medium. Then show children a crayon technique – wax resist marks. Or let’s say you decide to integrate a sensory craft with zoology. Like cutting sea life shapes from paper with a collage – technique.
Building Art Skill-Sets
The best advice I have for you is to teach how to set-up, clean-up, and prepare the environment for their next classmate, learning to complete the cycle in the Montessori way first is important. This supports independent work through the school year. Then foucs on building skill-sets and don’t waste time on the wrong type of art lessons. Like focusing on the Masters, copying images, or too much process- based art. Try not to focus lessons on copying the Masters artworks. These lessons can be lacking in developing independent art skill-sets or their own creativity. Montessori elementary students need the right order of skill-set lesson first.
Focus on Art Direct Aims
The other important thing I want to share is even if you can’t draw or paint you can still teach proper art lessons. Your own refined skill-sets are not the focus. What’s important is knowing your direct aims. Direct aims like preparing the environment, and presenting the right order of demonstrations. Scheduling and choosing age appropriate art lessons. Indirect Aims will happen like – your students brainstorming or conjuring up original ideas. Even exploration that leads to the most optimal state of creative flow!
Teaching art can be intimidating without any basic knowledge or experience. But I’m here to tell you I’ve taught thousands of parents and teachers. I have lots of preparatory teaching methods easy for you to follow. But here’s a secret… you will learn right beside your students, I promise!
Art Professional Development
I invite you…
No matter what capacity of training you desire, I’ve built art teaching resources you can have access to!
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
There are so many good reasons to include natural art elements around your home or classroom. These beautiful natural elements can inspire children to create beautiful artworks. Nature has lines, patterns, and textures that can really make fun marks. Natural elements are easy to find around your environments like backyards, school yards, and parks. The other reason to use natural elements is to connect children to the outside world. By going outside to forage for these natural elements you have the opportunity to teach the importance of living biospheres. Here are some nature elements you can forage for:
Elements Nature elements like;
Leaves
Bark
Seeds
Sticks
Stones
Feathers
Seashells
bones
Flowers
Another amazing reason to use nature is it demonstrates resourcefulness! You can teach children to go outside to find objects to create artworks from, rather than going and buying stuff from the store. By using natural items found outdoors in your students’ environment can spark some good conversations! I’ve had some amazing learning opportunities pop up when my students are curious about the outdoors, insects, or animals living in these spaces.
You can also take your students outdoors through the seasons. They can learn about the seasons and what types of natural elements are there. I find interesting seed pods only a few times a year. I also can only get the right colored leaves in certain seasons. There is so much rich education right outside by using nature based elements.
I have written many Nature Based Art Activity Blogs:
1-hour Montessori Art Lesson Training for Teachers
As a teacher, I sometimes struggle with coming up with the next art activity for my early childhood Montessori students. That’s why I created this Montessori art lesson for teachers just like you. I will be sharing all kinds of new ideas on how to pull together simple art lessons for you to teach to your students.
Teachers have these preconceived notions on what it takes to create art lessons.
They often think they need to be an artist, or have to introduce the Masters to children, and even know how to appreciate the arts themselves.
This 1-hour video training is full of creative ideas on ways to teach simple art concepts – Just by using children’s storybooks!
I share so many ideas, talk about what’s really important to teach and I share some tips on scheduling art projects through the school year.
Need Montessori art teaching tips from a pro?
Tap over and register for this limited time video training, and watch today:
How-to Theme Art Activities – 1 Hr. Video Training
Hosted by Spramani Elaun – International Montessori Art Trainer
Visual Arts Teaching Guide for 13 Months – 6 Years Old
This book includes: ✅ My proprietary art teaching method ✅ The proper and complete list of art materials ✅ A guide for staging and setting up a successful art environment ✅ Tips and art lesson ideas for early childhood ✅ A convenient three-ring binder presentation
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
How to Support Montessori Painting with Young Children
I’ve been painting with many children in staged Montessori art spaces over the years, and I’ve also observed how they best learn to paint. So, I wanted to share some tips on how to support concentration and independence while kids paint. These tips can be helpful if you’re trying to create more Montessori painting activities within your classroom or home.
Here are some tips on how you can support creative painting sessions:
Flow & Concentration
Independence
Exploration & Discovery
Creative Experimentation
Freedom Within Limits
Support Flow & Concentration
Allow uninterrupted periods of creative time while your students are working. When you don’t interrupt children’s painting, they can enter more creative states of flow with heightened concentration. Children can concentrate and go deeper into learning new ideas when not interrupted. To help with these states of flow, try to observe your students from a distance. Too often, creative flow is interrupted by teachers or parents. You should practice more uninterrupted work periods by being conscious of how you are interacting with your child during their painting sessions.
