Creative Artist Inspired Art Projects for Kids

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why Artist Inspired Projects Matter
3. The Magic of Impressionism: Van Gogh and Monet
4. Geometry and Bold Colors: Mondrian and Kandinsky
5. Pop Art Fun: Warhol and Lichtenstein
6. Nature as a Muse: Georgia O’Keeffe and Eric Carle
7. Abstract Adventures: Alma Thomas and Hilma af Klint
8. The Intersection of Art and Science (STEAM)
9. Setting Up Your Home Studio
10. I’m the Chef Too!: Our Educational Philosophy
11. Detailed Artist Project Guides
12. Tips for Educators and Homeschool Groups
13. Fostering a Lifelong Love for Learning
14. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Conclusion

Introduction

Have you ever watched a child pick up a crayon and noticed the sheer, uninhibited joy in their eyes? To a child, a blank piece of paper isn't just paper; it is a portal to another world. It is a space where a blue cow can fly over a purple sun, and where grass can be as red as a fire engine. As parents and educators, we often look for ways to nurture that spark of creativity, but sometimes we aren't quite sure where to start. How do we move beyond simple doodles and help children connect with the vast, colorful history of human expression?

The answer lies in bringing the masters into our homes and classrooms. By introducing children to the world’s most famous painters, sculptors, and illustrators, we give them a roadmap for their own imagination. At I’m the Chef Too!, we believe that learning should always be an adventure. Our mission is to blend food, STEM, and the arts into one-of-a-kind "edutainment" experiences that get kids' hands dirty and their minds working. We are committed to sparking curiosity and creativity in children, facilitating family bonding, and providing a screen-free educational alternative that feels like play.

In this post, we are going to explore a wide variety of artist inspired art projects for kids. We will travel through time and across the globe, looking at techniques from the swirling stars of Vincent van Gogh to the bold, geometric lines of Piet Mondrian. We will show you how to take these complex art movements and break them down into fun, manageable activities that your little ones will love. Whether your child is a budding scientist who loves the chemistry of paint or a young dreamer who loves to tell stories through pictures, there is something here for everyone.

Our goal is to help you foster a love for learning, build your child’s confidence, and create joyful family memories that last a lifetime. Ready for a new adventure every month? Join The Chef's Club and enjoy free shipping on every box.

Why Artist Inspired Projects Matter

Before we dive into the specific projects, it is worth asking: why do we look to the past to inspire the artists of the future? Learning about famous artists is about more than just memorizing names and dates. It is about teaching children that there are many ways to see the world.

When a child recreates a technique used by a famous artist, they are doing several things at once:

• Building Fine Motor Skills: Whether it’s the "dabbing" technique of the Impressionists or the precise cutting required for Matisse-style collages, these activities strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers.
• Developing Critical Thinking: Art isn't just about feeling; it's about making choices. Kids have to decide which colors work together and how to fill a space.
• Encouraging Resilience: Sometimes a project doesn't turn out exactly how they imagined. By learning that even great artists like Picasso experimented and changed their styles, kids learn that "mistakes" are just part of the creative process.
• Connecting with History and Culture: Art is a window into different times and places. It helps children develop empathy and a broader understanding of the human experience.

At I'm the Chef Too!, we use these same principles in our kitchen adventures. Just as a painter mixes pigments, we help kids understand how ingredients interact. If you want to see how we blend these worlds together, you can find the perfect theme for your little learner by browsing our complete collection of one-time kits.

The Magic of Impressionism: Van Gogh and Monet

Impressionism is often the best place to start with artist inspired art projects for kids because it is all about light, movement, and visible brushstrokes. It doesn't have to be perfect—in fact, it's better if it isn't!

Vincent van Gogh: Swirling Starry Nights

Vincent van Gogh is perhaps the most famous artist to introduce to children. His use of thick paint and vibrant colors is immediately engaging.

The Project: Fork-Scraped Night Skies Instead of using traditional brushes, try using plastic forks. Give your child a piece of dark blue cardstock and some thick tempera paint in yellow, white, and light blue. Have them dollop the paint onto the paper and then use the tines of the fork to swirl the paint around, creating those iconic "Starry Night" wind currents.

