Monet’s water lily painting for kids is a great way to introduce little ones to the work of great artists while letting them enjoy the process of creating art.
*Thanks so much to Playful Learning for this wonderful idea!
*We use affiliate links and may earn commission from purchases made through those links. All opinions are our own.
Have the kids use fresh flowers as “paintbrushes,” and you will open up a whole new world. Since it’s process art, they can stamp the flowers, drag the flowers, poke circles with the stem, etc. It’s up to them because it’s all about the process! Sneak in some comments about the colors and objects in Monet’s “Water Lilies” painting, and it’ll be a complete art lesson perfect for toddlers and preschoolers!
Supplies:
- Watercolor paper
- Fresh flowers
- Purple, white, yellow, pink, and orange tempera paint for flowers
- Blue and white tempera paint for scraping
- Jumbo popsicle sticks
Directions:
First, children can use the flowers as stamps, dipping them in the paint and then stamping them on the watercolor papers. Then, squeeze a few lines of blue paint and white paint onto the paper. Finally, using the Popsicle sticks, the kids can spread the blue and white paint across the page horizontally, creating the water and the blurred lily images that make Monet’s paintings so memorable.
“Water Lilies” by Claude Monet is a great one to have kids use as inspiration. Show the art piece and ask your kids questions like, “What do you see in this photo? What is floating on the pond? Can you name the colors of the flowers? What animals do you think live here?” etc.
And that’s Monet’s Water Lily Painting!
More:
There’s more! Monet has so much inspirational work. Here’s a link to another great water lily project – this time your kids can paint with their fingers!
You might like these other artist-inspired process art projects, as well:
- Jackson Pollock Yarn Painting
- Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night Wax Paper Painting
- Introduction to Cutting with Henry Matisse
- Damien Hirst Butterfly Collages
- Leonardo DaVinci’s Kid-Friendly Frescoes
- Shapes and Colors with Sonia Delaunay
Check out this post for more art history craft ideas:
Here’s a how-to for a Damien Hirst butterfly craft:
