Pablo Picasso portraits for toddlers and preschoolers are a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to not only explore Pablo Picasso’s artwork but to also practice recognizing emotions and learning facial features. Plus, Picasso Portraits are simple and inexpensive! You may have all of the materials at home right now!
*Thank you to Meri Cherry for the Picasso craft project idea!
**Thank you 123 Homeschool 4 Me for the flannel board idea!
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How to: The Artwork
Supplies:
- Cardstock, cut into a large circle
- Glue sticks or glue bottles
- Variety of facial features cut from magazines
Directions:
Have the kids glue the facial features onto the cardstock circles. It’s okay if they put the facial features in the wrong places! Picasso didn’t care so neither should we! Display their beautiful masterpieces!
How To: The Program
My Young Artists class allows 2-5 year olds and their caregivers to explore art in a way that engages the senses and helps them understand the world around them. Exploring famous artists and their work allows kids to see that they are capable of making beautiful, creative and thought-provoking artwork. Plus, exploring famous artists and their work provides a unique way to teach children about basic art techniques.
Group Art:
First, we started our program off with a felt board activity. As each child came in to the class, I handed them a felt shape. Finally, when everybody arrived, I had each kid – one by one – put their shape on the face I put on the felt board. We ended up with a really silly looking face!
Next, I went over each facial feature – eyes, ears, nose, etc. – as I put it in the right place, so they could see where each piece is supposed to go. They also had to find the facial features on their own faces!
Finally, I gave the pieces back to the kids and had them try to put them in the right places on the face.
Second, I showed them a couple of pieces that Picasso created. We then talked about the facial features we saw there and how some of them were in funny places and funny colors.
Third, I pulled out pictures of children expressing different emotions – sadness, happiness, anger, excitement, etc. This way the toddlers and preschoolers could guess what the children in the pictures might be feeling and why they might be feeling that way.
Group Story:
Next we read When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden (I mostly summarized it and emphasized the pictures.) and finally it was time for creating! (PS I love this illustration from the book because it highlights the silly faces Picasso created, just like the silly faces we made!)
Individual Art:
Art time! Each child started with a circle piece of cardstock, glue, and a variety of facial features I had previously cut from magazine ads. The kids then glued the facial features onto their faces – wherever they wanted, just like Picasso did.
And those are Pablo Picasso portraits for toddlers and preschoolers.
Looking for more projects based on important artists’ work? Try these:
- Seurat brick painting
- Kandinsky collages
- Pollock’s yarn painting
- Matisse cutting practice
- Delaunay shapes and colors
- Da Vinci frescoes