Art & Maker Wednesday: Circle Art

Today we’re going to create circle art! This project builds fine motor skills and increases hand-eye coordination. For very young children, the act of holding a crayon or marker strengthens the hand muscles they will need when they learn how to write. 

Materials & Instructions

A pencil, pen, or marker to trace circles
Watercolor paints or crayons, markers, or colored pencils for less mess
A cup, round cookie cutter, or other circular objects to trace
Paper

STEP 1. Trace circles onto your paper using a pencil, pen, or marker and your circular object. We used the cardboard circle from an empty roll of packing tape. Trace lots of circles! Have them overlap each other so that they create new shapes and sections.
STEP 2. Paint or color in each section. Try not to have sections with the same color touch; experiment with putting complementary colors next to each other. 
STEP 3. Enjoy your beautiful artwork!

Vocab Words

Trace: To copy something by following along its lines. We traced our circle when we copied its shape onto the paper.
Overlap: When something lies over the edge of something else and partly covers it. We overlapped our circles to create new shapes and sections.
Complement: To complete something. This word sounds like “compliment,” which means to give praise, but has a different meaning. In art, complementary colors are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel. When these colors are placed next to each other (for example, yellow and purple), both colors look bright and stand out.