If you want a unique art project, these mosaic art lesson plans elementary kids will love can be done with glass, paper, beans, and so many other mediums, even edible ones. Also, look at my page How To Homeschool Elementary Students Like A Pro.
For a beginner project this little mosaic tray is a good size and not too difficult while they are learning about the history of mosaics and how to use the materials.
You can create your tray in any size but I found this small one at Dollar Tree, just the perfect size for a first tile mosaic project.
Mosaic art is an enriching activity that involves creating designs or pictures by assembling small pieces of colored materials onto a surface.
These materials can range from traditional tiles and stones to more accessible options like paper, buttons, or even pasta.
This hands-on art form not only sparks creativity and imagination but also fosters the development of essential skills such as fine motor coordination, hand-eye coordination, patience, and problem-solving.
Finally, through mosaic art, children can explore various concepts like color theory, patterns, and spatial relationships.
They learn to plan and execute their designs, carefully selecting and arranging the pieces to achieve their desired visual effect.
The process of creating a mosaic can be both therapeutic and rewarding, providing a sense of accomplishment and boosting self-esteem.
Next, look at more how to homeschool elementary students tips.
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- Fun Mosaic Art Lesson Plans Elementary | How To Make A Tray
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Before we dive into our modern mosaic art lesson plans let’s take a look at the rich history of mosaics.
HISTORY OF MOSAICS
Mosaic art boasts a rich and fascinating history that spans thousands of years, with its roots tracing back to ancient civilizations.
- Ancient Mesopotamia (c. 3500 BCE): The earliest known examples of mosaics hail from Mesopotamia, where artisans crafted intricate designs using stones, shells, and ivory. These mosaics often adorned temples and palaces, showcasing the wealth and power of the ruling elite.
- Ancient Greece (c. 800 BCE): The Greeks further refined mosaic techniques, utilizing pebbles to create elaborate floor decorations known as “pebble mosaics.” These mosaics depicted scenes from mythology, everyday life, and historical events, adding a touch of artistry and storytelling to public and private spaces.
- Roman Empire (c. 200 BCE – 476 CE): The Romans embraced mosaic art with great enthusiasm, employing it extensively to adorn the floors, walls, and ceilings of their villas, baths, and public buildings. They developed advanced techniques and utilized a wider range of materials, including colored glass and marble, to create stunningly detailed and realistic mosaics. Roman mosaics often showcased intricate geometric patterns, scenes from nature, and portraits of emperors and gods.
- Byzantine Empire (c. 330 CE – 1453 CE): Byzantine artists elevated mosaic art to new heights, incorporating shimmering gold leaf and vibrant glass tesserae (small cubes) into their creations. Byzantine mosaics predominantly depicted religious themes, adorning the walls and ceilings of churches and cathedrals with awe-inspiring scenes from the Bible and the lives of saints.
In modern times mosaic art is still used to create beautiful works of art from trays to tables to walls and floors.
HOW TO MAKE A TRAY
You will need:
- A wooden tray
- Mosaic pieces
- Adhesive
- Grout
- Trowel
- damp sponge and cloth
If your tray is unfinished like mine you will want to first paint or stain it.
Plan out your design by loosely placing your tiles onto the surface you wish to cover.
Start with a simple design and work your way outward from the main design.Can you tell what the design is? A little goldfish swimming with a few bubbles coming out, hovering over the grasses underwater.
Fill in around the main design, leaving just a little bit of gap between the pieces for your grout.
Add a generous dollop of glue to each piece mosaic as you replace it back where you want it to go.
Allow the glue to dry.
Mix up your grout according to the package directions, you can use white or black grout but I love the drama of the colors next to the black grout.
Use a small trowel or scraper to add a thick layer of grout all over the design.
Let it sit for 10-15 minutes or whatever the package calls for.
Then use a damp sponge or towel to remove excess grout and clean up the tiles.
Wipe until the glass mosaic pieces are clean and fully showing.
Allow the grout to sit overnight to fully harden.
We decided our little tray made a pretty and functional holder for some of our paint supplies.
Next, look at these mosaic art lesson plans elementary.
MOSAIC ART LESSON PLANS ELEMENTARY
8 Mosaic Art Lesson Plans Elementary
The world of mosaics is a fun and creative way to make pictures using little bits of paper, glass, or tiles.
The Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time #2: Back In Time has your kids going back in time to Ancient Rome. If you love the Geronimo Stilton Books, you’ll love this craft which is making a fun mosaic.
Make a bean mosaic using dyed beans for a fun and easy kids’ art project that’s sure to spark some creativity.
Instead of the typical turkey handprint this year for a neat keepsake and decoration, your child will love this.
Learn how to make broken china mosaics using old plates.This step-by-step tutorial shows how to create mosaic flower pots for
succulents.
Isn’t this mosaic tray incredible? It’s so shiny and sparkly! Best part is that it’s a recycled craft! Do you have some old DVD’s laying around…like the ones that you burn yourself?
Today we did a Persian mosaic craft for our Marco Polo Unit Study. This unit study really lends itself to a lot of hands-on and we are not going to skimp on any of it or until Tiny has had his fill. It is going to be a big unit study so we are slowing down
for this one.
They are edible, and they taste good.” That’s when the idea came to make Mosaic looking Froot Loop cookies.
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