Young Artists: Kindergarten Watercolor Lesson plans Inspired By Nature

Geared toward homeschool families, this kindergarten watercolor lesson integrates art with nature. At the end of this article, you will find a link to download all you need to have to prepare to inspire your kiddos to get outdoors into nature and discover the joys of how they can recreate the outdoors with their very own masterpieces.

Let’s talk about it!

Objectives and Goals

Introduce your kiddos to the concept of observing nature closely and expressing those observations through watercolor painting, developing a love for the natural world and their artistic expression.

How will they achieve this?

One is by using their observation skills. Your littles will discover more than just a green leaf. They will observe every little vein and shape of each leaf.

Second, is developing their artistic abilities. They will realize color and color mixing, shapes, and emotions while painting their next masterpiece. Every art piece should be celebrated, as they dared to put watercolor to paper and tell the story of what it is, how they feel about it, and what they observed while painting it.

Every artist puts their own “spin” on the way they create each masterpiece, and they should always be encouraged to be kind to themselves and not compare their art to their friend’s artwork. Each child is a unique individual and will flourish with positive reinforcement, but also understand, that with practice and patience, they will always improve.

Watercolor can be a forgiving medium, and allows for “happy accidents”.

Materials Needed For Kindergarten Watercolor in nature

Here is a list of materials you will need to supply your budding nature lover/artist:

• Watercolor paints
• Watercolor paper
• Brushes of various sizes
• Containers for water
• Paper towels
• Protective covers for work area (plastic sheets or newspapers)
• Collection basket for natural items
• Optional: Magnifying glass for closer observation of details

Other supplies you may want to have when you go on your nature walk are – proper clothing and footwear, bug spray/sunscreen/first aid kit, collection containers, gloves to protect hands, tweezers/scissors, water and snacks, camera or smartphone, and most important – leave no trace you were there as the kiddos need to learn to respect their environment and protect it.

Before heading out on your nature walk, they could color and cut out the above flashcards and identify the objects they may find once they return. They could also be used in addition to the Nature Scavenger Hunt Checklist below.

Preparing for the Nature Walk

It is important to select the right location for your nature walk. It could be a nearby park, or even a nature trail if you are lucky to live close to one. Depending on your backyard, that would be perfect as well.

Guide your kiddos on what to look for and have your checklist with you. They will want to collect natural items that can be easily recreated in a painting, like leaves, twigs, flowers, pinecones, etc.

While you are on your nature walk, make it educational and engaging by talking about the colors, shapes, and textures of different plants and objects.

You can also combine your science lessons with your nature in watercolor lessons. Using their senses in their observations, plant identification, animal habitats, insect exploration, and seasonal changes are all things that can be done in this one lesson.

Back in the Classroom: Setting Up for Success

Setting you your watercolor painting area can be anywhere that you will allow a possible “mess” to happen.

Be sure they have a comfortable work area and can access all of their painting supplies easily. Use the above materials list for success. A plastic or silicone table cover would be great to protect your surfaces. Don’t forget to supply paint smocks or wear old clothing.

I recommend having 2 clean water cups for rinsing brushes. One is for the initial rinse and the second is for a clean brush. You will always find two water glasses at my painting table. Another hint would be to put a clip or some identifier that it is paint water because if you are like me, I have on occasion mistaken my paint water for my drink water!

Each child should start by learning about mixing colors. Learning about primary colors and secondary colors and how those secondary are made. For more on primary colors, you can read about them in my Pre-K watercolor lesson plans.

The color mixing chart can be on the printout or practice watercolor paper. After learning how to mix colors, refer to the Watercolor Technique Guide and practice the 4 samples.

• Wet-on-wet – wet the area you want to paint and then place a watercolor hue in that wet area and watch how it intermingles with the water.
• Wet-on-dry – place paint directly on the paper and see the difference on how it reacts vs the wet-on-wet.
• Gradient – start with the wet-on-dry, and dip the brush once in the water, tap the sides of the water cup, and place that below the first swipe, repeat the process until there is no paint left on the paper and paintbrush.
• Single strokes – holding the paintbrush in a vertical hold, using the tip of the brush and a light hold to create a thin line. To create a thicker line, apply a bit more pressure. The more pressure given to the tip, the thicker the line.

For more information on watercolor techniques, visit 5 Essential Watercolor Techniques For Beginners.

