Promote creativity, and help young children learn about the artistic process in this spring inspired lesson. Free painting activities can be as open ended as you want them to be, and are very child-centered. Give the children some basic pointers or starting off points, and then let them explore with the paint.
Spring Free Paint Lesson Objectives
- Explore art materials and processes.
- Develop color recognition skills.
- Discover methods to create new colors.
- Build aesthetic awareness skills.
- Increase fine motor skills.
- Observe and recognize natural environments.
- Build art vocabulary.
Grade/ Age Level
Ages two and up.
Materials Needed for Spring Free Painting
- Tempera paints in primary colors (red, yellow, blue) plus white
- Construction or drawing paper
- Paint brushes, rollers, sponges (or even the child's hands)
- A nature setting (this could be a grassy outside area, a playground, a photograph of the woods, or an art print/poster of a landscape).
- Flat work surface (such as concrete or a picnic table) or an easel
Steps to Create Spring Free Paint
Before beginning the painting process either take the children outdoors to look at nature (if possible) or show them a photograph/painting of a landscape. Make sure to discuss the colors that they can find in nature (e.g., blue sky, green leaves, pink flowers).
Pre-planning:
- Cover the work surface with paper or other sheeting. This will help to keep it clean.
- Set out trays (or other open surface) of paint for the children to use. The paint can be shared by small groups of children (this adds a social development objective). Place each of the primary colors and white paint in separate puddles.
Process Steps:
- Explain to the children that they are going to painting the colors that they can find in nature (i.e., outside).
- Discuss color mixing: red and yellow make orange, red and blue make purple, yellow and blue make green, white will make your colors lighter to create pink or a baby blue.
- Give the children paint brushes ( they may use another implement or hands).
- Take a step back and allow the children freedom to explore and create with the paints!
Free Painting Lesson Wrap Up
After the children have painted at least one picture each (they may choose to do several), discuss how and what they have created. Some starter suggestions include:
- What colors did you paint from nature?
- What are some spring colors that you found?
- How did you make your colors?
- What was the most fun thing that you did in this activity?
- How can you make green grass if I did not give you green paint to use?
Enrichment Activities for the Spring Free Painting
- More free painting: Try this with other themes or simply during art center time.
- Nature/Environment: Tie this activity in with a nature unit.
- Science: Ask the children to be scientists and experiment with the paint. Have them make predictions about what will happen when they mix the colors, then draw conclusions.
- Color: Use this lesson with a color theme unit.
- Seasons and weather: Have the children create different paintings based on different seasons or types of weather.
- Famous artists: Connect this to artists that paint outdoors such as the impressionists.
Free painting is a great process based art exploration activity for young children. By taking the class outside to paint from nature this lesson can be tied into environment, season, or weather themes.
