Back to school art projects can be a really useful way to spark interesting conversations and get kids engaged in a fun way during their first week in a new class.
This is especially important after kids have been at home or receiving a hybrid education for some time.
In my experience, kids are more likely to engage with cool, modern and relevant activities that reflect their interests in and out of school.
Kids love modern themes
Here are some themes that I have experimented with when creating back to school art projects for kids.
- Modern Technology – phones, tablets, watches, gadgets, computers, social media, instagram, facebook. Tech Geek is the new cool!
- Sport inspired – always a great cross over with art, and can help engage reluctant artists, energetic boys and girls. Kids love expressing themselves through the clothes they wear and the sports they participate in and watch – prints, logos, t shirts, hoodies – all part of their developing identity.
- Graffiti, Street Art – Banksy, ‘tags’, spray can art, reflections of the world today
- Pop Art – bright colors, bold imagery and graphics, simple eye-catching patterns
Through designing and road testing art resources for the classroom, grades 3 to 8, I’ve learnt that kids – both girls and boys – really do love to engage creatively with current, relevant themes that reflect their ‘tech savvy’ lives and ‘appy’ pursuits!
Many pre teen kids now own cell phones or ‘mobiles’ as we call them here in the UK.
Most parents, including me, are keen to limit screen time and remind our kids about pastimes from ‘the olden days’ including engaging with ‘books’, ‘paper’, ‘pens’ and ‘pencils’!
So my mission is to keep art going in the classroom and combine the two – Good Old Art with a Modern Tech Twist! –
Through art, kids can express themselves in an abstract way, explore their feelings, how they fit in the world, their hopes, fears, goals, likes and dislikes – often in a deeper and more meaningful way than using only words.
Art activities can be especially useful at the beginning of a new year when anxiety may be running high – for both teachers and students!
My classroom and homeschooler/parent art activities are designed to engage kids of all abilities, are low prep, include finished examples for inspiration, require limited workspace and basic art materials
You can browse back to school projects here by or by clicking on these best sellers below:
