Category: Art Articles (blogs)

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.

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.

• Dry watercolor cake palette, 36 colors – best for ages 5+
• Watercolor finger paint – best for ages 3+
• Acrylic paint (kids/student-grade only) – best for ages 5+
• Watercolor pencils – best for ages 5+
• Watercolor Crayons – best for ages 5+
• Tempera paint sticks – best for infant & toddler
• Dot Paint Stampers – best for infant & toddler
• Paintless Wood Painting Board 3+

Painting Routines

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.

Painting Brushstrokes for Beginners | Kids

Process-Based Painting For Beginners

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

1. Learning Brushstrokes: Explore different brushstrokes.
2. Primary Color Mixing: Discover how to mix primary colors.
3. Stick & Rock Painting: Use natural materials like sticks and rocks as unique canvases.
4. Paint Roller Fun: Experiment with paint rollers to cover large areas.
5. Bubble Wrap Painting: Use bubble wrap to stamp colorful patterns and textures onto paper.
6. Flower Prints: Dip flowers into paint and press them onto paper.
7. Painted Papers: Transform plain paper into beautiful backdrops or collages with paint.
8. Wood Crafts: Paint different wood craft shapes with paint.
9. Sponge Painting: Use sponges to dab paint onto surfaces, creating soft and blended effects.

10 Easy Paint Art Projects

Staging Painting Trays

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.

Painting Works – Art Album for elementary grades

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.

Art Album Features:

• Features
• Printed version comes in spiral comb binding.
• Full color pictures
• Painting key lessons included
• Paint facts
• Painting techniques
• Featured artist and paint history

Painting Curriculum – for all grades

• Get 57 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 will love these fun painting 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!

Order Painting Materials

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.

Painting Key Lessons 101

Painting & Drawing

Color Mixing basics (Free)

Watercolor Joy (Free)

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.

4 Video Series:

• Infant & Toddler – Phases of Art Development
• 3-6 – Phases of Art Development
• Elementary – Phases of Art Development
• Art Basic Fundamentals

About the Author

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.

All copy rights reserved © 2024 Nature of Art®

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.

Video 1 Spramani shares her favorite books she uses

Video 2 Spramani shares a quick set up with a book

One Hour Training on Story Book & Art

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.

Sign up HERE NOW

Learn How-to Theme Art Activities – Easily With Storybooks

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!

Spramani

Harold And The Purple Crayon Story Book | Montessori Art Activities With Early Childhood Children

Montessori Art Certification

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.

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Art Training, You Might Want To Work With Me If:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Speaking Engagements: I speak on art-related topics at school events or conferences, and can conduct hands-on workshops.
6. 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®

It all starts with a free consultation.

All rights reserved © 2024, 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 foreign language 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.

Montessori Curriculum

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!

This art curriculum for children covers many topics like painting, drawing, color theory, clay modeling and crafting. Art Curriculum Children | Painting & Drawing. Best Curriculum, Painting & Drawing For Children

They Art Sequential Curriculums

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.

Watch Free Video – How to theme art with story books

Get Video – Phases of Art Development For Preschool Children

Download Video – How to set up a one color art prompt and tray

Ideas for Preschool

Preschool Lesson Plans

All rights reserved © 2024, 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 foreign language 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.

Drawing – Elementary 41 Lessons ORDER HERE

Painting – Elementary 57 Lessons ORDER HERE

Color Theory – 37 Lessons curriculum ORDER HERE

Curriculum Publisher: Nature of Art®

How to use Drawing Curriculum

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:

1. Open the curriculum book and start with Lesson 1.
2. Read the lesson so you have an overview of what you’ll teach.
3. Review the materials and make sure you have everything you need.
4. 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. 

Learn how to choose art curriculum for children HERE

How to buy drawing and painting 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

Drawing – Elementary 41 Lessons ORDER HERE

Painting – Elementary 57 Lessons ORDER HERE

Color Theory – 37 Lessons curriculum ORDER HERE

Curriculum Publisher: Nature of Art®

Drawing and painting guarantee

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

Learn more about Montessori painting HERE

Check out this blog Ultimate Montessori Art Teaching Method Guide

Teaching children drawing lessons