• STEM Connection: This is a great time to talk about the physics of light. Why do stars twinkle? Why does the moon change shape?
• Why it Works: The fork creates texture (called "impasto" in the art world) that mimics Van Gogh’s real-life technique.

Claude Monet: Water Lily Resist

Monet loved his garden, and his water lily series is a wonderful way to teach kids about "resist" techniques in art.

The Project: Watercolor and Crayon Lilies Have your child use a white or light green wax crayon to draw circles and pads on a piece of thick paper. Then, have them use watery blue and green paints to wash over the entire page. The wax will "resist" the paint, leaving the lily pads visible through the "water."

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Geometry and Bold Colors: Mondrian and Kandinsky

If your child loves structure, patterns, and bright primary colors, they will gravitate toward the Modernist masters.

Piet Mondrian: The Grid Master

Mondrian is famous for his use of black lines and red, yellow, and blue rectangles. This is a fantastic way to introduce basic geometry.

The Project: Tape-Resist Grids Using black painter’s tape or thin strips of black paper, help your child create a grid on a white canvas or piece of paper. Then, let them choose a few of the resulting squares to fill in with primary colors.

• Educational Benefit: This helps children recognize shapes and understand the concept of a "primary color."
• Variation: Use LEGO bricks to build a Mondrian-inspired wall or use colorful snacks to create a grid on a plate.

Wassily Kandinsky: Concentric Circles

Kandinsky believed that colors and shapes could represent sounds and emotions. His "Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles" is one of the most popular artist inspired art projects for kids.

The Project: Oil Pastel Circles Give your child a piece of paper divided into squares. In each square, have them draw a small circle, then a larger circle around it, and another, until the square is full. Use bright oil pastels and encourage them to use different color combinations in every square.

• STEM Spark: Discuss the concept of "concentric" in nature, like the rings in a tree trunk or the ripples in a pond.

Pop Art Fun: Warhol and Lichtenstein

Pop Art is all about making the everyday extraordinary. It’s colorful, fun, and very relatable for children who are surrounded by media and advertisements.

Andy Warhol: Repeating Patterns

Warhol showed us that even a soup can or a banana could be art. He loved using bright, repeating images in different color schemes.

The Project: Foam Plate Prints You can do a simple version of printmaking at home. Have your child "etch" a simple drawing (like a heart or a star) into a piece of a Styrofoam plate using a dull pencil. Then, roll paint over the plate and press it onto paper. Do this four times on one page, using a different color for each print.

If your child loves seeing how patterns and colors repeat in nature and space, they might also enjoy exploring astronomy by creating their own edible solar system with our Galaxy Donut Kit.

Roy Lichtenstein: Ben-Day Dots

Lichtenstein's art looks like it jumped right out of a comic book. He used tiny dots, called Ben-Day dots, to create color and texture.

The Project: Bubble Wrap Art To mimic Lichtenstein’s dots without having to paint thousands of tiny circles, use bubble wrap! Paint a piece of bubble wrap and press it onto a drawing to create a cool, dotted background. Use bold black outlines to finish the look.

Nature as a Muse: Georgia O’Keeffe and Eric Carle

Looking at nature through the eyes of an artist helps children appreciate the world around them.

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Close-Up

O’Keeffe was famous for painting flowers as if she were looking at them through a magnifying glass. This teaches children about "perspective" and "composition."

The Project: The Giant Flower Give your child a real flower to look at. Ask them to pick one tiny part of it—maybe just the center or one petal—and draw it so big that it fills the entire page.

• STEM Connection: This is a perfect opportunity to use a real magnifying glass and talk about the parts of a plant (stamen, pistil, petals).

Eric Carle: Painted Paper Collages

While we often think of him as an author, Eric Carle was a master of collage. He didn't just use construction paper; he painted his own paper first.

The Project: Tissue Paper Animals Let your kids paint large sheets of tissue paper with various colors and textures using sponges, brushes, or even old credit cards to scrape the paint. Once dry, they can cut these papers into shapes to create their own "Very Hungry Caterpillar" or other creatures.

