By the time children enter the Pre-K classroom, they may have learned the primary and secondary colors. Review the basics of color mixing with the children. Give each child a blob of red, yellow and blue paint and three paintbrushes. Let them mix the colors to create orange, purple and green. Give each child a poster-size sheet of paper to paint a picture, using the colors they mixed.
Borrow books from the library containing photos of paintings by famous artists. Point out the various techniques each of the artists used to achieve the distinct character of the paintings. Give prekindergarteners the tools to mimic the techniques --- wooden craft sticks to spread thickened tempera paint on cardboard, tiny point brushes to bounce on paper for a stipple effect and wadded scraps of cloth to dip in watercolor, then swirl on poster paper.
Provide sculpture lessons throughout the year in your Pre-K classroom. Expand on thematic units about transportation, communities and nature by providing supplies to create cars, homes and depictions of natural settings. Draw from a stock of recycled objects for the raw materials. Save boxes, bottle caps and other interesting odds and ends. When teaching the sculpture lessons, provide the art supplies, glue and tape, but refrain from making a sculpture as an example to show the class. Suggest possible methods to create the desired sculpture and brainstorm with the children about the project, then let them create.
Teach the students basic lines and shapes. Sit at a table with them, equip everyone with pencil and paper, then lead the children in a freestyle practice of straight, curvy and wavy lines. Draw circles, squares and triangles. Encourage each child to draw a person. After two or three pencil-and-paper sessions, provide the children with a spectacular collection of markers, crayons and colored pencils. Pass out paper and ask each child to draw his home and family.
During drawing lessons, encourage all efforts and guard against comparing the children's work. Remind your Pre-K class members that art is not a photograph, so no two drawings will look alike.
Plan art lessons that not only nurture artistic spirit but teach children cooperation and respect for each other's opinions. Choose large-scale, longer-term group art lessons. Cover a classroom wall with blue bulletin board paper and tape protective clear plastic to the floor beneath it. Combine a classroom ocean theme with the creation of a mural. Let students paint fish, sea plants and sunken ships. Bring tiny shells to class and let children glue them to the mural. Mix sand with brown paint so children can paint the ocean floor.
Instead of a mural, use a winter theme. Children can stuff white trash bags with newspaper, then tape the bags together to form snowmen. Help the children to cut paper eyes, noses and mouths. Let the children make enough trash-bag snowmen to line the classroom walls.