Lots of people recognize Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Using Da Vinci’s art for kids can be a great way to introduce new techniques.
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*Thank you to Kitchen Counter Chronicles for this great idea!
Toddlers and preschoolers can experience the art technique Da Vinci used (fresco, which means painting wet clay) with washable tempera paint and air-dry clay. So simple!
Leonardo Da Vinci’s fresco project for toddlers and preschoolers is also a great example of process art. It is important for little learners to focus on the techniques, the senses, and the exploration involved in art instead of focusing on a perfect product.
How To: The Artwork
Supplies:
- Small plastic plates
- White air-dry clay or plaster of Paris
- Paintbrushes
- Washable paint (I used blue, green, black, and brown tempera paint)
Directions:
Each child should have enough clay to cover their plastic plates. First, they can smash down the clay to cover the plate and then smooth it out. Using Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” as inspiration, the kids can then use the paints and paintbrushes to paint the still wet clay. Pressing relatively hard to make patterns and insert the paint is encouraged! Let dry for 24 hours. Finally, once the clay is dry, parents can be remove the fresco from the paper plates.
How To: The Program
My Young Artists class allows 2-5 year olds and their caregivers to explore art in a way that engages their senses and helps them understand the world around them. Kids learn that they are capable of making creative and thought-provoking artwork by exploring famous artists and their artwork. In addition, I use famous artists and their work to teach children about basic art techniques in a multi-dimensional way.
Like clay. Which brings me to Leonardo Da Vinci.
We know Leonardo Da Vinci for his work with Plaster of Paris, particularly in “The Last Supper.” This is a relatively simple technique for kids to practice on their own. Feel free to use Plaster of Paris if you’d like. You can follow Kitchen Counter Chronicles for instructions on that. I used air-dry clay because it’s not as messy and easier to buy on Amazon.
Group Art:
To kick off the class, I had the kids explore with Play-doh. They were able to mold, shape, build, etc. to create and play. I couldn’t find a book I really liked about Leonardo Da Vinci, so we just played with Play-do extra long.
Individual Art:
The kids were eager to paint eventually, so they played with Play-do only for about fifteen minutes. Then, I set them up with their own Air-Dry Clay, paintbrushes, and paint. The kids played with the clay a little bit first because they wanted to feel and mold it. They also created designs in their wet clay and tried to insert the paint deep into the clay.
The caregivers helped their children make designs and try new colors.
Finally, I provided markers and this Leonardo Da Vinci coloring page from Coloring Cafe to entertain those that finished early.
The young artists were happy, the young artists’ parents were happy and the young artists’ librarian was happy. Therefore, it was a successful morning in Young Artists! Woohoo! And that was da Vinci’s art for kids!
For more Young Artists’ ideas, check out this search.