Welcome to NurtureStore’s index of the best children’s art techniques.
The best children’s art techniques
In this section of NurtureStore’s art resources you will find interesting art activities that introduce your children to a wide range of the best children’s art techniques and materials to encourage their creativity and develop their artistic skills.
All of NurtureStore’s art activities use basic art materials and are simple to set up. We guide you through how to introduce the activities to your children and provide ideas for developing the projects and extending your art lessons. We give you suggestions on how to adapt the art activities for younger and older children. Photographs of real student work from our art classes and homeschool groups help to inspire and illustrate the projects.
We have a huge range of art lessons available for you to use including introducing your children to painting, collage, art journalling, marbling, printmaking, sculpture and puppet making.
This article is part of our children’s art lessons and craft activities.
Table of Contents
– ready-made art curricula
– art journalling
– collage
– color mixing
– flick painting
– line and pattern
– marbling
– mandalas
– monoprinting
– music & art
– oil / wax resist
– painting
– pipette painting
– pointillism
– printmaking
– puppets
– sewing
– scrape painting
– scratch art
– sculpture / 3D
– spray painting
– squeegee painting
– surface pattern
– tessellation
– tints, tones and shades
– watercolour painting
– weaving
– yarn painting
Ready-made art lessons, all in one place
The best and easiest way to teach great art lessons is to use our ready-made art curricula.
Choose from:
Art Spark: This kit gives you everything you need to get started with art and develop a rich and creative art practice with your children. 30+ inspiring process art projects, famous art, world culture, practical tips, and endless possibilities! See more and get your copy here.
Exploring Great Artists: This book gives you everything you need to teach an exciting art program inspired by the great artists of the world. With profiles of each artist, materials lists, lesson plans, and creative, hands-on art projects for every featured artist you’ll easily be able to deliver engaging and educational art lessons. See more and get your copy here.
Diversify Your Art Curriculum: This art curriculum bundle of five ebooks gives you everything you need to teach 25 art projects inspired by contemporary artists of colour from four continents. See more and get your copy here.
Color Theory Art Lessons: This curriculum gives you all the resources you need to learn about the color wheel and color theory and enjoy hands-on, easy, creative art projects for every lesson. It includes art history, famous artist profiles, and wider cross-curricular lessons in science, math, language arts and world culture, plus bonus printables and posters. See more and get your copy here.
Easy children’s art techniques and methods
You can use these children’s art lessons whenever you need an idea for an art activity, or combine them all to build a full art curriculum. Enjoy trying the best children’s art techniques!
Art journalling
Art journalling ideas
How to use an art journal with children.
How to make a nature journal
This ultimate guide to nature journals for children is full of ideas you can use to make your own nature journal, start a nature study, and explore the natural world.
Collage
Easy shapes collage
A great beginners project, exploring shape, glue and collage.
Mixed media collage
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist John Piper. We’ll look at some of Piper’s famous paintings that use collage and create our own mixed media collage art projects.
Piet Mondrian collage
Make collage art with geometric shapes and primary colours in the style of Piet Mondrian.
Color Mixing
Paint your own color wheel lesson
In this color wheel art lesson for children we’ll learn how to paint a color wheel using only the primary colors. We’ll learn the rules of color theory to turn red, yellow and blue into the full rainbow of colors in the color wheel.
Line and pattern
Surface pattern design
Learn about pattern and line in art and draw a cat in the style of Laurel Burch. Includes a free pattern and line art handout printable.
Math pattern design
Explore colour and pattern with this math and art STEAM lesson.
Doodling
Here’s an easy pumpkin art lesson that anyone can try – we’re doodling!
Patterns and motifs
Let’s learn about the famous artist Joan Mirò and create designs inspired by his patterns and motifs.
Marbling
Marbling with shaving foam
Marbling using shaving foam is such a wonderful process art activity for children. It’s a very simple technique and the results are unique with each print.
Mandalas
Forest school mandalas
Let’s celebrate nature and create outdoor art with these forest school mandala activities.
Shell mandalas
These shell mandalas are a great lesson in math and art.
Flower manadalas
Combine natural, sensory materials, art, math and a little meditation and make some pretty flower mandala designs.
