Class 1 Art & Craft
Explore creativity through 30 fun and age-appropriate Art & Craft topics. Learn colours, drawing, painting, printing, paper craft, clay modelling and nature art through simple explanations and hands-on activities.
🎨 Colours, Lines and Shapes
Exploring Primary Colours
Colours make pictures bright and interesting. We see many different colours around us in flowers, toys, clothes, fruits and nature.
Three important colours that children learn first are called primary colours.
The Three Primary Colours
Red Yellow Blue
Take red, yellow and blue crayons. Draw three large circles and colour one circle red, one yellow and one blue.
Look around your home or classroom. Find one red object, one yellow object and one blue object.
Red, yellow and blue are the three primary colours.
Fun with Finger Painting
Finger painting is a fun way to make pictures using our fingers instead of brushes. We can make dots, lines, curves and colourful patterns.
What You Need
- Washable child-safe paint
- Drawing paper
- A small plate or paint tray
- Water and a towel for cleaning
Dip one fingertip lightly into paint. Press it gently on paper. Make several prints and turn them into flowers, balloons or simple patterns.
Create a row of five colourful fingerprints. Try using a different colour for each print.
Use washable, child-safe colours and wash your hands after painting.
Making Thumbprint Pictures
A thumbprint can become part of a creative picture. We can add small lines and shapes around a thumbprint to make animals, flowers and other objects.
Creative Ideas
Flower Bird Fish Balloon
Make a thumbprint on paper. After the paint dries, add small eyes, legs or wings with a crayon to turn it into a tiny creature.
Make three thumbprints and turn each one into a different picture.
A simple print can become a picture when we add creative details.
Colouring Simple Shapes
Shapes are everywhere around us. Colouring shapes helps us recognise their forms while practising careful colouring.
Basic Shapes
Circle Square Triangle Rectangle
Draw a circle, square, triangle and rectangle. Choose a different colour for each shape.
Colour inside each shape as carefully as you can.
Colour slowly and try to stay inside the outline.
Drawing with Basic Lines
Lines are the beginning of many drawings. Different kinds of lines can help us create patterns, objects and pictures.
Types of Lines
Straight Curved Wavy Zigzag
A straight line can become a road.
A wavy line can become water.
A zigzag line can become a mountain pattern.
Fill one page with rows of straight, curved, wavy and zigzag lines.
Many complicated drawings begin with very simple lines.
Creating Pictures from Circles
A circle is a simple shape that can become many different things when we add lines and details.
What Can a Circle Become?
Sun Ball Face Flower
Draw one large circle. Add eyes, a nose and a mouth to turn it into a face.
Draw four circles and turn each circle into a different object.
One simple shape can be used in many creative ways.
Creating Pictures from Squares and Triangles
Squares and triangles can be joined together to make houses, patterns and many other simple pictures.
Draw a square for the main part of a house. Add a triangle above the square to make the roof.
Use only squares and triangles to create your own picture. Colour the shapes when you finish.
We can combine simple shapes to make larger pictures.
✏️ Creative Drawing
Drawing My Favourite Fruit
Fruits have different shapes, sizes and colours. Looking carefully at a fruit can help us draw it.
Fruit Ideas
Apple Mango Orange Banana
Choose your favourite fruit. Look at its shape first. Draw the basic shape and then add colour and small details.
Draw two different fruits beside each other.
Look at the shape of an object before you begin drawing its details.
Drawing a Colourful Flower
Flowers come in many beautiful shapes and colours. A simple flower can be drawn using circles, curved lines and leaf shapes.
1. Draw a small circle for the centre.
2. Draw petals around the circle.
3. Add a stem.
4. Add two leaves.
5. Colour your flower.
Draw three flowers using different colours for their petals.
Flowers do not all have to look the same. Use your imagination.
Drawing a Happy Face
Faces can show different feelings. A happy face can be made using a circle and a few simple lines.
Draw a circle for the face.
Add two eyes.
Add a small nose.
Draw a curved smile.
Add hair if you wish.
Draw one happy face and one surprised face. Notice how changing the mouth changes the expression.
Eyes and mouths help us show feelings in face drawings.
Drawing My Family
A family picture is a creative way to draw the people who are important to us.
Think about the family members you would like to include. Draw simple figures for each person and add clothes, hair and other details.
Draw your family doing something together, such as eating, walking, playing or celebrating.
Every family can look different. Draw your family in your own way.
Drawing My Home
We can use basic shapes to create a simple picture of a home.
Rectangle or square → walls
Triangle → roof
Small rectangles → doors and windows
Draw your home or imagine a dream home. Add a garden, trees, clouds or anything else you would like around it.
Simple shapes can help us draw buildings.
Drawing a Sunny Day
A sunny-day picture can show the sky, sun, clouds, trees, flowers and other things we see outdoors.
Draw a large sun in the sky. Add grass, clouds and a tree. Use bright colours to complete your sunny scene.
Add something living to your picture, such as a bird, butterfly, child or animal.
A scene is a picture that shows several things together in one place.
Making a Rainbow Picture
A rainbow is a colourful arc that may appear when sunlight and water droplets interact in the sky.
Rainbow Colours
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
Draw a large rainbow with curved bands. Colour each band carefully. Add clouds at the ends if you like.
Draw a landscape underneath your rainbow.
A rainbow is often represented with seven colour bands.
🖌️ Painting and Printing
Vegetable Printing Art
Some cut vegetables can create interesting shapes when dipped lightly in paint and pressed onto paper.
A cut okra can make a small patterned print.
