The Swiss-born painter Paul Klee created Expressionist masterpieces and taught other aspiring artists at the Bauhaus. Even though Klee had some fairly deep thoughts when it came to his artistic expression, your child can still learn through his work (minus some of the more conceptual ideas). Depending on your child’s age, you can pull different ideas from Klee’s paintings.
This kids’ art activity focuses on color and shape. We’re starting with his painting Static-Dynamic Gradation. Even if your child can’t see the real deal, she can still take some time to view this piece. Whether it’s from an art postcard, a reproduction, a picture in a book or online, have your child take a look at this artwork. Don’t worry about the art history of the conceptual context behind it. Let your child lead the way. Start with a few open-ended questions, such as, “What’s going on in this artwork?” or, “What can you find?”
Famous Artists - Paul Klee
As your child starts talking about Klee’s work, ask her about the colors and the shapes. If she doesn’t notice that the colors are darker around the edges and lighter and brighter in the center, point it out.
You don’t have to directly tell her, “Hey, the colors are darker around the outside.” But, you can ask her questions such as, “What do you notice about the colors on the outside?” and, “How are the colors on the inside different?”
Now that she’s viewed the art, it’s time to make one of her own. Not only does this activity help her to learn about colors and shapes, but it allows her to work on fine motor skills and build critical-thinking abilities. How? Your child will use Klee’s artwork as inspiration and create a grid of squares, with darker colors on the outside and lighter ones on the inside. The best part is, it’s reusable! Instead of paint, we’re using felt. That makes this a mini felt board. After this art activity, your child can reuse it for other projects.
Paul Klee Art Project for Kids
Cut Craft felt sheets (in dark and light/bright colors) into squares.
HINT: You might one to leave on piece of craft felt whole as a base.
Separate the felt into categories by color.
Press the felt squares onto the felt base. Your child will start with darker colors on the outside and move into the lighter ones. Let her pick out which colors are darker and which ones are lighter (she’s
making comparisons while doing this!).
Optional: Glue the felt down to make the artwork permanent.
Or, you can pull the pieces up and start over. Your child can also create a reverse pattern, making the colors lighter on the outside and darker in the center.
Famous Artist Projects for Kids
- Kadinsky Inspired Fall Leaf Project
- Matisse Collage Art Project for Kids
- Seurat Style 4 Season Pointilism Project
- Monet
- Picasso
- Polluck
- Math Mosaic Art
- Matisse Valentine's Day Art Project
- Hidden Mickey Inspired Pointilism Melted Crayon Art
- Van Gogh Starry Night Project
Erica Loop is a mom, parenting writer and educator with an MS in child development. When she's not teaching, she's busy writing kids' activities for her blog Mini Monets and Mommies. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.
