Expose children as young as toddlers to the basic visual elements or tools of art-making, which will preface your more advanced lessons on the principles of design. These elements are: varieties of shapes; space, both within and outside an element; the color spectrum; lines that form the images of a piece; value or shading for reality; texture or the appearance of texture; and form, the illusion of three dimensions. Most, if not all, of these elements are involved with a piece of artwork.
Introduce the principles of art to students after they're comfortable identifying and utilizing the building-block elements in their own creations, such as collages of different colored shapes or painted landscapes of their favorite places.
Point out the various principles of design in the best work the students already have created to illustrate the elements of art. These principles, whose boundaries are eternally stretched, include: the balance of elements; the symmetry of total elements, as well as the asymmetry of others; the rhythm and direction in which the piece carries the eye; the color contrasts or shading gradations; the use of repeating patterns; the harmoniousness of elements; and the dominance of key elements.
Have students identify the principles as they've been utilized in the many iconic works of art through history. The Resources section includes an illustrated slideshow for each element and principle, as well as a link to an Internet art database, in which various examples can be found of ways the principles of design can be deployed. A trip to a local museum will be an even more memorable way to embed the principles.
Encourage students to take as many of the principles of design into consideration when crafting their projects through the years. Continue to monitor their work and point out the areas in which the principles were used well and where they could improve. This will give students solid ground for improvement in the proper direction.
Using any media available, have students compose a picture or collage that attempts to illustrate every principle of design. Have them point out the different elements and principles when they are done.