Art Appreciation Activities and Printables are such valuable resources in the classroom whether at home or at school.

This is especially true for children in preschool and early elementary classrooms who are developing their fine motor skills at such a rapid pace.

In this post you will find multiple art appreciation activities and printables to use with great inspiration and instruction.

The best part is that these projects require minimal materials that are easy to find and very inexpensive to fit even the smallest budget.

Art Appreciation Activities for Kids

It's not a secret that art is my least favorite subject to teach. In elementary school, I was great at it myself, winning awards etc. But as I became older, I just had no interest in it.

As an adult, I can think of nothing more boring than going to an art museum. My husband on the other hand loves art. In college, he worked at an art museum. He even makes it a point to make sure that we have original works of art in our home.

This is definitely an area where we balance each other out. However, now that he's back to work full time, I'm finding I need some help to keep the kiddos interested in art.

As always, I look to other fabulous bloggers to help me out. Here's what I found!

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh for #Playful Preschool from The Preschool Toolbox Blog

I love the beauty and simplicity of this art project that introduces children to Vincent Van Gogh and his famous work: Starry Night. This activity is perfect for so many ages.

Art Around the World in 30 Days from The Art Curator for Kids

This resource includes 30 art project and art appreciation ideas from around the world. I love that this resource doesn't just focus on European art, but different types and styles from all over the world.

Kids Art Activities: Art Inspired by Great Artists from Mama Smiles

This activity idea is so simple yet so fun! I love how kids can select a piece of art and make it their own. What a great activity to do any time.

Kandinsky for Kids Process Art from Left Brain Craft Brain

Kandinsky is such a fabulous artist to introduce to kids. Creating works of arts similar to his can be so enjoyable for all involved. They all look so unique and fun.

Art Study: Frida Kahlo from Pinay Homeschooler

This art project and study go perfect with a study of Mexico. It's also a perfect way to study faces and colors. I love that it's so simple and versatile.

O'Keeffe's Autumn Leaves from Pinay Homeschooler

This art project and study is perfect for fall when the leaves begin to fall. It goes so well with a nature study. I love that this is a multiple step project and can be spread out over time.

Artist study: Henry Matisse from Pinay Homeschooler

This is the ultimate colors and cutting activity for preschoolers and early elementary students to encourage cutting practice and gluing. The results are beautiful.

Aboriginal Arts from Pinay Homeschooler

Aboriginal Art from Australia is actually one of the few types of art I enjoy and am interested. I love the activities in this post and they incorporate different aspects of Aboriginal Art. They work perfectly with a study of Australia.

Artist & Art Study: Piet Mondrian from Pinay Homeschooler

This is the perfect activity to go along with a lines and colors study. It's so simple yet looks so beautiful when finished. Depending on a child's age, she can either complete the entire project herself or receive help from an adult.

Artist Study: Vincent Van Gogh from Pinay Homeschooler

This is such a fabulous activity to use when teaching a child how to use paint and paint brushes, especially when it comes to sizes of brushes etc. I love that the project is based off of an actual piece of art.

Art Education-Elements of Art-Colour Theory from Making Montessori Ours

There are so many fabulous art activities in this post. I especially love the homemade Montessori color activities and how the color wheel was presented and created.

Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation Roundup from Living Montessori Now

If you're looking for even more art appreciation activity ideas for kids, this round up includes so many ideas!

FREE Art Appreciation Printables

Over the years we've also created multiple activities and free printables related to art appreciation. You can find them all using the links below.

Artist Nomenclature Cards from The World Around Me: All About Me

American Artists from An All American Summer Unit: The United States of America

Works of Michelangelo from Superhero Week

Norman Rockwell from The United States of America

Art Museum Sorting from Valentine's Day in Paris

Who's Who in Black History from Black History Month Unit

Artists and Artwork from North America from North America Unit w/ Free Printables

If you're looking for even more ways to add art appreciation to your classroom, consider our Montessori-inspired Art History Bundle!

Montessori-inspired Art History Bundle

The Montessori-inspired Art History Bundle is the perfect way to teach art appreciation with a focus on 26 artists throughout multiple time periods in history.

Whether you choose to introduce them all at once, by time period, or one at a time, there's so much to learn and enjoy.

Art appreciation is such an important aspect of a child's education to help promote the development of fine motor skills and so much more.

If you're looking for more art ideas for the classroom, be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking the link below.

Click HERE to Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy the resources below.