Support Independence
You can support your students’ independence by preparing their art environment to support their painting independence. Think about how you have arranged their painting space. Is their working space aligned with their level of abilities? Is their drying area nearby and easy for them to hang or lay their paintings on? Are materials all set up and easy for them to reach so they can get to work? Have you given them the right amount of demonstrations so they know how to use all the materials properly? By revisiting demonstrations, you can support your child to work more independently.
Support Exploration & Discovery
Exploration and discovery can come in many ways. Allow your children the freedom to choose their materials, such as paint colors, and paintbrush sizes. You can even give them the freedom to choose the size of paper they want to paint on. Children flourish when they can explore how materials behave or even discover how they work in different ways. The process of exploration and discovery is the best way young children learn painting skills. Allow for lots of discovery time. Young children learn to paint over a long period of time. Try supporting more exploration and discovery rather than the outcome.
Support Creative Experimentation
When children go in different directions than you had planned, take a deep breath and allow their experimentation to happen. Example: If they do not use the paintbrush the way you demonstrated or do not choose the colors you planned in your example. You might be thinking, “Green would look lovely for painting turtles,” but your student thinks, “Purple turtles are better!” If your child uses their fingers to paint instead of the paintbrush you took time to stage, as long as they are safe and not disrespecting the art materials, simply allow this type of creative experimentation to go on. This is truly considered one of the artistic processes the National Core Art Standards supports; it’s called INVESTIGATE!
Support Freedom Within Limits
YES, discovery and exploration are part of the creative process, but we can provide freedom within limits by presentations and demonstrations that support healthy limits. We can demonstrate where the painting will take place, where it’s accepted in the art environment, and where it’s NOT allowed.
One of the biggest lessons I learned early on, which I share in several of my kids’ painting books, is that you need to explain to children where painting is not allowed, like the walls, and how walking around with loaded paintbrushes is not allowed outside of their art workspace. I also explain to children how to set up and clean up when they are done painting.
As a homeschool mom, I even had to explain this to two of my own little artists. The freedom should be in what they want to express or paint but not where they want to paint. 😉
I hope these tips help you bring the joy of painting into your Montessori spaces.
If you want to learn more, I recommend learning more about my books, video training, and art supplies.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Every summer, I host art camps in San Diego, and my students’ top favorite project to do with me is to paint papers! In this post, we will teach you how to paint paper and collage like artist and author Eric Carle. So I thought I would share this fun Montessori art activity you can introduce to your students.
I like to give my students unusual tools, bright paint colors, different colored papers, and crazy things to make interesting textures and patterns. This also prepares papers for future projects that can be cut and be collage into interesting shapes.
Teach the Elements
Painting papers is a great way to teach the Elements and Principles of Design. You can teach texture and patterns, a vital art standard topic children should learn in Montessori art lessons. The artist and author Eric Carle is famous for doing this fun and vibrant method in his book illustrations. Eric Carle is famous for PAINTED PAPERS and collaging them into beautiful creatures featured in all his books.
Eric Carle, artist and children’s book author
How-to PAINT PAPER like Eric Carle | Montessori Art
What is paint paper?
Painted paper is basically paint applied onto paper. You can paint plain white paper or colored paper. Paper painting can be created with different mediums like watercolor, gel paints, tempera, or acrylic paints (any paint).
What can you do with painted paper?
Like Eric Carle, the famous artist, paint the papers first, let them dry second, then third cut them up into new collage artworks. Eric Carle’s famous painting papers created The Very Hungry Caterpillar book with this unique painted technique.
Interesting objects that make patterns and textures
Drying rack
Interesting tools
Painted papers can be taught in a process-based manner
Process-based painting is more about the experience rather than following directions. When kids paint process-based, they are able to go in any direction they choose. They can explore any texture, use any color, and have any outcome happen, but have very cool painted paper; they can later cut turn into another art piece. Process-based art lessons and painted papers are a great way to start teaching Montessori art lessons.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Clay Play can be a wonderful craft activity for toddlers. Clay activities help develop important fine motor movements children need. In this blog post, I will share my expertise on how to introduce clay, suitable clay materials, and how to start beginner clay activities. Crafts for toddlers can start with simple clay play activities.
Why is Clay Play Beneficial?