Once they have learned how to apply paint to paper, show them the Examples of Nature in Watercolor poster, where they will have an idea of what some of the objects look like when painted using watercolor.

Painting Activity

Now let’s get onto the painting. Encourage your child(ren) to observe their collected items closely and what colors they see, the shapes they might want to make, etc.

Taping their watercolor paper to any hard surface, be it the table itself, a hardboard, or even cardboard will suffice. The reason behind this is that watercolor paper can buckle when overly wet, and having it taped down on all 4 sides will give it some stability. There still may be a small bit of buckling, but it will be better than if it was not taped down.

You may suggest they use pencils and try to draw their natural objects first. Let them know that a lot of artists like to sketch their drawings on their paper and paint them using the sketch to guide their watercolors.

Once they sketched out their nature objects, let the painting begin! Remember, each child will express themselves differently and there is no right or wrong on how they do it, as long as they are happy creating. Each painting is a matter of perspective.

You are there to guide them through the process of translating what they see onto paper with their watercolors. Encourage them with their creativity and expression through their paintings.

Once they are finished with their paintings, and they could have several, remind them they need to dry completely before displaying.

The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.

Claude Monet

Gallery Walk and Discussion

While the paintings are left to dry, why not set up an art gallery or art exhibition to display their Watercolors In Nature? Using the artist labels to place their name and the title of their paintings will give it a gallery feel.

Either as a classroom, family, or a single child and parent, you can organize an art gallery opening with ribbons to award each child as well as present a Certificate of Watercolor Artist. This helps promote dramatic play and you can add any other artwork they may create. Being watercolor, crayons, markers, etc, they can have their own art gallery.

If more than one child, make sure each artist is recognized with the use of color, shapes, techniques, etc.

Another spin on this would be for each child to talk about their experience from gathering the nature objects to the final painting and what they learned.

Here are some open-ended questions you could ask:

1. What did you enjoy the most about painting nature with watercolors?
   • This question helps your child think about the aspects of the activity they found most enjoyable, encouraging positive reflection on the experience.
2. Can you tell me about what you painted today?
   • Asking your child(ren) to describe their painting allows them to practice articulating their thoughts and allows them to express what was important to them in their artwork.
3. What colors did you choose for your painting and why?
   • This question encourages your child(ren) to think about their choices and the reasons behind them, promoting decision-making skills and self-expression.
4. Did painting make you feel like you were a part of nature? How?
   • It helps your child(ren) to reflect on their connection with nature through art, fostering a sense of belonging and appreciation for the natural world.
5. What did you learn about nature while you were painting?
   • This encourages your child(ren) to connect their artistic expression with real-world knowledge, reinforcing learning through art.
6. Did you try mixing colors? What happened when you did?
   • This question explores their curiosity and experimentation with art materials, encouraging an understanding of cause and effect.
7. If you could add something else to your painting, what would it be and why?
   • It prompts critical thinking and imagination by considering what could enhance their artwork, fostering creativity and planning skills.
8. How did it feel to use watercolor? Was it different from using markers or crayons?
   • Comparing and contrasting their sensory experiences with different mediums can help develop analytical skills and preferences.
9. Can you show me your favorite part of the painting? Why is it your favorite?
   • This question encourages your child(ren) to evaluate their work and talk about personal preferences, boosting self-esteem and critical thinking.
10. Would you like to paint something else from nature next time? What would it be?
    • Looking ahead to future projects can motivate them to continue exploring their creativity and interests in nature through art.

The key takeaways from this lesson are for your child(ren) to observe and learn about nature, how to express themselves through watercolor, and understand basic watercolor techniques.

The impact of this lesson gives them a connection to nature and their artistic development. They will be able to use this with any medium they prefer whether it be watercolor, crayons, markers, clay, etc.

I encourage you to adapt and try this lesson plan with your kindergarten-aged children and here are your complimentary Kindergarten Watercolor Lesson Plans to download and print.

Additional Resources

For more on Watercolor for Beginners, I have a free resource download called 50 Watercolor Tips for Beginners

You can also visit Let’s Make Art and search Kids and you will find some more painting resources for your kiddos. Let’s Make Art is where I first learned to watercolor and now I am spreading the joy of this wonderful, forgiving medium. Sarah Cray is a wonderful artist and I encourage you to see what she has to offer as well.

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