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March 7, 2013 | 10 Comments

Kandinsky Circles {Fine Art Inspired Kid Art}

I am not sure I ever thought the day would come when I’d hand one of my kids a hot glue gun and sit back and take pictures but it did and look at the results! Inspired by Kandinsky’s Squares with Concentric Circles, this recycled project of Kandinsky Circles was a big hit with my 6-year-old who took the responsibility of using a hot glue gun very seriously.

kandinsky inspired recycled art project for kids - Kandinsky CirclesOne of my goals with my son right now is for him to take his time with school work and having a project that forces him to slow down and pay attention is a great way to practice this without nagging. Our glue gun is not a low-temperature one. You can purchase low-temperature glue guns so your younger kids can do this project safely and under supervision. We made sure my daughter was napping so that she wouldn’t want to “help” us. This was a big kid only project at our house.

  1. Gather your materials. You will need a hot glue gun and extra glue sticks, jar lids and bottle tops in various colors and sizes, and a card board box lid (ours is a gift box from Christmas that lost it’s mate to an overzealous gift opener). We also used a plastic plate and cutting board. kandinsky recycled lid art
  2. Start by warming up your glue gun. Then having your child practice squeezing out the glue, holding the gun properly and avoiding the hot glue. He was so careful. kandinsky recycled lid art for kids
  3. Lay out your first set of circles. He decided on 2 rows of 3. kandinsky hot glue art
  4. Flip over and add the glue. Be careful not to touch the glue through the lid even through the lid it can get hot! kandinsky inspired recycled art collage
  5. Keep gluing adding layers and layers of lids. I think this project really made him feel special and grown up.kandinsky lid art for kindergarten He knew his sister could NOT do this and that really made him feel proud and encouraged him to take special care choosing which lids would look the best. I just like watching him take his time creating. kandinsky hot glue gun project
  6. I thought we were done but he wanted to add a big glob of glue on each stack. This actually took a great deal of control and worked on his hand eye coordination skills. There is always layers of learning in a project hiding under the fun. kandinsky art lesson for kids
  7. Let dry and display. Ours has proudly been above our TV for days. kandinsky inspired recycled jar lid art project

Books

picture books about art for kids

You don’t have to live within walking distance of one of the world’s best museums to expose your kids to art. You just need a few great books. These picture books about art are a wonderful place to start.  Check out our post about art books for kids here.

 For more fun activities, make sure to follow me on Facebook!

Filed Under: Age: Elementary, Age: Kindergarten, Fine Art, Kandinsky, Preschool Crafts | 10 Comments

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10 Comments

  1. Melva says

    March 7, 2013 at 4:55 am

    Hesse are beautiful. I did a variety of Kandinsky inspired art with my students, using construction paper, pastels and paint. This will bring a wonderful three dimensional extension to that. When I use hot glue with kids I have them keep a small bowl of hot water at hand so that if they get glue on their fingers they can plunge them into the cold water right away. Thank you for sharing this idea.

    to Melva" aria-label='reply to this comment to Melva'>reply to this comment
    • Serene says

      February 26, 2021 at 6:02 pm

      I’ve never been brave enough to use a hot glue gun with my students but after reading this I may try it. I’ve done Kandinsky circles in class, but not three-dimensional but I’m inspired now.

      to Serene" aria-label='reply to this comment to Serene'>reply to this comment
  2. Georgine says

    March 7, 2013 at 5:10 am

    Love it and love that you let your son use “grown up” tools. A lot of parents wouldn’t try it (me not being one of them). Kids are so capable, something parents tend to forget. And the finished product is cool.

    to Georgine" aria-label='reply to this comment to Georgine'>reply to this comment
  3. Rebekah @ The Golden Gleam says

    March 7, 2013 at 11:37 am

    I love this idea! Great way to incorporate math into art. Now, I need to start start saving my bottle/jar caps.

    to Rebekah @ The Golden Gleam" aria-label='reply to this comment to Rebekah @ The Golden Gleam'>reply to this comment
  4. Shaston says

    April 18, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    What a great idea to encourage his growing independence! AND totally a recycling (and recyclable) project-love it! Right on mom.

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  5. Jennifer Fischer says

    May 26, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    I absolutely love this activity! It is so wonderful. I cannot wait until my oldest is old enough (he is 3.5) to safely do this. We love using lids and milk caps for all sorts of things and this is brilliant!

    to Jennifer Fischer" aria-label='reply to this comment to Jennifer Fischer'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Lasso the Moon The Weekly Parent Watercooler » Lasso the Moon says:
    March 9, 2013 at 7:43 am

    […] Kandinsky Circles :: Fine Art Inspired Kid Art […]

    to Lasso the Moon The Weekly Parent Watercooler » Lasso the Moon" aria-label='reply to this comment to Lasso the Moon The Weekly Parent Watercooler » Lasso the Moon'>reply to this comment
  2. 25 Crafty Plastic Bottle Cap Reuses | Trash Backwards says:
    April 2, 2013 at 7:11 am

    […] Kandinsky-esque Art Projects For Kids: Teach your kids about Kandinsky’s squares and concentric circles by using lids and […]

    to 25 Crafty Plastic Bottle Cap Reuses | Trash Backwards" aria-label='reply to this comment to 25 Crafty Plastic Bottle Cap Reuses | Trash Backwards'>reply to this comment
  3. Celebrate Earth Day Every Day in a Crafty Way | Our Daily Craft says:
    April 22, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    […] course there are all sorts of ways to use lids of all sizes in art projects. You can glue lids together to make an art project, use them as the center of flowers, make them into magnets, even stack a […]

    to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day in a Crafty Way | Our Daily Craft" aria-label='reply to this comment to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day in a Crafty Way | Our Daily Craft'>reply to this comment
  4. Happy Earth Day! | childbearing hipster says:
    June 25, 2013 at 2:50 pm

    […] Save up your old plastic lids from pop bottles and the like to make some really, really cool art. […]

    to Happy Earth Day! | childbearing hipster" aria-label='reply to this comment to Happy Earth Day! | childbearing hipster'>reply to this comment

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