Playing with clay helps build strong neural connections essential for brain development. Working with their hands at an early age improves a toddler’s memory by developing implicit memory.
Clay play also strengthens the muscles in their fingers, hands, and arms through fine motor movements. This helps toddlers with everyday tasks like feeding themselves, dressing, or handling small objects while playing or building.
Introducing clay play is a wonderful way to exercise your toddler’s muscles and prepare them for practical life skills.
Best types of clay
There are four types of clays that I recommend for toddlers:
These types of clays are easy for toddlers to manipulate. They are malleable and suitable for changing, squeezing, and transforming into playful forms.
Pottery Earth Clay – is fun and messy, I recommended for outdoor use. It turns hard after air drying overnight.
Plasticine clay– can be used indoors and is made from wax and pigments that dose not harden. This craft clay is suitable for multiple uses and will not dry out.
Air Dry Clay– will harden overnight, and you can paint it after it dries out. You can find air dry from various brands such as Crayola Model Magic.
Homemade Play Dough – You can make this by mixing flour, water, salt and food coloring. This craft clay can be baked to harden. You can find many How to Make Play Dough – Easy No Cook Recipe videos online or on youtube.
Start by introducing toddlers to clay activities with minimal set-ups. Begin with just clay, then gradually add clay tools, cookie cutters and rolling pins. Introduce how to press and poke fun objects into the clay. My best tip is to start small and simple. The first time – only provide clay, then add one tool. As a follow-up activity introduce how to press embellishments into the clay. So start with clay play first, then gradually add more tools and hand movement complexity.
It’s crucial for toddlers to have ample tactile experiences early. Tactile learning allows toddlers to feel with their hands, sending unique neural information to their brain. You can gain further insights into this topic by reading my book, The Way Children Make Art (Order Here). I share how children sensorily process tactile movements cognitively through art activities.
If you’re excited to start teaching clay play, my Clay Play book includes fun ideas to do with clay and set up. You can also find various clay modeling kits suitable for toddlers ororder my sequential clay modeling curriculum at my website.
Remember to take baby steps and start small so that you can manage the mess when introducing your toddlers to clay play. Gradually, they will learn to love clay play!
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Today, I want to share tips for beginners starting to paint with children at home or in the classroom. If you’re considering starting painting, it can feel a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry, I have some advice to help you get started on the right foot. I also offer many art guides, videos, and supplies that can further enrich your experience, which you can find on my website. Throughout this blog, I’ll list resources. I can’t wait to share some easy painting ideas for children that you will surely appreciate.
Painting is truly loved by children of all ages—even toddlers enjoy it! When children join my art workshops, their smiles and excitement are joyful. Even teachers who have never painted before have smiles on their face! Plus, painting can be a calming and relaxing activity for all.
When I meet parents, guides, and teachers, I know there’s a concern about how messy painting can become. But I’ve developed key lessons that demonstrate how to paint without making big messes. Painting can be set up properly to support children while keeping the environment tidy. Once you understand the basics, how to set up, and how to support painting sessions, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. While I can’t teach you everything in just this blog, I offer plenty of resources so you can further deepen your learning. Let’s start with the painting basics.
Painting Basics
Lets start with understanding what painting means. Painting is the action of making brush strokes marks with a paintbrush, hands, sponges, paint rollers, or stampers. Brushstrokes are created with liquid pigments – paint. Usually children paint on paper, canvas, cardboard and wood surfaces. Toddlers – elementary grades are old enough to learn how to paint.
Preparing the Environment for Painting
Preparing the environment should include an art space, a shelf with materials within reach, and art storage for incomplete projects. Before painting starts, designate a painting area for children to work in. Think about this areas like you do for food prep. You need to be near a sink and use tables that can get messy.
Make sure the child knows where paint is allowed. Let them know where they can paint to avoid stains. If necessary, put down tarps, rugs, or towels in this area to keep floors clean during any painting activities. When painting at home, I recommend areas like the kitchen, patio, or a room spills are OK to happen.
Without this proper guidance, you will struggle as a guide and want to restrict children from painting. With no guidance children have no way of understanding expectations. If you want to learn how to teach these presentations check out my art guides or painting video training.
Here is what demonstrations and presentations should look like:
Show children how to work around the environment
Where to set up for painting
How to manage messes
Clean up and place all the materials back on the shelf
Demonstrate how to store finished artworks or incomplete work
Manage Painting Messes
If you don’t want large messes, shrink down the paints and paintbrushes. Use the smallest available size of paintbrush and put paint into small containers (as opposed to giving students the entire bottle). This is one of the major tricks I share in my books and guides Kids Painting.