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Abstract Adventures: Alma Thomas and Hilma af Klint

Abstract art allows kids to express their feelings without the pressure of making something look "real."

Alma Thomas: Rhythmic Dabs

Alma Thomas was a pioneer who used bright dabs of color to create mosaic-like patterns that often looked like gardens from above.

The Project: Fingerprint Mosaics Instead of a brush, have your child use their fingertips. Start with a circle in the middle of the page and create rings of colorful dabs moving outward. This is a very meditative and satisfying process for children.

Hilma af Klint: Spirals and Symbols

Af Klint was one of the earliest abstract artists. She used spirals, circles, and flowing lines to represent complex ideas.

The Project: The Endless Spiral Encourage your child to start a line in the center of the paper and see how long they can keep it going without lifting their marker. Then, they can color in the spaces created by the overlapping lines.

The Intersection of Art and Science (STEAM)

At I'm the Chef Too!, we are passionate about the "A" in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). We believe that the kitchen is the ultimate laboratory where all these subjects meet. When children engage in artist inspired art projects for kids, they are actually practicing scientific observation.

Think about the chemistry involved in mixing colors. When we teach kids about primary and secondary colors, we are teaching them about how different molecules interact. When we discuss the "structure" of a sculpture, we are talking about engineering.

A great example of this is the chemical reaction that makes our Erupting Volcano Cakes kit bubble over with deliciousness. The same curiosity that leads a child to wonder how a volcano erupts is what leads an artist to wonder how two colors will look when they bleed together on a wet canvas.

By framing kitchen and art activities with adult supervision and safety in mind, we create a space where it is safe to ask "What if?" and "How does this work?"

Setting Up Your Home Studio

You don't need a professional art studio to engage in these projects. A kitchen table or a cleared-off floor space works perfectly. Here are a few tips for making the process smooth and enjoyable:

1. Embrace the Mess: Art is messy, and that is okay! Use an old tablecloth or newspapers to protect your surfaces. Remember, the goal is to foster a love for learning, not to keep the house perfectly clean.
2. Focus on the Process, Not the Result: Avoid saying things like "That doesn't look like a tree." Instead, say "I love the way you used that shade of green!" This builds confidence and keeps the focus on the joy of creating.
3. Keep Supplies Accessible: Have a "creative bin" with paper, markers, glue, and recycled materials like egg cartons and cardboard tubes.
4. Talk About the Artist: While they are working, tell them a little story about the artist. For example, "Did you know that Matisse used scissors to paint with paper when he got older and couldn't stand at an easel anymore?"

I’m the Chef Too!: Our Educational Philosophy

Our approach at I'm the Chef Too! is rooted in the idea of "edutainment." We know that kids learn best when they are having fun and using their hands. Our kits are developed by mothers and educators who understand how to make complex subjects accessible.

We don't just provide a recipe; we provide a journey. Each of our boxes contains pre-measured dry ingredients and specialty supplies, making it easy for busy parents to provide a high-quality educational experience without the stress of extra shopping. Whether you are building a 3D treat or painting with edible "inks," you are participating in a tradition of creativity that spans centuries.

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Detailed Artist Project Guides

To help you get started right away, let's look at three specific artist inspired art projects for kids in a step-by-step format.

Project 1: The "Picasso Face" Collage

Artist: Pablo Picasso (Cubism) The Goal: To understand that faces don't have to be symmetrical and can be seen from many angles at once.

Materials:

• Cardboard or heavy paper
• Scraps of colorful construction paper
• Glue stick
• Black marker

Steps:

1. Cut Shapes: Have your child cut out several different shapes for eyes, noses, mouths, and ears. Make them all different sizes and colors.
2. The Base: Draw a large "blob" shape on the main paper—this is the head.
3. The Arrangement: This is the fun part! Encourage your child to glue the eyes in different places—maybe one is higher than the other. Put the nose on the side of the face.
4. Details: Use the black marker to add eyelashes, hair, or "fracture lines" across the face to give it that Cubist look.

Project 2: Monet’s Impressionist Garden

Artist: Claude Monet The Goal: To capture the feeling of a garden using light and color.