A cut potato can be used for a simple shape stamp when prepared by an adult.
With adult help, create a repeating pattern using safe prepared vegetable stamps and washable paint.
An adult should do all cutting. Children should only use the prepared vegetable pieces for printing.
Leaf Printing for Beginners
Leaves have different shapes, edges and veins. Printing with leaves can help us notice these natural patterns.
Choose a clean fallen leaf. Apply a thin layer of washable paint, place the painted side on paper and press gently.
Collect a few fallen leaves of different shapes and compare their prints.
Leaves can have different shapes and textures, which can create different printed patterns.
Sponge Painting Fun
A sponge can create interesting textures that look different from ordinary brush strokes.
Dip a small sponge lightly into washable paint. Dab it gently on paper to create clouds, leaves or colourful backgrounds.
Create a tree. Draw the trunk with a crayon and use sponge prints to make the leafy top.
Dab the sponge gently instead of rubbing it across the paper.
Cotton Ball Art
Cotton balls have a soft, fluffy texture. They can be used in simple craft pictures to represent clouds, snow or fluffy animals.
Cotton clouds
A fluffy sheep
A snow picture
A soft white rabbit
Draw a blue sky and attach small pieces of cotton to make clouds. Use child-safe glue with adult supervision.
Different materials can give artwork different textures.
✂️ Paper Craft
Paper Tearing and Pasting
Paper tearing and pasting is a simple craft activity that uses small pieces of coloured paper to fill a picture.
Draw a large fruit shape. Tear coloured paper into small pieces and paste them inside the outline.
Create a paper-tearing picture of an apple, flower or balloon.
Small paper pieces are easier to arrange inside a simple outline.
Making a Simple Paper Collage
A collage is artwork made by arranging and attaching different pieces or materials onto a surface.
Coloured paper
Old child-safe pictures
Paper shapes
Child-safe glue
Make a collage called My Colourful Garden. Use paper pieces to create flowers, grass, sun and clouds.
Arrange your pieces before gluing them if you want to test your design first.
Folding a Paper Boat
Paper folding turns a flat sheet of paper into a new shape. A paper boat is a classic beginner folding activity.
Use a rectangular sheet of paper. Follow your teacher or an adult step by step to fold the paper into a simple boat.
Make boats using two different paper sizes. Compare the finished boats.
Press each fold carefully to make a clear crease.
Folding a Paper Aeroplane
A paper aeroplane is made by folding paper so that it forms a pointed front and two wings.
Follow an adult or teacher as they demonstrate each fold. Keep both sides as even as possible.
Decorate your finished aeroplane with crayons or stickers.
Careful, even folds help make a neat paper model.
Making a Paper Crown
A paper crown is a fun craft that can be decorated using colours, paper shapes and stickers.
With adult help, prepare a paper strip that fits comfortably around the head. Decorate it before joining the ends.
Create a pattern on your crown using circles, stars or triangles.
Ask an adult for help whenever scissors or fitting around the head is involved.
Creating a Greeting Card
A handmade greeting card is a creative way to share a message with someone.
Birthday card
Thank-you card
Festival card
Friendship card
Fold a sheet of paper in half. Decorate the front and write a short, kind message inside.
A greeting card usually has a decorated front and a message inside.
Making a Paper Mask
A paper mask can represent an animal, a character or an imaginative design.
Lion mask
Rabbit mask
Cat mask
Colourful fantasy mask
Draw your mask design first. Ask an adult to help with any cutting, especially around eye openings.
Children should have adult supervision when using scissors or making openings in a mask.
Decorating with Stickers
Stickers can be arranged to make patterns, borders and simple pictures. Planning where to place them can make the design more interesting.
Star → Circle → Star → Circle → Star
Draw a large picture frame on paper and decorate its border with stickers.
A repeating design is called a pattern.
🌿 Model Making and Nature Art
Creating Art with Ice-Cream Sticks
Clean craft sticks can be arranged into simple shapes and decorative objects. They are useful for beginner construction activities.
Things You Can Make
Frame House Star Pattern
Arrange four clean craft sticks into a square. Decorate the sticks with crayons, paint or stickers before joining them with child-safe glue.
Arrange craft sticks into a triangle, square or simple house shape.
Use clean, smooth craft sticks and child-safe materials.
Making Clay Fruits
Soft modelling clay can be rolled, pressed and shaped into simple fruit models.
Fruit Ideas
Apple Orange Banana Mango
Roll red modelling clay into a ball. Press it gently into an apple shape and add a small stem using a safe modelling material.
Create a small fruit basket containing three different clay fruits.
Begin with simple shapes such as balls, ovals and rolls. Use only child-safe modelling clay.
Making Clay Animals
Animals can be modelled by joining simple clay shapes together. A large oval may become a body and smaller balls may become a head or ears.
Make one larger shape for the body.
Add a smaller shape for the head.
Add small pieces for ears, legs or a tail.
Create a simple clay cat, rabbit, fish or another favourite animal.
Build complicated models from several simple shapes. Use child-safe modelling clay.
Creating a Nature Picture
Nature gives us many ideas for art. We can draw things such as trees, flowers, mountains, clouds, rivers, birds and the sun.
Nature Picture Ideas
Trees Flowers Sun Clouds Birds Mountains
Draw a nature scene with a blue sky, green trees, colourful flowers and a bright sun. Add more natural objects of your choice.
Look outside a window or visit a safe outdoor space with an adult. Notice three things from nature and include them in your picture.
Observing the world around us can give us many creative ideas for art.