- Art supports early childhood development by building creativity, fine motor skills, focus, and self-confidence in fun, hands-on ways.
- Elementary art journal activities such as fingerprint art, color mixing, symmetry painting, hand tracing, and self-portraits combine creativity with learning concepts from other subjects such as math, science, and literacy.
- Art creates lasting memories, helping children reflect on their growth while enjoying the creative process and producing meaningful keepsakes.
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Art is an important subject and teaches essential skill sets for children of all ages. For elementary students, it is a wonderful way for them to learn and explore their world through creativity. Art helps children share their feelings and ideas in fun and creative ways. Simple art activities help children use their imagination while practicing important skills such as drawing, coloring, gluing, cutting, and other fine motor skills. Art time can be fun, relaxing, and full of discovery. However, at the same time it helps children learn to focus, follow directions, and solve problems.
Every year, I buy a multi-media journal for each of my kids to use as their art journal. This helps me easily keep track of all of the artwork completed each year and gives us a priceless memento to go back and look at a later time. Early elementary art ideas help students learn, express themselves, and enjoy the creative process. Here are 5 of my family’s favorite elementary art journal activities.
1. Fingerprint Art
Needed: paint (kid-friendly or watercolors) or ink pads, pens/crayons/markers
Fingerprint art is a wonderful blend of creativity, play, and learning. With just a few dabs of paint, your child can transform simple fingerprints into animals, flowers, or whole stories, building fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Fingerpainting is an engaging way to teach self-confidence, colors, patterns, and even storytelling
To create the actual fingerprints, you will need some type of kid-friendly paint (or watercolors), or an ink pad. Have your child (or help them) dip their index finger in the paint and make the print on their journal page. You can have your child place the prints in a specific way to make a scene such as a garden or a farm, or you can let your child make fingerprints however they would like and then let them make up what each of the fingerprints could be. This adds the element of storytelling and make-believe into their art lesson.
After they are finished and the paint has dried, either your or your child can use a colored writing tool (pen, colored pencil, crayon, etc) to draw details to bring the picture to life. Try turning the fingerprints into animals, flowers, people, or places. Since there is no “right” or “wrong” way to make fingerprint art, you can encourage your child to have fun with the artwork and explore their imaginations.
For more fingerprint art ideas check out these blogs:
2. Mixing Colors
Needed: kid-friendly paint or watercolors
One of the coolest concepts to teach in art class is how to mix colors to make new colors. Mixing blue and yellow to make green or red and white to create pink invites curiosity and experimentation. Using hands-on sensory-based learning to mix colors in art class allows your child to see and experience how primary colors combine to create new ones, turning an abstract idea into something more concrete. Not only is this an art concept that builds a basic understanding of color theory and supports creativity, but it also incorporates science. You can use science-based hands-on activities to encourage your child to discover how primary colors combine to create new colors.
In an art class, the easiest way to teach your child about color theory is to use paint or watercolors to mix primary colors to make secondary colors. This includes mixing blue with yellow to make green or red with blue to make purple. Afterwards, you can let your child mix colors with white or black to make shades, such as red with white to make pink or black with white to make grey. You can even add a little science into the lesson by allowing your children to make predictions about what color will be produced when mixing two random colors together.
I like to give my children a small amount of each of the primary paint colors in a small paint tray and have them mix the colors two at a time into a circle. Once the colors have dried, I invite them to make animals or flowers with their mixed colors. Afterwards, I let them mix any variety of colors, letting them guess what color the mixture will give them.
However, there are multiple ways to teach children about the mixing of colors. Here are some other ideas from other creators:
- 15 Color Mixing Activities For Preschoolers
- Color Mixing in Grade One
- 5 Fun Color Mixing Activities for Kids
3. Symmetry Painting
Needed: kid-friendly paint or watercolors
Symmetry painting is a fun and engaging art activity that helps kids explore patterns in a playful way. It also is a great way to incorporate a math concept through a hands-on art project. While there are many different ways to teach symmetry with art, they all revolve around the ideas of reflectional symmetry and balance. Symmetry painting also encourages problem-solving and observation as your child predicts what their artwork will look like when it is finished.
I particularly like to use paint squishing, or paint-folding, with my children. To do this we fold a piece of paper in half and then open it back up and smooth it down so that it is flat. Then I have my child paint with lines or dots on only one half of the paper, using a variety of 3 or 4 colors. Once they are happy with their creation, I have them fold it back over and press (or squish) the paint to create a mirror image. When my child opens the paper, they can see how symmetrical both sides are as well as how the colors mixed together into a beautiful and unique design.
There are several ways in which to teach symmetry through art. Crafty Kids at Home Exploring Symmetry with Art gives more ideas for symmetry painting with your kids.
4. Hand Tracing
Needed: Pencil/pen/marker
Hand tracing is a simple, engaging activity that works well with elementary students because it blends creativity with foundational skill-building. As your child traces their hand, they practice fine motor control, pencil grip, and hand–eye coordination in a way that is fun and engaging. You can use hand tracing as a fun art activity for them to color in and decorate as they would like; as a holiday-inspired art project where they turn their handprints into turkeys, ghosts, or tree decorations; or you can even bring in ELA elements by having them turn their handprints into a scene from a recent story. I like to use hand tracing (and foot tracing) for family gifts such as mother/father/grandparent’s day cards, ornaments, and other thoughtful memorabilia.
For an easy hand-tracing activity, have your child put their non-dominate hand down on the material where you want their handprint then let them trace their hand with a pencil or marker. Once done, let them color in and decorate their hand however they would like. They can turn it into an animal such as a dog or cat, color it in with a face and hair and give it a name, or simply color it like their hand, adding rings or fingernail polish as decorations.
If you are looking for some out-of-the-box ideas, check out these from Simple Everyday Mom.
5. Self-Portrait
Needed: Pencil, coloring utensils (crayons, colored pencils, or markers)
Self-portraits help children explore who they are while building important creative and thinking skills. When your child draws themselves, they practice observing details and expressing emotions, which strengthens artistic ability, self-awareness, and confidence. Self-portraits also show how each child is unique and lets them celebrate their differences.
The self-portrait is my favorite art activity to do with my children. I like to have them make one at the beginning of each school year. I have them draw a picture of themselves from the neck up in their journals and then add color and detail. Then we compare the portraits to their previous ones, pointing out not only their growth as children but also their artist growth.
For more ideas and in-depth self-portrait lessons, check out this blog by Art with Mrs. E.
Art helps children learn, grow, and express themselves in fun and creative ways. You can use art to teach about seasons, animals, or holidays to help your children understand lessons and concepts in a more hands-on, creative way. Early elementary art ideas help students learn, express themselves, and enjoy the process of creating. Overall, art encourages creativity, self-expression, and helps build confidence while creating wonderful memories and memorabilia. If you are looking for some additional art ideas to teach your child, check out my Resources by Grade page where you can go to your child’s grade level and check out the art page to find great free resources.
I hope this blog gives you some awesome ideas for art journal entries that you can do at home with your children. If you found this blog helpful, please consider subscribing and liking this post as it will help to grow the community as well as let me know which type of posts are more beneficial for you. If you are looking for some at home P.E. activities check out my My Top 5: Fun and Easy Elementary Physical Education Activities to Do at Home blog.
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What are some of your family’s favorite art activities? Please share your favorites with the community in the comments below.