Year 1: Art and design skills

In this collection of lessons children learn and develop their skills in: design, drawing, craft, painting and art appreciation; undertaking two different printing techniques, using 2D shapes to explore a variety of media, mixing different shades of one colour and discussing the work of artist Louis Wain

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Art and design > Key stage 1 > Art and design skills

Please note

This unit has now been replaced by the Year 1 unit Craft and design: Woven wonders. Kapow no longer updates these lessons, and they may not reflect the national curriculum or current guidance. They remain a permanent part of your subscription and will continue to be available for reference and use. We recommend that you explore the new versions of the lessons.

About this unit

There is lots of flexibility in the order in which you can teach these lessons, as the lessons develop distinct skills which are developed further in other units

Choose your lesson

Introduction to sketchbooks

This lesson introduces how to use a sketchbook - a must for all artists to record their ideas, inspiration and a place to practise and refine their skills

Lesson 1: Printing with paint (Original scheme)

Using lego bricks and other everyday objects to create prints; painting and stamping their blocks to create patterns, pictures and letters and combining colours on the page, explaining the choices they make.

Lesson 2: Exploring colour mixing (Original scheme)

Mixing two primary colours to create different shades of a secondary colour and using these in a decorative painting.

Learning Objective

Experiment with paint mixing to make a range of secondary colours.

Lesson 3: Craft: Printing (Great Fire of London)

Children develop their printing skills, creating an impressive print using shaving foam and ink to represent the flames and beams of the Tudor houses. The technique is easily adaptable to other themes.

Lesson 4: Drawing: Experimenting with media

Inspired by famous abstract artists, including Kandinsky, children draw around and overlap 2D shapes to create an abstract composition, filling each shape with a different colour and medium

Lesson 5: Learning about...Louis Wain

Exploring and analysing the work of Louis Wain, children consider the stories behind some of his paintings before acting out some of the scenes depicted to deepen their understanding

Assess your pupils

Assessment resources for use at the start of the unit to assess where pupils are in their learning and at the end of the unit to assess progress. Go to assessment resources