Prepare the the art environment with all the mediums and materials easy for grabbing. Be sure your painting areas also has beautiful painted samples for children to admire. These can be samples you created or other students work. Have white and clear containers it’s easy to see color choices.
Screenshot
Paints Easy to Use
These are the best choices for painting with children. If you want to learn more about what paints to use on specific paint projects, check out this blog, Kids Painting Book or any of my Art Guides early childhood or elementary. Another great tip is to try these paints out on your own before you introduce them to your students. Test the paints and be sure the paints measure up and can produce the right results you need.
When introducing painting to your classroom, be sure there is time to present all the materials. This will ensure the children can work independently with them. You’ll want to show them how to set up, how to use the materials properly, how to make proper paint brush marks, how to take care of paintbrushes and how to clean up and store their paintings. These procedures will turn into regular routines, helping children develop independence and start expressing creativity regularly.
Painting Materials
Generally you will need different size paintbrushes, paint palettes and objects for children to paint on. Common surfaces can be thick paper, watercolor paper, cardboard, canvas, rocks or sticks. You will also need a cleaning system for maintain mess while children paint. To learn more on this download my free painting checklist for painting. Or check out my books.
Paint Colors
Give your students just a few color options at first—maybe even limit it to one color. Too many options can be overstimulating, causing them to lose focus (which could lead to messes). I typically start beginner lessons with just one color until my students get the hang of their materials and brush marks.
Painting Key Lessons
Painting key lessons are very important to teach. They provide children with a structured foundation to build essential artistic skills. These skills build upon each other, enabling children to confidently paint independently. Without these core lessons, it’s difficult for children to progress with painting or follow routines. When children are given these sequential key lessons, they can advance to more painting practices like mixing colors, creating desired art elements, developing color values, and planning their painting ideas. With proper key lessons, children are also able to create all art elements using brushstrokes.
If all this seems hard, start with process based painting. s. This means your students do not have to follow directions to get a specific result. Process-based painting gives children the freedom to explore. Giving them the freedom to experiment with paint mediums any way they desire. Start painting projects by creating in process-based and open-ended lesson
Easy Painting Ideas
Learning Brushstrokes: Explore different brushstrokes.
Primary Color Mixing: Discover how to mix primary colors.
Stick & Rock Painting: Use natural materials like sticks and rocks as unique canvases.
Paint Roller Fun: Experiment with paint rollers to cover large areas.
Bubble Wrap Painting: Use bubble wrap to stamp colorful patterns and textures onto paper.
Flower Prints: Dip flowers into paint and press them onto paper.
Painted Papers: Transform plain paper into beautiful backdrops or collages with paint.
Wood Crafts: Paint different wood craft shapes with paint.
Sponge Painting: Use sponges to dab paint onto surfaces, creating soft and blended effects.
Learning to stage paint activities can engage children and make art exciting. Over the years, I have developed systems and processes for staging painting activities. The general idea is to isolate one movement or technique and have all the materials ready and easy for children to work with. If you would like to learn how to stage an art shelf, check out the Art Shelf Staging Video training here.
Kids Painting Book
Kids painting book describes the paints to use with children. It includes materials & set-up advice. You will get a good understanding of how to quickly set up for painting with children, plus tips. The book explains how to control painting messes. This is a beginner guide for someone new to working with children and painting.
This art album provides comprehensive guidance on teaching painting to children, offering insights into the most suitable paints for various projects. It encompasses essential information about the basic painting materials and tools required, along with key lessons and principles to start with. The album elaborates on seven key lessons in detail, featuring beautiful pictures of painting lesson ideas and examples of different techniques to effectively teach students.
Additionally, it includes references to artist techniques and insights into best practices for choice, process-based, and guided instruction. This art album serves as a companion to the “Kids Painting – Brushstrokes Curriculum,” and features Spramani’s framework and key lessons for fostering autonomy and independent, artistic expression. This art album is a valuable addition to your curriculum shelf, featuring full-color pictures and inspiring ideas for effective teaching.
No prior painting experience needed!
Spramani presents her personal painting album featuring the most common lessons she teaches in lower and elementary levels. The album showcases pictures of all the painting lessons, accompanied by comments and detailed descriptions. These foundational lessons cover popular artist techniques and offer ideas for integrating them into common Montessori lesson concepts.