Music & art
Painting with music
In this art and music activity for children we’ll look at famous art inspired by music and create our own art project in combination with different pieces of music.
Oil / wax / tape resist
Washi tape resist art
This watercolour washi tape resist art is great for all ages of children. The technique is really simple and produces an exciting ‘big reveal’ at the end.
Wax crayon watercolour resist
Here’s a super art technique to try with kids that’s just right for winter months: wax crayon water paint frosty pictures.
Painting
Finger painting
Try these easy homemade finger paint recipes for babies and toddlers and introduce your little ones to the wonderful world of sensory process art.
Homemade puffy paint
This homemade puffy paint recipe is really quick and easy to make. With just four household ingredients, you’ll be ready for some fun art and sensory play in minutes.
Homemade scented paint
This homemade paint recipe with spices is as much a delight for the nose as the eyes! It’s super easy to make and great for both sunny days when you’re painting outdoors, or dark days when your senses need a boost.
Bath paint
This homemade bath paint recipe has just two ingredients and you can make it in seconds. You could whip some up for bath time tonight!
Chalk paint
This homemade chalk paint recipe is ever so easy to make and gives a great sensory play material for kids art – indoors or out.
Flick painting
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist Jackson Pollock. We’ll look at some of Pollocks’s famous paintings created using action art and make our own Jackson Pollock inspired art project using flick painting.
Scrape painting
This scrape painting lesson is a fun and creative process-art lesson and a great introduction to screen printing for kids.
Squeegee painting
This is a super fun process art project for children to explore: we’re making squeegee paintings!
Pipette painting
Painting with pipettes is a fun process art project that combines sensory play, art and science.
Painting on salt and glue
Explore the gorgeous process art technique of salt, glue and watercolor painting to make beautiful snowflake art.
Watercolour painting
Join in with this easy watercolour painting lesson for children to explore five simple watercolour techniques. This is an easy STEAM lesson that combines art and science. It encourages children to explore process art, and to think like a creative scientist and a scientific creative. It’s the perfect beginner lesson in watercolours for children.
Frozen paint
To encourage creativity and sensory play, let’s explore painting with ice.
Gravity painting
In this art and science lesson we are using gravity to paint pictures.
Splatter painting
Let’s explore shilhouettes and negative space and make splatter paintings.
Bubble painting
Drinking straws at the ready, let’s try bubble painting!
Painting with the rain
Here’s an unusual art activity about the weather – we’re painting with the rain.
Still life painting
In this daffodil art lesson we will look at famous art featuring daffodils, learn about still life art, and create our own daffodil paintings.
Funnel pour painting
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist Janet Sobel. We’ll look at some of Sobel’s famous abstract expressionist paintings and make our own Janet Sobel inspired process art project using pour painting.
Homemade paint brushes
Try a new creative challenge: set down your usual paint brushes and try something different instead! Follow these ideas to make your own paint brushes using natural materials and things you have around the home.
Homemade watercolour paints
Here’s several ideas for how to make homemade watercolour paint recipes, with links to examples of famous art that use paint made from natural ingredients.
Spray painting
Here’s a super fun outdoor art idea from the Just So Festival: using water pistols for spray painting!
Painting on texture
Explore the different results you can get when you paint on textured surfaces.
Snow painting
When the weather permits, try painting on snow.
Ice painting
Have you tried to paint on ice? It’s a great winter art project to try with your children, mixing in some sensory play and science to create gorgeous patterns.
Yarn painting
This yarn painting process art idea is a great sensory project, combining the texture of the yarn with colourful paints.
Paint your own color wheel lesson
In this color wheel art lesson for children we’ll learn how to paint a color wheel using only the primary colors. We’ll learn the rules of color theory to turn red, yellow and blue into the full rainbow of colors in the color wheel.
Pointillism
Pointillism art project
Introduce your children to famous artist Georges Seurat with this easy pointillism art lesson. We’ll learn about the colour wheel as we experiment with color mixing, turning primary colours into secondary colours.
Printmaking
Watch our Printmaking Masterclass on NurtureStore’s YouTube channel.
Homemade stamps
Here’s a creative and easy printing making lesson for children using homemade art stamps.
