Learning about letters can, and should, be fun! This early childhood letter art lesson combines the creative process with an early literacy skill building activity. Pair this project with a letter specific unit, an outdoors theme, or as an imaginative color recognition lesson.
Letter M Art Lesson Objectives
- Build letter and sound recognition skills.
- Explore art materials and process.
- Gain art vocabulary (collage, landscape, multimedia, line, color, shape).
- Improve fine motor skills.
- Follow steps in a sequence.
- Discover outdoor themes and natural environments.
- Develop creative problem solving skills.
- Learn about color, shape, and line.
Age/ Grade Level
This art activity can be used with children ages three and up.
Materials Needed to Create Letter M Mountains
- Construction paper
- Tempera paints
- Paint brushes
- Tissue paper in a variety of colors
- Glue sticks
- Children’s scissors
- Markers or crayons
Steps to Create Preschool Alphabet Art
Pre-activity
Discuss the alphabet and the letter M. Try reading a book that contains multiple M words. Ask the children to repeat the M words as they look at the word itself. Follow the book reading activity by having the children think of other words that begin with the letter M.
Talk to the class about landscape art. The letter M mountain project will be a landscape, and the children should have a basic understanding of the art that will be created. Show reproductions of landscapes in the form of posters, art calendars, or art books. Weather permitting; bring the children outdoors to look at a natural scene.
Process Steps
- Ask the children to draw a large letter M with a marker or crayon on the construction paper. If this is difficult, an adult may draw the M first and then have the child trace it. The curves of the M will be the mountains.
- Give the children a variety of paint colors. Invite them to paint over the M mountain lines.
- Have the children fill in the ground, sky, and mountains with different colors of paint.
- Set aside to dry.
- Once the paint has dried, ask the children to add a second art process to the M mountain. This will be collage. Have the children tear or cut the tissue paper into smaller pieces. This can then be glued over parts of the landscape. The children should not cover the entire painting. For an added special effect have the children create fluffy clouds in the sky by crumpling and gluing white tissue paper or make bouncy green plants.
Letter M Mountain Art Activity Wrap Up
After the M mountain painted collages have dried, ask the children to discuss their multimedia creations. Discussion starters include (but are not limited to):
- What colors were used?
- How did the tissue paper stick to the mountain?
- What was fun about this activity?
- What type of lines made the M (curved)?
- What is a collage?
- Who made a new color of paint by mixing the other colors?
- What is the color called?
Early Childhood Letter Art Enrichment Activities
Add this lesson to an alphabet unit or try to connect it to other curricular areas.
- Early Literacy: Hone important literacy skills by combining this art project with an alphabet theme. Try other letter art activities for different alphabet lessons.
- Famous Artists: Look for famous paintings by landscape artists. Display posters or other reproductions near the children’s landscape art.
- Nature/Science: Go on a field trip outdoors (this can even be in an enclosed school play area). Ask the children to talk about what they see in terms of plant life, colors, weather, or animals.
Add this alphabet based early childhood art activity to a letter M lesson to enrich the learning experience. Use a variety of materials to create multimedia landscapes that focus on mountainous M lines. After the art has dried, display and discuss the mini M mountain masterpieces.
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