Younger Children

The downloadable guides listed below are intended for adults to help instruct younger children. By studying individual works of art, they explore themes such as balance, shape, texture, color, scale, and rhythm.

Magdalena Abakanowicz Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Balance
Activity: Create a form that experiments with balance
Materials: Assorted found objects
Vocabulary: Artist, balance, figure, sculpture, stability

Louise Bourgeois Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Shape
Activity: Create a collage that combines different shapes
Materials: Colored paper, scissors, glue
Vocabulary: Artist, form, outline, sculpture, shape

Deborah Butterfield Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Assembly
Activity: Create an animal out of found materials
Materials: Small box lid, glue, pipe cleaners, putty, outdoors objects, paint
Vocabulary: Artist, assembly, materials, sculpture, shape, vermillion

Mark di Suvero Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Angles
Activity: Create a drawing with different angles
Materials: Ruler, paper, and pencils, crayons, or markers
Vocabulary: Angle, crane, sculpture, vertical

Walter Dusenbery Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Texture
Activity: Create a rainbow of different textures
Materials: Texture samples (cotton ball, fabric, sand paper, stone, etc.)
Vocabulary: Artist, carve, marble, sculpture, texture

Juan Hamilton Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Shadow
Activity: Create new forms that include shadows
Materials: Black paper, tape, scissors, flashlight
Vocabulary: Artist, curve, sculpture, shadow, shape

Beverly Pepper Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Rhythm
Activity: Drawing to express rhythm
Materials: Large paper, finger paint or other pigments
Vocabulary: Artist, column, repetition, rhythm, sculpture, unity

Peter Reginato Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Color
Activity: Mixing colors
Materials: Paper, primary paint colors, brush
Vocabulary: Artist, color, primary colors, sculpture, secondary colors, shade

Tony Smith Guide for Younger Children
Subject: Scale
Activity: Make a small-scale model
Materials: cardboard, scissors, tape or glue
Vocabulary: Artist, model, scale, sculpture, shape, steel