Premium painting materials I use for all my classrooms can be purchased at my website. Every paint is safe and non-toxic. I have used all of them and love the results. You will be able to find all age range. I’m happy to answer any questions about all paint products.
Painting Video Training
I have two types of training. I recommend both to hone your painting skill sets and teaching.
The most common questions Montessori teachers ask me is: “What are my young students capable of doing in visual arts?” or “I don’t know what type of projects I can teach my students” and “I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to teach in art lessons” So, I created this free mini video course to clear up this confusion! This series will describe the phases of art development and teach you what the art fundamentals are.
Spramani Elaun is an author and art curriculum developer from San Diego California. She is a homeschooling mom, art teacher with a science art methodology. Her success is led by observations and real-life practice of how children cognitively and sensorially process art over twenty years. She is the founder of Nature of Art® Art school & Art supply company, Art Teaching Blueprint Montessori Certification Training Program. Spramani holds degrees in Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Visual Communications, Print Media, and Fine Arts.
Today day I want to share Best Drawing & Painting Papers Size For Kids, and why I Use Small Papers instead. My signature hack which you can learn by reading my books and curriculum, is to use always start with small quarter-size papers instead of large paper size. It might seem too small, but there are many amazing reasons why I have been doing this for years. So let me share all my reason why you want to choose the best drawing & painting papers sizes for kids.
Best Small Paper Sizes
First, after teaching thousands of children how to draw and paint, I realized a large piece of paper is really hard to fill up. The second thing is young children are not planning just quite yet, and they go through paper fast. Older kids plan more ideas out, but beginner artists are just exploring. So I like to slow them down by giving them small paper sizes to work with. This is why the Best Drawing & Painting Papers Size For Kids is to use smaller choices.
Use Quality Paper
Another important thing is that I only use quality types paper for drawing and painting. Choose thick uncoated card stock or watercolor paper. This way you can give more quality paper to kids by taking one large size and getting four parts out of it! For drawing, you can use simple copy paper, the kind you use in your printer. 24# bond uncoated. I quarter these from an 8.5 x 11 sheet and get 4.25 x 5.5. You can also quarter doodling scrap paper to this size. Kids love rummaging through baskets of small papers. This is my signature hack! I have been sharing this tip for years.
Small Paper For All Grades
I even give elementary-grade children the same sizes of small paper. If children need or ask for a larger piece of paper, you can give them the size they need. I just like to encourage them to plan and have intention before they use a larger drawing or painting paper. The important thing is to give children quality materials without wasting. So the smaller papers are best for kids to start with.
Art Resources
You can learn more about my art teaching method by reading my books, curriculum, and viewing my art training videos. Many parents and teachers internationally have adopted this idea and given me positive feedback! You can stage these papers on a tray, in a basket, or a card stand. Check out my Best curriculums for drawing and painting grades 6 – 12 years blog here.
Be Eco Friendly,
Spramani
Best Paper Size Blog Summary
Using small papers for drawing and painting in art classes has many benefits. Spramani suggests using small, quarter-size sheets to save resources and boost creativity. These smaller papers make it easier for young artists to focus, as they don’t have to fill large sheets, which can be overwhelming. High-quality materials like thick card stock or watercolor paper ensure good results without wasting paper, since one big sheet can be cut into several smaller ones. This method is good for any grade level and is eco-friendly. Spramani encourages planning before using bigger sheets to help students create intentional art. Many teachers and parents have adopted this approach and found it helpful. For more tips, Spramani provides resources in her books and art videos.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Trying to fit drawing lessons into your jam-packed curriculum can seem a bit chaotic and not always prioritized over subjects like science, math, or history. But today, I want to share why you should schedule drawing lessons weekly. Incorporating drawing activities into your lesson plans can excite children and foster deeper learning, I’ll explain more in a bit. Plus, as a teacher, you can help your students record their findings as they study.
When children learn to draw they can record and draw important information, like a scientist. Scientific recording is different from freehand doodling or drawing. Freehand drawing is imaginative and freeform, while scientific recording by drawing captures exact details of specimens, such as parts of flowers or leaves. The importance of recording helps students study and remember details of their subject matter. I discuss in my book how teachers can use drawing as a tool for teaching important subject matter extensively in Chapter 6, “Managing Art Time,” and Chapter 7, “Art Routines,” in my new Montessori Elementary Art Guide book.
