Toddlers and preschoolers can build sculptures and learn about art with this fun and resourceful art class curriculum. Good for improving fine motor skills!

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How To: The Artwork

Supplies:

• Cardboard tubes (We used toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes.)
• Glue
• Assorted craft supplies (We used Washi tape, craft pom poms, pipe cleaners, buttons, beads, feathers, markers, etc.)
• Paint (This is my favorite washable tempera paint!)

Directions:

With the kids’ help, glue the cardboard tubes together to build sculptures. It can look however each child wants it to look! Then, when the glue dries, the kids can decorate their sculptures however they want! We used assorted craft supplies and paint. Such a hit! (I also provided caregivers with a paper plate to take the sculpture home on.)

How To: The Program

My Young Artists class allows 2-5 year olds to explore art and engage the senses to help them understand the world around them. Exploring famous artists and their work allows kids to see that they are capable of making beautiful, creative artwork. Plus, exploring famous artists provides a unique way to teach children about basic art techniques.

Group Activity:

For our group activity, put out a bunch of items to build a large group sculpture. A bunch of boxes, cups, and other recyclables were perfect for building this cool sculpture. And then when the kids were done with their individual projects, they could come back and paint our group sculpture!

Group Story:

We read Look! Look! Look! at Sculpture by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. I’ve used this book before in my Young Artists class, but it’s the best book I’ve found about sculptures, so I keep using it. (If you have any sculpture favorite books, please comment below! I’d love to introduce some more great art books!) My favorite part about the book is that it shows tons of different types of sculptures made by incredible artists. We can talk about really cool artists and their different kinds of really cool art when we look at this book!  I also passed around laminated images of sculptures by Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Donatello. The kids love to be able to hold pictures of art and comment on it. (They say things like, “Look it’s a lion, but it’s not a real lion.” And, “It’s kind of weird.”)

Individual Art:

The kids had so much fun making the big group sculpture, I knew they would love to build sculptures of their own! For time’s sake, I had previously glued the cardboard tubes into different designs. We didn’t have enough time in the 30-45 minute class for the glue to dry enough for those little hands to successfully paint the sculptures without destroying them. They got to decorate them though! Paint, feathers, pom-poms, buttons – it’s all a hit!

Looking for more sculpture projects? Check out one of my favorite easy sculptures to make with toddlers and preschoolers here!

Tell me about some sculpture projects you’ve made with little ones!