Here are some ideas to liven up your Art Center this Fall to inspire your little Pre-K artists. These ideas work well in an open-ended art center where children can choose the materials they want to use and be creative in deciding what they want to make.
Last week, I shared Fall Block Play Ideas, which you can check out at the link.
Sequins & Foamies for Collage
Children love collage materials! Add some Fall sequins and craft foamie shapes for children to explore. I have seen kids randomly stick these on paper as they explore, and I have also seen children make outdoor scenes with trees and grass and add leaves to their artwork. Tip: Add a mini “trash can” (can be just a cup or bowl) for the sticker paper from the craft foamies.
I bought the sequins at Hobby Lobby and the foamie shapes at Dollar Tree.
Fall Colored Markers & Crayons
Add some crayons and markers in Fall colors only to your art table to encourage some Fall artwork. If you like to keep all colors in your art center, you can add these in addition to the “regular” colors. I like to provide children with a variety of color hues.
The markers are from a set of 50 Crayola Pip Squeaks, which is how I got so many different hues.
Fall Stencils
Add Fall stencils to your art center for kids to use. Kids love stencils and these are great for fine motor practice! This one is from Hobby Lobby, but my best source for seasonal stencils for children is Oriental Trading.
Fall Colored Tissue Paper
Buy tissue paper in Fall colors and cut it into squares for mosaic art. Often children will glue them randomly on a piece of paper, and may add other collage materials such as the sequins and foamie shapes. Young children need that kind of free exploration, but you can also give them the idea to draw a tree with brown crayon and add the tissue paper as leaves. They still have the option to choose what kind of art they make, but some might like the idea of making a simple tree.
Fall Paint Colors
Rather than have all 8 basic colors at your easel, during the Fall, you can limit it to the Fall colors of red, yellow, orange, green, and brown. Even if children paint abstract art, it will have a Fall-themed look to it. These are regular tempera paint colors, but read on to see how I mix paint to make darker colors.
I love to mix paint colors. To make paint have a darker Fall color, you can add a little brown. In the green cup below, I ended up adding double the amount you see in the picture. Red got double as well. Orange got less brown, and yellow got just a tiny bit. It’s something you have to play around with a little, but if you make a mistake, you can just add more of the original color.
These are my finished Fall mixed paint colors. Compare the photo below to the previous one, and you can see that the colors are more Fall-ish and not as bright.
Next year, I’ll have to make sure I share with you how I make Halloween colors!
What do you add to your art center in the Fall? Share your ideas in the comments below!