ART Project Ideas for Special Education

1. Colorwheel Bouquet Art Lesson

This is a great lesson to teach the colorwheel, reinforce cutting and pasting skills and
sharpen color observation and recognition.
Art Supplies:
 Pre-cut rectangles of primary and secondary colors
 12″ x 18″ white paper
 Glue stick, pencil and scissors
 Scraps of warm and cool colors (I have these separated into 2 boxes)
 Small square of gray paper
 Small plastic dish or lid for tracing
Direction:
1. Using a small round container, trace a circle from the gray paper and place in the center.
Then, if you have time, ask the children to make stems and leaves.
2. Using a poster or other visual aid, discuss the color wheel and how/why colors are
arranged. Having worked with colors the whole year, most kids are very familiar with
the formulas for making secondary colors.
3. Place the primary colored rectangles on the student’s desks and show how to cut into a
petal.
4. Glue the three petals onto a piece of white paper with the yellow petal pointing to the
top. Repeat steps for creating petals for the secondary colors.
Hunting for colors
 This is the fun part. I tell my students they are going on a treasure hunt for colors to place
in between their petals.
 I fill two boxes with cool color scraps (greens, blues, painted paper scraps, etc.) and one
warm color box.
 The children are responsible for searching through the box to find the perfect red-orange or
blue-green. If they are having trouble understanding this concept (which some of my
Kinders were) then we brought over their flower to the scrap box and tried out different
scraps.
 2. Symmetrical Paper Cut Aliens

SUPPLIES
 Crayon
 Colored paper
 Scissors
 Sequins, googly eyes, etc.

Direction:
1. Take a sheet of construction paper and fold it in half lengthwise. It For younger kids (1st-2nd
grade), give them a crayon (not a pencil…it evokes to much perfectionism) and have them draw a
line from the top of the paper down to the bottom. Not just any old line, but something that
resembles a half of a head, half of a body, arms, legs, etc.
2. A little talk on symmetry helps here. Explain how the children will only draw half a body. You
will need to demonstrate this step repeatedly, but consider it an investment since the rest of the
project is a breeze.
Decorating the Alien
3. It really helps to have small scraps of paper (get out your scrap box), sequins, googly eyes, plastic
and aluminum gizmos…anything that the kids can use to decorate their aliens. But first things
first. Glue the alien onto a piece of white paper.

Tips: Many kids will cut the wrong side of the paper. They will end up with two pieces instead of
one alien. I wish I had a picture of this common mistake but trust me, it’ll happen. One way to fix
it, is to glue the two pieces together. They’ll have a line down the middle of their alien, but to be
honest, there is no better mistake a kid can make. They really understand symmetry by trying.
3. Smudge Monsters
Here's a simple art activity that's sure to bring lots of laughs along the way! Use wadded up
cloth or sponges to make messy blotches with paint—then turn those blotches into crazy
creatures with extra decorations. It’s a great way to give a painting project just enough
structure to keep young kids focused.
What You Need:
 Paper
 Paints
 Old sponges or rags

What You Do:

1. Have your child wet the sponges and squeeze out the water.
2. Encourage him to dip the rags into the paint—just a little bit will do it!
3. Press the sponge onto the paper and release, like pressing a stamp. You should get an
interesting-shaped smudge.
4. Make a few more smudges then give the “smudge art” 5-10 minutes to dry.
5. Then, it’s time to turn those smudges into critters! Your child can draw or paint eyes,
legs, feet, ears, and tails to add personality. How many different monsters can your child
come up with?

For some extra fun, have him make a scene of smudge monsters. He can draw a family of
smudge monsters having dinner, a smudge monster birthday party, or a smudge monster
classroom scene! Encourage him to be creative and fun is sure to follow.
4. Make a Calm Down Bottle
This activity will help your students learn how to breathe deeply, self-soothe, and calm
themselves down. Once the calm down bottle is made, have your child breathe deeply as
they watch the glitter in the bottle settle down. The more glue you use, the longer the glitter
will float. This strategy works because it takes some time for the glitter to settle, so
watching it ensures kids take long breathes.

What you Need:

 Small Plastic Bottle
 Warm water
 Mixing bowl with spout for pouring
 Tape
 2 ounces glitter glue
 2-3 drops of food coloring (depending on the bottle size)
 2-4 ounces fine glitter

What You Do:

1. Talk to your child about how their body feels when they feel a strong emotion.
2. Explain that there are strategies they can use to relax. Have them take a few deep breaths
in their belly to see how breathing can calm them down.
3. Share that they will make a calm down bottle today to help them out whenever they feel
stressed, upset, or overwhelmed.
4. With your support, have your child add warm water to the bottle until it’s filled â…“ of
the way up.
5. Add the glitter glue and stir until combined with water.
6. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring. Be careful not to add too much or it will be challenging
to see the glitter.
7. Pour in the glitter! Again, your child can use more or less than suggested.
8. Stir well until combined with the existing mixture. Optional: use a drop of baby oil or
liquid soap to give the calm down jar a cool effect.
9. Use tape to secure the bottle and make sure it stays closed shut.
10. Have your child place the calm down bottle in an easily accessible place.
11. Encourage your child to give the bottle a more creative name.
12. Have your child practice breathing deeply using their calm down bottle every day.
13. It can be fun to breathe deeply together with them and make a calm down bottle for
yourself too and keep it in a special place.
14. Brainstorm times or ways you would use your calm down bottle.
 5. Things I Like About Me
What are all of the things you love about you? In this activity, your child will have
an opportunity to answer this question and will design a poster that displays their talents,
what they like, and images or words that describe themselves. This activity is a fun and
creative way to build social emotional skills around self-awareness, confidence, and creating
an accurate self-image.

What You Need:

 A picture of your child
 Magazines or printed pictures
 Markers or colored pencils
 8.5" x 11" paper (or poster board)

What You Do:

1. Ask your child, "What are all the things you like about yourself? What makes you
unique?"
2. Explain that they will be designing a poster that shows all the things they love about
themselves. Their poster should include their interests, talents, and images and words that describe
them.
3. Have your child paste a picture of him or herself in the middle of the poster.
4. Ask your child to cut out pictures of things that make them special and unique, such as
interests, talents, and qualities.
5. Paste the images around their picture.
6. Have them color and draw around their images.
7. Hang your child's completed poster somewhere as a reminder of all the things that make
them great!
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