Thanks for joining us once again for the latest of our free art lessons for the classroom and home. In our last lesson we looked at some of our favorite art projects inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. And today, we’re focusing on five art literacy assignments that will benefit kids on multiple levels.
5 Top Art Literacy Assignments for Kids
Kids love these art literacy lessons – and they also help children develop in math, science, history and a range of other subjects.
1. Combine Art and Storytelling
Storytelling helps children with their ability to communicate thoughts and ideas. To develop this skill, encourage kids to create illustrations of characters using crayons, pencils, markers or even watercolors. Next, ask the children to create a short story idea based on the characters they have designed. By combining art and storytelling, children explore and sharpen skills in communication, expression and visualization.
2. Explore Color Theory
Color theory integrates art and science, identifying how color combinations mix and contrast with each other. For this assignment, kids can mix different watercolors to learn the relationships between primary and secondary colors. Painting on paper plates is a fun way to create a homemade color wheel, while our fall-themed art literacy ideas can introduce seasonal colors into simple projects.
3. Create a Presentation on a Famous Artist
Studying the origins of important artists and genres increases knowledge of history and culture. At Golden Road Arts, we have taught children about the lives, works and techniques of artists like Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Edgar Degas. You could show children one of our video lessons, and they can then create art inspired by the painter or sculptor profiled in the lesson.
4. Design Comic Book Art
Comic books improve art literacy by integrating action, emotion, mood and symbolism into simple panels. For a fun assignment that enhances fine motor skills and encourages creative thinking, print out a grid with space for a design and a brief amount of text. Using crayons or colored pencils, kids can develop a simple story, with each panel moving the concept toward its conclusion. Some engaging ideas include a day at school, overcoming a challenge, a fairy tale and so on.
5. Ask Students to Write an Artist’s Statement
An artist’s statement is a short description of the artwork by its creator. By writing a statement, children practice their communication skills, hone the ability to develop and describe a concept, plus improve writing proficiency. Browse our teacher’s guide for adding art literacy to lesson plans, and after the lesson is complete, ask children to think about their work and write an artist’s statement.
Access Fun and Engaging Art Literacy Lessons
Golden Road Arts creates free art videos and in-person live events for elementary and middle school children. Our content library includes art literacy assignments, instructional tutorials and insight into historic artists. To learn more, watch our free art lessons now.