Natural observer concept, Notebook, pencil with leafs and twig
I’ve been teaching STEAM art lessons for years and researching how scientists in labs and universities draw and diagram regularly. Many scientist share they wish they had taken drawing lessons during their studies, as a result they struggle to draw and diagram well. They report they have a lot of research work that involves recording details and labeling. Undoubtedly teaching art literacy, particularly drawing can be beneficial for advanced research work in the classroom. Yes, more art in the classroom..PLEASE!
Where to fit in more drawing lessons
I want to share some specific tips on scheduling drawing lessons. Primarily if you’re working with only one child, running a big class of 30, or a visiting art teacher to hundreds of students in a single day. Scheduling weekly art lessons is essential for meeting national art standards. Specifically for teaching early childhood and upper elementary grade level students. Hundreds of teachers and parents reach out to me regularly with this big question – How often should children be doing art activities?
Schedule Drawing Into Your Weekly Lesson Plans
The answer is at a bare minimum, once a week! Try to include one easy drawing lesson alongside something your students are already learning. Add drawing lessons with writing lessons. Depending on your specific art goals, you should build on a drawing skill weekly by adding a new twist. Like a new lesson, drawing medium, tool, or creative idea. If you need help with teaching children basic drawing, you can check out my Drawing Curriculum Here.
Drawing Examples Lessons
Learning to Make Curved Lines: Practice drawing smooth, flowing lines by starting with simple arcs and gradually increasing complexity. This helps improve hand control and precision.
How to Draw with Color Pencils: Use light pressure to layer colors, building up intensity gradually. Experiment with blending techniques to create smooth transitions between hues.
Using a Template or Stencil to Trace Basic Shapes: Utilize stencils to trace geometric shapes, providing a foundation for learning proportions and creating structured compositions.
Trying Different Values with Green Color Pencils: Explore shading by varying the pressure applied to the pencil, producing different values from light to dark green. This technique adds depth and dimension to drawings.
Demonstrating How to Draw Curved Lines into the Shape of Leaves: Create leaves by sketching curved lines and using green color pencils to add shading. Experiment with different values to highlight veins and texture, enhancing realism.
Every week, students should create and learn a new skill that focuses on the Elements and Principles of Design (Artsy Terms). Learn these terms by downloading the list here. Finally, if you have questions, check out my book’s or curriculum for further art teaching guidance. Adding drawing lessons can be easy if you just add them to some of the other lessons your already teaching. Drawing lessons do not need to be over complicated for elementary grades students, and especially with 3-6 ages.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
In this blog I want to share some short videos on how to use story books to theme art activities for early childhood ages. This method is particularly effective in teaching children about art, as children’s books offer engaging colors, images, and words that foster connections to various art elements.
How I Theme Story Books Videos
You can instantly view two brief videos by clicking the links or video pictures. I give examples of what I mean by theming several children’s books on the topic of colors, shapes and lines. Plus I share the kind of art activities that can go along with the story book.
Additionally, you have the opportunity to register for a complimentary one-hour training session on this engaging topic. Hurry, as the one-hour early childhood training video is currently available for free for a limited time! In the video I talk about a lot of why art and books work well.
The first video discusses some of my top book choices for this approach, while the second video showcases a charming book displayed on a shelf. Stay tuned for more exciting content!
Once you view these three videos you will know how to use story books to theme art activity ideas. You will quickly be able to theme activities with story books for children!
Today, I want to share the best Montessori art materials I recommend for beginners. These are basic art materials you can find almost anywhere and order online at Montessori-art.com or Store.EcoKidsArt.com
The reason I recommend these materials is that they are safe non-toxic, and are good quality. I have used them for many art lessons, and they work great. You can find them at a low to mid cost.
To download my comprehensive list of art materials suitable for teaching all art subjects to students of all ages, especially ideal for beginner Montessori students, please click downloads here:
This comprehensive list is curated from the 5 domains of art areas featured in all my books, curriculum, and art training. For further insights, you can explore more [here](link to additional resources).
Art Essentials: Safe, Non-Toxic, and Process-Based
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
So many international Montessori schools and training centers that offer Montessori certification have utilized The Art Teaching Blueprint for in-service or online art professional development training, art digital courses, art curriculums, and consultancy services. Some of our esteemed customers include accreditation guides for both The American Montessori Society (AMS) and the Association Montessori International (AMI). Learn more : Montessori Certification Art Training Course Online , from Nature of Art®.
Who Is This Art Training For?
This online course is designed for Montessori schools working with students in Early childhood – First Plane or 6-12 – Second plane, as well as third plane students. It’s a premium-training online course that provides focused, up-to-date professional development. Homeschooling parents can also register. No prior art training required.
