This lesson plan contains information and process steps for creating a spring garden collage in the preschool classroom. This activity can be adapted to individual (one per child) or group (one per class) use.
Lesson Objectives for the Spring Garden Collage
- Increase fine motor skills.
- Increase aesthetic awareness.
- Explore nature (e.g., plant life, growing cycles, weather, and environment).
- Develop color recognition skills.
- Explore art materials and process.
- Acquire new vocabulary (this may include season/nature themed words as well as art words).
Grade/Age Level
Ages three through six years.
Materials Needed to Create a Garden Collage
- Sturdy paper such as cardboard, card stock, or poster board (one per child for individual projects, one large piece per class for a group project).
- Construction paper in many colors
- Tissue paper
- Glue/ glue sticks
- Additional collage materials as available: felt, craft foam, metallic papers, yarn, colored cellophane, fabric, or ribbon
- Scissors
Steps for Creating a Garden Collage with Young Children
Prior to starting this activity, discuss gardens with the class. This may include plant growth cycles, flowers, colors in nature, weather, seasons, and day/night. If possible, visit a garden or create a class garden (this can be done outdoors or in the classroom as a container garden). If an actual garden is not available for viewing, read garden themed books with illustrations or photographs of plants and flowers.
Another item to discuss before starting this project is the division between the ground and the sky. Try introducing the word horizon line at this point. Discuss how the ground/earth is different from what is above it. Colors, soil, seeds, plant stems, roots, sun, and rain may be brought up.
Some of the art materials used in this activity will need to be prepared ahead of time. This includes cutting paper into smaller, more manageable pieces. Additionally, some of the construction paper can be cut into long thin rectangles. These will become flower stems. If you feel that the children in the class are able to cut these, allow them to try first.
Process Steps:
- Give each child a piece of the cardboard or other thick paper to use as a background (if this is a group activity you will only need one large piece).
- Ask the children to divide their papers in half (half for the ground/underground, and half for above ground/sky). If needed, have them use crayons to draw a line.
- Invite the children to begin with the ground. Ask them to tear or cut different kinds of papers or materials (construction paper, tissue paper, felt, etc.), and glue the paper in an overlapping style. Make sure to explain that overlapping means covering part of not covering all of or placing side by side.
- Repeat for the above ground/ sky.
- Ask the children to add in plants and flowers. These can be created by using the precut green construction paper long rectangles and adding other paper on top. Tissue paper crumbled up or folded often makes for a nice flower.
- Add weather elements with the paper and glue. This may include a sun or rain drops.
- Add underground elements. This may include earth worms (made from thin strips of paper or yarn), roots, or seeds.
Lesson Wrap Up for the Spring Garden Art Activity
After the collages have dried have an art show. Display the art work in a prominent space for the whole school to see. Ask the children to talk about what they have made. Questions to ask may include:
- How did you make the collage?
- What materials did you use?
- What new words did you learn (hint: growing cycle, collage, overlapping, horizon line)?
- What does a flower need to grow?
- What is the weather like in your collage?
Enrichment Activities for the Spring Garden Collage
- Science: Tie this art project into a science lesson on nature or plants.
- Nutrition: Discuss foods that grow in a garden.
- Famous artists: Show reproductions of garden art from famous artists (Impressionist artists like Claude Monet tie in well).
The garden collage art activity is an exciting way to welcome spring into the classroom. Using torn or cut paper and glue, the children can create individual or group art projects that are perfect for display. Although it can be a wonderful stand alone art activity, try extending it into other curricular areas such as science or nutrition.
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