Usborne Books With Art Projects and Ideas

Encourage Children to Learn About Art and Have Fun with Craft

Feb 25, 2009

Usborne offers numerous ideas for classroom art projects and ways to entertain children at home with craft, painting, drawing and learning about famous artworks.

For children who enjoy art and craft activities, Usborne Publishing has a range of books that offer art project ideas for the classroom and home with easy to follow instructions and information about art styles and artists. Suitable for children from six onwards, the following books offer suggestions for act activities using range of materials and suitable for a variety of skill levels.

Art Skills and Ideas for Primary School Students

The Usborne Book of Art Skills (Usborne Publishing, 2002) and The Usborne Book of Art Ideas (Usborne Publishing, 1999) provide parents and teachers with a comprehensive selection of art activities. The activities cover a range of skill levels, with some projects suitable for children between the ages of 6 – 8 and the majority suitable for children aged from 8 through to high school age.

Both books begin with a listing of materials, including pictures of different materials and brushes and information on caring and maintaining brushes and other equipment. Most materials should be easy to access and the list includes household materials such as cotton buds, aluminum foil and various types of paper.

Between them, the books offer step-by-step illustrated instructions for 320 art projects. The Usborne Book of Art Ideas includes information on mixing paints and achieving different effects with acrylic paints. Craft projects include hand and cardboard prints, glue pictures, blow paintings, cracked wax effect pictures and tissue paper painting. Instructions are also given for using different materials such as water colours and oil pastels and blending, contrasting and matching colours.

The Usborne Book of Art Skills offers more projects with an emphasis on developing art skills and techniques. While there are still some projects that can be adapted for younger children, this book will particularly interest children who are interested in creating particular effects and images with their artwork. There are four pages each on different techniques for skies, fur and water images and more detailed artworks requiring greater levels of co-ordination and concentration.

Learning About Famous Artists and Artworks

The Usborne Art Treasury (Usborne Publishing, 2006) by Rosie Dickins offers an introduction to 22 famous artworks from around the world by artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Rousseau, Hokusai, Pollock and Degas.

Each double page project includes a reproduction of the artwork, a brief summary of the style or motivation for the artwork and some information about the artist with a photograph of the artist often included. There are easy to follow, step-by-step instructions for an art project based on the artwork under discussion. This includes a picture illustrating each instruction and an illustration of a completed art project.

Individual art projects do not list required materials, however there is a complete list of materials given at the beginning of the book that covers all projects. Most of these are readily available from a local department store.

Art techniques used in the projects include splatter painting, collage, rubbings and drawings and crayons and pastels.

Allowing Children to Explore Their Creativity

For parents who want to encourage their children’s creativity but are unsure what equipment to provide and how to get started, Usborne offers all the necessary information to ensure a well-stocked craft cupboard and enough ideas for hours of fun and creativity for school aged-children.

The copyright of the article Usborne Books With Art Projects and Ideas in Children's Non-Fiction is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish Usborne Books With Art Projects and Ideas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.