25 of the Most Basic Art Supplies Every Montessori Classroom Needs
By Spramani Elaun
I’m going to start off with a disclosure, by no means do you only need 25 items to fill your Montessori art shelf. However, because I break down visual arts into five domains—drawing, painting, crafting, clay modeling, and color theory—you just need to make sure you’re giving your students art supplies that fall into each category. There are so many more options and wonderful things to work with, I’d encourage you to explore and purchase anything that inspires you.
This is just going to be a sort of cheat sheet for what you need in your classroom. If you really want a detailed list of everything to include in your art shelf, make sure you register for my online course, Art Teaching Blueprint. I have specific lessons for each domain where I list out all the exact materials I use to teach each domain, where to find those supplies, and how to use them. It’s a ton of valuable information that makes teaching art and setting up your shelf so much easier.
For now though, I want to give you a brief understanding of the different learning areas of visual arts and help you figure out the basic item(s) you need to be able to teach each domain. Grab your shopping list, let’s get into it!
Drawing
The drawing domain includes doodling, drawing, sketching, and tracing. Many of these materials (like pencils and erasers) can be found elsewhere in the classroom, so I recommend making the items on your art shelf unique. Either buy completely different styles so they stand out or color code them so they stay specifically within your art shelf.
Basic:
Not so basic:
- Oil/soft pastels
- Watercolor pencils
- Rulers
- Compass
- Magnifying glass
- Stencils
Painting
There are several types of paints that kids can use, and each one has a different purpose and experience. Whichever you choose, just make sure it’s non-toxic and safe for kids.
Basic:
- Acrylic paint
- Tempera paint
- Liquid finger paint
- Watercolor paint
Not so basic:
Color Theory
Color theory is all about learning how colors behave. It can take years to develop a strong understanding of color theory, so it’s important to start teaching the subject when students are young. With color theory, I recommend you begin with primary colors (red, yellow, blue), then teach kids to mix those colors to create secondary colors, and so on. When you’re teaching color theory, the materials are the same as you’d use for the painting domain.
Basic:
Not so basic:
Clay Modeling & Sculpture
Clay can be a great way to relate art projects to other lessons you’re teaching. For instance, students can use stamps or natural objects (like leaves) to create imprints; they can also use the clay to create figures and animals to go along with what they’re learning.
Basic:
Not so basic:
Crafting & Constructing
There are so many possibilities when it comes to crafting and constructing. I tend to divide this domain into four categories: sewing, paper crafts, nature crafting, and wood/building.
Basic:
- Sewing:
- String (yarn, threads)
- Fabric
- Sewing needle
- Scissors
- Paper crafts
- Colored paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Nature crafting
- Glue
- Hot glue gun
- Natural found objects (rocks, sticks, leaves, etc.)
- Wood and building
- Glue
- Wooden pieces
Not so basic:
- Sewing
- Cross stitching fabric
- Recycled materials (sweaters, t-shirts)
- Buttons
- Wool
- Paper crafts
- Origami paper
- Magazines (for collaging)
- Nature crafting
- Purchased natural objects (feathers, pinecones, seeds, etc.)
- Wood and building
- Nails
- Popsicle sticks
- Toothpicks
- Wine corks
I know this is a lot to digest and a lot more than just 25 items, but these are the tools that will help your students explore, experiment, and really experience art.
If you want more information, specifically on how each one of these supplies work and some ideas on how to use them, make sure you register for my course! I break it all down for you so this list makes sense in the framework of your classroom. And if you have any questions—about these supplies or my course—please feel free to contact me directly by emailing me at Info@Spramani. om.
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