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4-5 year olds
At this age kids start to pay more attention to details. Their pictures start to describe actual situations and tell stories. When children are painting or drawing make sure to remind them of the background (for example, if a boy is drawing a car, ask him about the weather, what color the sky is, what sort of road this car is riding on, etc.).
When working with colors make sure that your child washes his brush after each use. Explain how he can blend colors on a paper plate to create more complicated shades. For example: blend some blue and red to create violet.
Show your child how to do different brush strokes like dots or thin lines or "flower petals".
If your child doesn't have previous experience in painting take a look at the sections for younger kids.
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Project ideas.
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1. Winter trees.
Let your child color the sheet of paper in using a medium blue color. This will be the sky.
Let it dry. Ask him if trees have leaves in winter and what trees stay green. Ask him to paint some trees. Let the painting dry again. Meanwhile, talk about how snow falls, how it stays on the ground and helps trees to not freeze. Finally, ask your child to paint some snow falling and lying on the ground and trees. |
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2. For Easter. Little chicken. (click image for detailed instructions)
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3. For Easter. Easter Bunny. (click image for detailed instructions)
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4. Mixing colors. Fruits and veggies.
Find some oranges, eggplants, yellow-green apples or some other fruits and veggies of similar colors. You could even make do with a few pictures of the fruits. Discuss their shapes and colors with your child. Help him make orange using red and yellow paints, violet or purple using red and blue etc. Then paint those fruits and veggies.
5. My favorite story.
Read your child one of his favorite simple stories. Ask him to draw an illustration to this story. If he has trouble, help him or show him pictures from the book, but try not to copy them.
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6. " When I'm happy and when I'm sad".
On a simple drawing of person's face explain your child how to draw it: a circle, eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Smile and then frown at your child, asking him what has changed. Ask him to draw a happy and a sad mommy (or daddy, brother, etc.).
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7. What I see from the window.
Ask your child what he can see from his window. Suggest that he paint or draw it. The purpose of this project is to start explaining to him about the sky and the ground and the mountains (or trees or sea) in between them. You want to explain to him that there are no white or empty spots around us.
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8. Children on a School Bus
Draw ( print out ) the silhouette of a school bus. Ask your child to color it and draw children's faces in the windows. |
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9. For Mothers or Fathers Day. A Family Book.
Glue together a couple sheets of paper, and fold them into a book. Ask your child to draw pictures of family members on each page. |
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10. Trees in a Winter Forest.(click image for detailed instructions)
Talk to your child about which trees stay green in the winter and which don't. Ask him to paint or draw a tree without leaves and a pine tree. Then he can use white paint to paint some snow falling and covering those trees and the ground. |
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11. A Lizard.
Show your child photos or drawings of lizards, or a ceramic lizard if you have one (in Tucson almost every household does). Ask your child to paint a blue or green lizard and when the paint dries let him decorate it with some other colors. If it's too challenging he can simply color and decorate a print out.
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12. A Flower for Mom.
Show your child some real flowers and some pictures. Talk about the endless variety of shapes and colors. Ask a child to paint or draw a flower on white or colored paper. If it's going to be a gift for his Mom put some glitter on it later. |
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13. What my Dad Likes. For Fathers Day.
Ask your child about things that his Dad loves to do. Fold a sheet of paper in half and suggest your kid make a card for his Dad by drawing him doing his favorite thing ( driving or fishing or playing baseball or just laying on the couch ). Or he can just draw some elements of Dad's hobby like baseball bat or fishing pole. |
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14. Christmas Tree Painting (click image for detailed instructions).
How to make a Christmas tree painting. Step by step instructions. |
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15. Self portrait.
Suggest to your child that he paint a picture of himself. Give him a large sheet of paper. It'll be fun for him to paint on a large surface for a change. |
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16. Snowman painting (click image for detailed instructions)
Simple and great looking painting project for kids 4 and older. |
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17. A painting of fruits and veggies (or pumpkins). (click image for detailed instructions)
Set up several different fruits or veggies in front of your kid(s). Ask them to make a sketch with a pensil and finish the painting using watercolors or tempera paint. Younger kids can use crayons. For kids 4 and older.
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