10 Items to Include on Your Montessori Art Shelf

10 Items to Include on Your Montessori Art Shelf

10 Items to Include As You Set Up Your Art Shelf For The New School Year

There’s something about fall and the back-to-school season that makes you reevaluate and take inventory of your work and study areas and processes. Don’t you just love it? One of my favorite things about this time of year is the opportunity to start off fresh, and I think your classroom or teaching space should get the same treatment—starting with an Art Shelf!

If you’ve never had an art shelf in your classroom, I’d like to encourage you to designate a space specifically for art supplies and projects. This can go a long way in supporting art literacy and creating a good foundation of basic art skills in your students. The basic idea is to keep everything your students need to get creative, in one easy-to-reach place.

Setting up an art shelf really isn’t all that difficult. Fill it up with a few basic art supplies and keep it stocked and refreshed throughout the year. Here are the 10 items I’d recommend for you to include as you set it up for the new school year.

10 Items to Include as You Set Up Your Montessori Art Shelf for the New School Year

1. Baskets of Paper

This will be the foundation for the majority of your students’ artwork.  Stock up on plenty of uncoated white drawing paper. absorbant watercolor paper, and colored craft paper for cutting, folding and collaging. A large roll of butcher paper for younger students. And for special painting have some type of canvas fabric. Cardboard type papers are also great for crafting and gluing.

10 Items to Include as You Set Up Your Montessori Art Shelf for the New School Year

2. Painting – Paints + Brushes

Your art programming should include painting activities. You should be teaching early childhood and elementary grades basic painting skills. Stage different types of paints; watercolor, tempera paint, or student grade acrylic. If you want to learn more about different children’s paint check out my book called Kids Painting HERE. You should include a variety of different sized paintbrushes. (Download my painting checklist HERE). Include painting tools to experiment; sponges, paint droppers, and items to make textures.

10 Items to Include on Your Montessori Art Shelf, spramani

3. Drawing & Doodling Supplies

Also include in your art shelf from time to time drawing materials. Children can explore making lines and texture in their doodles with. There are so many drawing mediums you can introduce to children. From drawing mediums you could bring out every few months. Here are some of my favorite to draw with:

  • Crayons
  • Color pencils
  • Oil pastels
  • Soft pastels
  • Tempera sticks
  • Sketching pencils

These all make great alternatives at times when paint is too messy or there’s not enough time for a project to dry.
If you want to learn more about drawing mediums to include in your art programing read these blogs:

Best Childrens Drawing Supplies to Buy

Childrens Drawing Tools | Elementary Grades

10 Items to Include on Your Montessori Art Shelf

4. Crafting Supplies

Crafting is a whole domain in itself, include: a variety of glues (glue sticks, craft glue, glue dots, etc.). Tape, masking tape or washi tape for creating interesting projects. Scissors and staplers. String, yarn or cross-stitch yarn. Small embellishments like buttons, googly eyes and small pieces of fabric to collage. Small wood scraps or popsicle sticks.

10 Items to Include as You Set Up Your Montessori Art Shelf for the New School Year

5. Modeling Clay

Clay is very important for teaching many important fine-motor movements. I recommend all art programming for children include some type of clay modeling. Clays come in many forms from quick-drying, to non-hardening. Clay modeling is a very tactile experience and good for development. If you would like to learn more about why clay, read Clay Play Theory, or check out my Clay Modeling Curriculum HERE.

6. Clay Tools

While students will enjoy molding the clay with their hands, providing items like shape cutters (or cookie cutters!), rolling pins, textured plates, and modeling wood tools will allow them to create even more.

7. Stamps + Stencils

Stencils are so much fun to use. Children love tracing them and coloring inside them. Stencils come in many shapes and sizes. Great for tracing and building hand dexterity.  Stamps also are fun to press in clay and use on ink pads. Surprise your students and put some on the shelf!

8. Seeds + Beans  + Buttons + Etc.

Whether a student wants to use buttons for eyes on their clay figurine, or glue a bunch of seeds to accent their collage, small accessories can give them freedom to add some oomph to their projects.

10 Items to Include on Your Montessori Art Shelf

9. Seasonal Inspiration

While you want most of these supplies to remain on your art shelf year-round, you’ll find that students will respond creatively to new tools or inspiration. Rotate out your stencils or offer a still life props (like bright flowers in the spring, or gourds in the fall) to reflect the season. Professional Development – How To Stage An Art Shelf Training

10. Art Drawing Boards + Table + Aprons

Drawing boards can help stabilize paper in place while moving around the classroom. Drawing boards are also good for laying down on the carpet. If you can’t get custom drawing boards, you can use a clipboard. You can use a drawing board outside when there is no table to sit and draw on.

What do you have on your art shelf? Share your go-to supplies in the comments below and send me photos of your new art shelf by tagging me on Instagram (@nature.of.art.for.kids)!

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The Phases of Art Development is a quick digital course that explains how art making can help students develop their creativity, fine-motor skills, and focus. More importantly, I share what types of projects students at every age are capable of completing safely, and without making a mess.

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