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Best Impressionism Art Project Ideas For Kids

Looking for some impressionistart projects for kids? You’ve found the right place!

Fun Art Projects for Kids

My daughter loves art projects!

I don’t particularly care for the mess but, now that she’s getting older, it’s a little bit easier since she can help clean up the mess.

One of the things I do love to do is find great art projects that focus on artists or art periods. We’ll study an artist and their work and then use their works as inspiration for our own.

It’s lots of fun for kids (and it’s educational).

So if you’re looking for some art projects for kids – check out our list of ideas for learning about the Impressionist artists.

Impressionist Art projects for kids

Our favorite Impressionist painter is Claude Monet and TJ & I decided to revisit an old art project we had done a few years ago – inspired by Monet’s Japanese Bridge paintings. It’s a simple project but has a few different steps and techniques. It’s fun and we’re both sure that you and your kid will enjoy it as much as we have!

So let’s look at more Impressionist Art Projects for Kids: Monet’s Japanese Bridge.

project inspired by: Dream, Draw, Create!

Monet’s Japanese Bridge

Monet was inspired to paint right in his own garden – and we’re inspired by his work. Using his Japanese Bridge paintings as inspiration, you and your kids will create your own watercolor picture.

You’ll need (these are affiliate links):

  • watercolor paper
  • watercolor paints
  • paintbrushes
  • small amount of sea salt
  • sponge
  • oil pastels (plain old crayons would also work)
  • small container (to hold water)

Instructions

Start by preparing your area – lay down an art mat, fill a small container with water, put a small amount of sea salt in a little container, and get your paintbrushes and supplies organized.

Take your paper and place it so the short edge is facing you – you want to create a longer, vertical image.

The first step is to create a wash of color, working quickly, down the paper. Decide what colors you’d like in the sky and the water and use your watercolor paint to create the affect you’d like.

Next, pinch some sea salt between two fingers and sprinkle it lightly over the surface of the paper onto the wet paint. As it dries, it creates a neat effect on the watercolor paint.

Now you want to create some depth in your picture – add scenery, bushes, water lilies, etc. with the watercolors, brushes, and pieces of torn sponge (the corner of a torn sponge makes a great print for a tree), being sure to leave space for your bridge in the middle of the page.

After you’re satisfied with your artwork, it’s time to add the bridge.

Using an oil pastel, create a curved shape from one edge of the paper to the other. Draw on a handrail and any other details you’d like to include. Dab your sponge here and there along the bridge with a bit of green paint to make it look like there is ivy dripping down.

That’s all there is to it! You’ve created your own Monet inspired work of art.

I am not a huge fan of messy art projects for kids but my daughter is and, thankfully, as she gets older there is less mess for me to deal with! One of her favorite art periods is Impressionism so we’ve used a few different books and websites that have become our go-to resources. If you’re studying Impressionist artists you’ll want to check out some of these resources.

Art Projects for Kids: Impressionism Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about Impressionism with your kids these books and websites are a great starting point for learning about the artists, finding inspiration for art project ideas, and a few art supplies that you should have on-hand.

This post contains affiliate links.

Books about artists:

Art project ideas:

Websites:

When I’m looking for art project ideas, these are the websites I like to check first.

Resources:

If you want to add some coloring books, art stickers or art supplies, here are a few things that work well when you’re learning about Impressionist artists.