Art Teaching Blueprint
The Art Teaching Blueprint establishes the groundwork for understanding how children learn art, enabling you to seamlessly integrate art lessons into your classroom. Additionally, the Art Teaching Blueprint offers optional personal development certification and personal coaching services.
Enhance your teaching skills through a focused visual arts teaching curriculum under the guidance of an expert with 30 years of child art instruction.
Art Teaching Blueprint Curriculum Overview:
This training curriculum not only meets but also surpasses the national and international core arts standards for children. The Art Teaching Blueprint covers the Elements and Principles of Design, the artistic process, and incorporates Spramani Elaun’s proprietary Science Art Method® along with a system of sequences.
The Nature of Art® Science Art Method employs three key components:
Visual Perception (the visual cortex)
Cognation (Cognitive Neural Network Model)
Phases of Art Development (gross – fine-motor development)
Self-paced online Course Available
Take the entire training in the comfort of your own home, on your schedule, and at your pace. Lifetime access! Discounted rate.
Certification With Practicum
Engage in creating art lesson plans or curriculum outline plans.
Schedule a consultation call via Zoom video conferencing to accommodate all time zones.
Participate in a curriculum consultant meeting.
Upon completion, receive 50 CPD (Continuing Professional Development) hours issued by letter.
Online Digital – Videos
Course Features:
Over 60 training videos
Online support available
Instant access to lectures delivered
Live coaching sessions via Zoom
In Service – School
Onsite Montessori Training:
Thousands of teachers and Montessori guides have been trained by the Nature of Art® Science Art Method™ both online and in-person on an international scale. This training has extended to Montessori schools in various countries including Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Poland, Turkey, Australia, UK, South America, Africa, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Taiwan, and the U.S.
Art Training, You Might Want To Work With Me If:
Training New Teachers: When it comes to training new teachers to lead art lessons at your school, there are many factors to consider. I provide careful coaching and certification to ensure your teachers are well-versed in art literacy. Each school has its unique message, and the art and cultural studies can reflect that in the arts programming.
Art Curriculum Development: Developing a professional art curriculum takes years of expertise. I can work with your school to customize an art curriculum that complements your other important work in a short time frame.
Professional Development in Art: I offer online or on-site 2 to 4-day professional development sessions for your entire staff, either within the US or internationally, and with the assistance of a translator.
Montessori Certification for Teachers: If you need to ensure that your guide is qualified to prepare all the school’s art programming, I can collaborate closely with your guide to train them in managing and developing the school’s art curriculum effectively.
Speaking Engagements: I speak on art-related topics at school events or conferences, and can conduct hands-on workshops.
Montessori Education Conferences: Are you organizing a conference and seeking a keynote speaker on visual arts, STEAM, and creativity? I have delivered presentations at numerous educational conferences globally.
Montessori Certification Art Training Course Online | Nature of Art®
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
Are you looking for the best preschool curriculum for teaching arts and crafts for children? Or lessons that are step-by-step and sequential? You have come to the right place! These curriculums can save you time!
Get sequential, step-by-step art lessons that are easy to follow in scope and sequence. Save time with prepared lessons that are ready to schedule weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Children love these fun drawing lessons while building foundational skills and techniques. These are the key lessons on art elements for every child to start with. You don’t have to be an artist to teach these lessons!
Montessori Teacher Lessons
The Montessori art curriculum enhances sensory learning by developing fine motor skills and tactile neural networks. Beyond fostering creativity, preschool art activities nurture emotional literacy, spatial awareness, and imaginative thinking, instilling essential lessons to promote classroom independence. The curriculum also focuses on art literacy, language, as well as the Elements and Principles of Design.
These preschool lesson plans seamlessly integrate with various other Montessori curriculum areas such as cultural studies, botany, zoology, math, and science. For instance, the drawing curriculum teaches how to illustrate animals, plants, and celestial objects, while the math component delves into geometry, symmetry, point to line concepts, and more.
Best Montessori Art Curriculum for Ages 3 to 6
The Montessori art curriculums are specifically designed for preschoolers aged 3-6 and are available in both paperback and digital formats. Additionally, you can access online video training sessions to learn how to create and implement Montessori art curriculum that aligns with art standards. These curriculums are crafted to support Maria Montessori’s education pedagogy, emphasizing key visual art lessons.
The curriculums encompass a wide range of activities including crafts, clay modeling, painting, color mixing, and drawing, offering a comprehensive education in all visual art domains. If you seek a more comprehensive art education beyond traditional Montessori crafts, these curriculums are ideal for your classroom or child.
Perfectly complements the Maria Montessori Philosophy.
The art lessons provided include process-based, choice-based, and guided style instruction, catering to diverse learning preferences:
Drawing
Painting
Clay Modeling
Color Mixing
Crafting and Building
Nature of Art® Publishing is committed to offering art literacy products and services tailored for Montessori educators. The founder, Spramani Elaun, travels globally for Montessori art professional development, designing art programs for Montessori schools worldwide, with a focus on first and second-plane art curriculum. Nature of Art® also provides art certification for Montessori Guides.
Art Guide Book
Montessori Art Guide – Early Childhood, First Plane
If you work with children under 6 years to toddler this books was written for you. Get to the basics and understand how to start creating art lesson that work best for young children. Learn how to start talking art to kids. Understand the characteristics of a young child’s artist development. You will get all the details on set-up, how to prepare for lessons and what is appropriate for this age.
Montessori Art Guide – Elementary, Second Plane
Best for Montessori teachers, art instructors, and homeschooling parents. This book guides in instructing visual arts. After reading this book to completion you will be better prepared to do so. Topics discussed; how children acquire artistic skills, and set-up, materials.
Free Curriculum Ideas
Experience a complimentary art lesson download to get a glimpse of our engaging lessons. Additionally, enjoy free art training through multiple videos hosted by Spramani Elaun.
No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreignlanguage without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.
This curriculum meets and exceeds the national and international core arts standards for children. It teaches the Elements and Principles of Design and the artistic process through the Science Art Method™.
This is sequential step-by-step, drawing lessons that are easy to follow in scope and sequence. So you can save time with prepared lessons that are ready to schedule weekly, biweekly, or monthly. This is the best drawing curriculum for elementary grades.
Children will love these fun drawing lessons while building foundational skills and techniques. These are the key lessons on art elements for every child to start with. And you don’t have to be an artist to teach these lessons!
Yes this is a stand-alone curriculum.
Yes this shows you how to teach progressive art skill sets
You can order two versions of this drawing curriculum for both early childhood or elementary grades. The elementary drawing curriculum is 41 sequential drawing lessons.
To use the curriculum, you will need basic children’s drawing mediums. The curriculum lists the best mediums to use. There are four basic steps to using this Montessori art curriculum.
Start by:
Spell Check and List:
Open the curriculum book and start with Lesson 1.
Read the lesson so you have an overview of what you’ll teach.
Review the materials and make sure you have everything you need.
Demonstrate the lesson, based on your curriculum guide.
Drawing Curriculum 41 Lessons
Drawing independently is the goal.
The curriculum goal is NOT to teach children to copy art. The goal is to demonstrate how to draw using elements and principles of design. And to practice these lessons in sequential order.
Because when students practice the physical fine motor movements, they will acquire spatial understanding. And build memory of these movements. And gain elemental concepts as they develop art literacy.
So once children work through all the lessons, they will be able to make the movements independently. They will acquire the building blocks of how drawings start and end. So they can draw from their own imagination and skill.
Painting & Drawing Curriculum
How do I know what grade to choose?
It doesn’t matter if the student is in early childhood or upper elementary—all children should start with these key lessons. This curriculum starts with very basic beginner-level lessons in a unique order. So to develop foundational drawing skill sets. These lessons are in small, digestible parts, building one skill onto the next in a sequential order.
The curriculum starts with learning line concepts. Then progresses into realistic, three-dimensional drawing. It does not matter what age the student is—from 4 years to adulthood. Every artist should start from lesson one. Early childhood learners can generally understand the first 16 lessons.
Any child over the age of 7 can move to the other lessons because their fine motor abilities and visual perception are further developed. That is why you see two offerings of an early childhood version with 16 lessons. And an offering for older students with 41 lessons. If you will use this curriculum to teach students over the age of 6, then I recommend the elementary drawing curriculum.
You can order these curriculums in both digital format or in a printed version. When you purchase a digital download, you are allowed to print one version for your personal use. If you order the printed version, free shipping is included within the U.S. Any orders outside of the USA you will need to get an estimate for shipping by emailing info@spramani.com
The Printed Version Only is backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Digital curriculums cannot be refunded. You can learn more about the the guarantee by visiting the final sales page Drawing – Elementary 41 Lessons ORDER HERE
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