A Complete Guide to Introducing Frida Kahlo to Toddlers and Preschoolers: Explore Frida Kahlo and with toddlers and preschoolers through art, books, and fine motor activities. Kids will love this simple art lesson, and you will love incorporating history and reading into a simple craft.
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*Thank you to Having Fun at Home for the great idea for the egg carton flower crowns. We added the Frida Kahlo element.
**Also thank you to Lotta Magazine for the Frida Kahlo Play-Doh mats. They are so fun!
How to: The Artwork
Supplies:
- Cardboard egg cartons
- Washable tempera paint (We love this kind!)
- Child friendly paintbrushes (We used these!)
- Yarn or string (two 10-inch pieces per flower crown)
- Single hole punch
Directions:
Before you start the activity, you’ll need to cut the egg cartons up a bit. First, cut off the lid. Second, cut the carton in half longways, directly down the middle. You should be left with two halves of six compartments each. Then, punch one hole on the sides of each of the halves. Finally, thread a piece of the yarn/string through each of the holes and knot it, leaving as much of a tail as possible.
Okay, now you’re ready for the kids! Give each of them a six compartment egg carton with the strings tied on each of the ends and a paintbrush. Squirt six colors of brightly colored paint onto a palette or paper plate, and let the kids get to work! If they want to paint each “flower” a different color, great! If they want to swirl all of their paint together to make a brown, great! They’re exploring, they’re touching, they’re learning. Enjoy the process! Anything on their little heads will look adorable! When they’re done and the crowns are dry, place them on their heads and tie the strings together into bows underneath their chins.
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:
I brought out the Play-Doh because….well, why not? Kids LOVE Play-Doh! (Side note: we use this dough instead of the brand name stuff, and we love it.) I found this AMAZING Frida Kahlo printable from Lotta Magazine – I printed it off on 11×17 paper and laminated them to create the coolest Play-Doh mats ever. I had the kids use plastic cookie cutters to “decorate” Frida. They rolled circles for her necklace, they cut out flowers for her hair, they gave her blue lips, they highlighted her hand print earrings, etc. It was great! I especially loved it because the kids were able to be creative and enjoy the process but in a guided way that encouraged lots of learning.
Group Story:
Individual Art:
It’s time for painting! Put out those egg cartons and paints, and let the kids make their very own Frida Kahlo flower crowns! Let them paint how they want and with which colors they want. And mess is okay! We want them fully learn through all of the sense and touch is one of those senses.
At the end of the class, the young artists were happy, the young artists’ parents were happy and the young artists’ librarian was happy, so it was a successful morning in Young Artists! Woohoo! I think the kids (and their caregivers) went home with more knowledge and skills than when they came in! That’s the goal, right?!
We all need some more art inspired by important artists! Try these!
- Seurat brick painting
- Pollock’s yarn painting
- Matisse cutting practice
- Delaunay shapes and colors
- Da Vinci frescoes
Post some pictures of how this program turned out for you! I’m anxious to see those flower crowns!
