Oil pastels area great addition to the early childhood classroom. Although these bendable crayons should not be used with very young children (three and under), oil pastels are a fun drawing medium for preschool aged children and up.
Lesson Objectives for Oil Pastel Art Activity
- Explore art materials and process.
- Develop color recognition skills.
- Build art vocabulary.
- Express self creatively.
- Increase fine motor skills.
Grade/ Age Level
This activity can be used with children ages four and up. Before beginning this activity evaluate individual develop for responsible material handling and use. If one or some children frequently place art materials in a mouth or nose, do not use this activity.
Materials Needed for Preschool Oil Pastel Art
- Oil pastels in a variety of colors. Make sure that the oil pastels are clearly labeled as non-toxic and safe to use for children. Pastels should have the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) Approved Products (AP) label on them. Additionally, check age guidelines.
- Paper
- Paper towels for clean up.
Steps to Create Oil Pastel Art
Pre-activity
- Gather a variety of different colored oil pastels. As previously noted, check all safety and age guidelines for correct materials use.
- Discuss colors with the class. Ask the children to identify and name several different colors.
- Demonstrate how the oil pastels can blend to create new colors. This can be compared to color mixing in paint.
- Discuss clean up. This activity can get messy. Make sure that the children understand specific clean up responsibilities. This includes thoroughly cleaning hands and under nails.
Art Process Steps
- Give each child a piece of paper and the oil pastels.
- Invite the children to color and blend. Begin with free form designs and patterns, or simply just layering and blending colors. Later, move on to more structured pictures if desired.
- Repeat on other pieces of paper.
Oil Pastel Art Lesson Wrap Up
Conclude this art activity with a process based discussion. Ask the children to talk about how the oil pastels were used. Sample questions include:
- How are oil pastels different than regular crayons?
- What happens when you blend the colors?
- What new colors were made?
- What was the most fun about this art activity?
- What was difficult about this activity?
- What else could be drawn with oil pastels?
Preschool Enrichment Activities
- Color Theme: Connect this activity to a color theme. Read a book about colors, and then try this art project.
- Mixed Media Collage: Incorporate oil pastels into a fun collage with other types of art materials such as paper, paint, or glitter.
- Famous Artist Lesson: Use oil pastels to make an Impressionist creation like that of Claude Monet.
- Science: Discuss the science of oil pastels. This may include blending the colors, experimentation, what makes an oil pastel, or mixing oil pastels and water.
Explore color and creativity in the early childhood classroom with a simple oil pastel art process activity. Use a variety of colors and multiple pieces of paper to make vibrant creations. Make classroom connections by designing a famous artist or science based enrichment activity. Most of all, have fun and encourage the children to explore and discover the magic of oil pastels!
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