Materials:

• White paper
• Cotton swabs (Q-tips)
• Blue, green, pink, and purple paint

Steps:

1. Background: Have the child paint the whole paper a light blue or green using very watery paint.
2. Dabbing: Instead of long strokes, have them dip a cotton swab into the paint and "dab" it onto the paper to create flowers and leaves.
3. Layering: Wait for one color to dry a little, then dab a different color right on top. This creates the "shimmering" effect Monet was famous for.

Project 3: Sonia Delaunay’s Geometric Circles

Artist: Sonia Delaunay (Orphism) The Goal: To explore how colors interact within geometric shapes.

Materials:

• White paper
• Compass or various-sized lids to trace
• Markers or paint in bright, contrasting colors

Steps:

1. Tracing: Trace several circles on the paper. Have some circles overlap.
2. Dividing: Draw a few lines straight through the circles, cutting them into halves or quarters.
3. Coloring: Fill in each segment with a different color. The rule is: try not to have the same color touching itself across a line.

Tips for Educators and Homeschool Groups

If you are a teacher or a homeschool co-op leader, artist inspired art projects for kids are a fantastic way to bridge the gap between history and creative expression. These projects can easily be scaled for larger groups.

When working with groups, it is helpful to have visual aids. Show large prints of the artist's work and ask the children what they see first. Do they see the colors? The shapes? How does the painting make them feel?

Our kits are also great for group settings. We offer versatile programs for schools and groups, available with or without food components, to suit different needs. Bring our hands-on STEM adventures to your classroom, camp, or homeschool co-op. Learn more about our versatile programs for schools and groups.

Fostering a Lifelong Love for Learning

While we can't promise your child will become the next world-renowned scientist or a professional artist featured in the Louvre, we can promise that the process of creating art will benefit them in countless ways. By engaging in these activities, children develop:

• Confidence: The pride a child feels when they say "I made this" is immeasurable.
• Curiosity: They begin to look at the world differently, noticing the "Mondrian squares" in a window frame or the "Van Gogh swirls" in a puddle.
• Family Memories: These projects are a wonderful way to put down the phones and spend quality time together.

At I'm the Chef Too!, we see every kitchen activity and every art project as an opportunity for discovery. A parent looking for a screen-free weekend activity for their 7-year-old who loves space might start with the Galaxy Donut Kit, but they end up with a child who understands a little more about the universe and a lot more about their own creative potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is best for artist-inspired projects?

You can start as early as toddlerhood! For very young children, focus on sensory experiences like finger painting (Monet or Alma Thomas style). As they get older, you can introduce more complex concepts like Cubism or grid-based art.

Do I need expensive art supplies?

Not at all. Many of these projects use items you already have at home, like forks, cotton swabs, bubble wrap, and recycled cardboard. The most important "supply" is imagination.

How do I explain "Abstract Art" to a child?

A simple way to explain it is: "Some art is like a photograph of something real. Abstract art is like a painting of a feeling or an idea. It uses colors and shapes to tell a story without using words or realistic pictures."

My child is frustrated because their art doesn't look like the master's. What should I do?

Remind them that even the masters were students once! Explain that the goal isn't to copy the artist exactly, but to "borrow" their ideas to create something completely new and unique to them.

Can these projects be linked to other subjects?

Absolutely! Art links to history (when and where the artist lived), science (color theory and material properties), and math (geometry and symmetry). This is the essence of a well-rounded STEM education.

Conclusion

Creating artist inspired art projects for kids is one of the most rewarding ways to spend time with your family. It opens up a world of color, history, and scientific wonder, all while helping your child develop essential life skills. From the structured grids of Mondrian to the free-flowing swirls of Van Gogh, each artist offers a new lens through which your child can view the world.

At I'm the Chef Too!, we are honored to be a part of your family’s educational journey. We believe that by blending the arts with STEM and culinary fun, we can create a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. Whether you are painting a canvas or decorating a cake, you are building more than just a project—you are building confidence, curiosity, and a storehouse of joyful memories.

We invite you to join our community of learners and explorers. There is always something new to discover, and we make it easy to bring that discovery right to your front door.

Ready for a new adventure every month? Join The Chef's Club and enjoy free shipping on every box.