Family STEAM Challenge: Abstract DUPLO Art

This post is included in part of a week long series featuring STEAM learning activities the whole family can enjoy in collaboration with the popular Instagram account @steamkidschallenge. 

Combining toys and art is always a huge hit with our kids. The novelty of playing and painting is so much fun for them. We came up with a fun abstract art project that kids (and adults) of all ages can enjoy: Abstract DUPLO Art.

Materials Needed:

• Creative QT Peel 'n Stick Baseplate
• DUPLOs (red, yellow, blue, white)
• Building Bricks (black)
• White card
• Masking tape
• Crayola Washable Fingerpaints (bold colors, ie., red, yellow, blue)
• Paintbrushes, we used Melissa and Dough Jumbo Paintbrushes

This project is based on the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. Depending on the age of your kids, it can be a good learning opportunity to introduce the concept of abstract art and to research more about the popular artist. This particular activity is a great STEAM based learning experience for kids of all ages. We were doing the activity with a one year old and four year old.

Instructions:

To start off we built a grid on the baseplate using black building bricks. We then picked out enough DUPLO bricks to fill each section with primary colors, with one white section as well. As the kids testing out this activity were fairly young, we gave them a helping hand by putting one color brick in each section for them to work from.

The kids worked together to fill their abstract art grid with DUPLOs. This was a good test of their engineering skills.

It also tested their problem solving skills to make sure that the areas were completely filled with the same colors. 

Once the grid was complete, it was time to get painting. It helps to prepare the card in advance to keep the momentum of the activity flowing. Simply use the masking tape to copy the black grid onto the card. For the white section we just covered it in several strips of masking tape to keep the card blank.

Provide your kids with paintbrushes and red, yellow and blue paint. Their task is to simply match the abstract DUPLO art with their own painting. Our four year old was capable of choosing his own paints and worked relatively independently.

The one year old needed more support. A good way to help younger children is to put some of the correct color paint on the card for them to then spread with a brush. These Melissa and Doug Jumbo Paintbrushes are great for young artists.

Using Crayola Washable Fingerpaints also meant that it was safe for our younger artist to be very hands on! This is such a great sensory experience for little ones, whilst also developing their fine motor skills.

Once both kids had finished their grids, we let the paint dry and then peeled off the masking tape to reveal bright and bold abstract masterpieces.

This is such a simple project to do with your kids, but the end result is so effective!

We hope you give this fun abstract art project a try with your family. It's a great way to get everyone working together and learning in a STEAM rich environment.

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Creative QT designs quality + innovative toys that declutter homes and inspire creative play. Founded by parents of five, Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, Creative QT’s vision is to empower parents and encourage a culture of families that Make Time Together. All products are designed to enrich families’ lives through active, creative play and play based learning. Creative QT products are laboratory tested for compliance with CPSC requirements and are free of lead, cadmium and phthalates so you can play with confidence. So, go ahead … today is the day: be your kid’s hero.

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