Symmetry printing
Let’s use a simple symmetry printing technique to make butterflies in the math and art STEAM activity.
Monoprinting #1
This easy mono printing art project for children is so fun to try. Find out how to make your own DIY stamps and try this beginners printing project to create your own work of art.
Monoprinting #2
Here’s a gorgeously easy monoprint project for children from Barbara Rucci’s super new book Art Workshop for Children.
Printing with toys
Turn your child’s favourite toys into art with this printing with toys art activity.
Printing 2D shapes with 3D stamps
Explore 2D and 3D shapes in this math and art STEAM project.
Bubble printing
Try making prints with bubbles!
Marbling with shaving foam
Marbling using shaving foam is such a wonderful process art activity for children. It’s a very simple technique and the results are unique with each print.
Printmaking with chalk
Try this easy printing making art lesson and use chalk to make one-of-a-kind monoprints.
Tissue paper printing
Let’s use tissue paper to explore colour transfer and printmaking.
Flower and leaf printing
Let’s make nature prints using leaves and flowers.
Printmaking with mushroom spore prints
Learn about the structure of fungi and use them to create art as we make spore prints from mushrooms. A fun and fascinating nature art and science project!
Puppets
Paper roll puppets
Here’s a super easy, quick and creative idea for a kids craft that’s fun to make and even better to play with – tea party puppets!
Finger puppets
How to make simple finger puppets
Peg doll puppets
How to make simple peg doll puppets and use them for storytelling.
Rod puppets
Let’s make puppets! In this art lesson we’ll learn how puppets are made and how they have been used around the world throughout history. Then we’ll create our own easy rod puppets using mixed media.
Sewing
Quilting
Let’s learn about the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama and try our own simple quilt project.
Sew a doll
How to sew a toy doll from your child’s art.
Super hero cape
How to sew a simple super hero cape.
Scratch art
Wax crayon or oil pastel scratch art
Scratch art is a classic children’s art project that everyone should try. It’s really simple to set up and uses wax crayons or oil pastels which are a good, sensory art material.
Day of the Dead skull scratch art
This scratch art technique it the perfect easy Day of the Dead skull art project.
Scratch art sunflowers
This scratch art sunflower art project is an easy art technique for children to explore and the results look gorgeous.
Sculpture / 3D
3D paper houses
This lesson on how to fold a paper house offers a printable folding guide.
3D paper lanterns
These easy paper house lanterns are so pretty and lead the way into exploring math and art, where you live, and architecture around the world. Download our free printable house template and customise to make your own gorgeous paper houses.
Clay modelling
Let’s learn about the famous African American artist Augusta Savage and make clay animals inspired by her.
Human figures
Join this art lesson for children to learn about the sculptor Alberto Giacometti. We’ll have fun with a quick human figure sketching activity and then we’ll create foil sculptures of people.
Junk model rockets
In this space theme STEAM lesson children can learn about space travel and design their own junk model rocket using recycled materials.
Ice sculptures
Explore freezing, melting and construction as you build colourful ice sculptures.
Stone cairns
Try building stone cairns: combining natural materials, loose parts, construction play and just a little added dash of wow-factor!
Willow lanterns
How to make a paper lantern, using a simple willow frame.
Clay faces
Here’s a fantastic outdoor art idea that’s perfect for forest school. We’re using natural materials found in the forest to make clay faces on tree trunks.
Decorative garden tiles
How to use cement and found materials to create decorative garden tiles.
Tessellation
Christmas tree tessellation
This is a great Christmas themed math and art lesson about tessellation. It’s great as a whole class project.
Tints, tones and shades
James McNeill Whistler
Use this easy monochrome art lesson to teach your children how to mix tints, tones and shades using paint and create a monochrome painting inspired by James McNeill Whistler.
Weaving
Sunshine weaving
Here’s a very simple weaving project to make sunshines.
Twig weaving
How to weave with yarn on a twig frame.
Woven paper basket
Based on a traditional Scandinavian craft this woven heart basket makes a great decoration or little bag.
The best children’s art techniques, art lessons and craft activities
Use NurtureStore’s extensive resources to find more great art lessons and craft activities for your children:
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