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July 17, 2015 14 Comments

12 Ways to Integrate Science and Art

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My 13 Art and Math Projects for Kids post has been doing pretty well on my site lately, so I decided to keep the art integration going with Science! Check out these awesome ways to teach science using art below.

The Art Curator for Kids - 12 Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Science and Art Activities

There are tons of projects out there online that integrate art and science, but the science is mixing a sensory goop. Those are so fun, but I left them out for this collection. I only choose science and art activities that teach specific science concepts as this post is about teaching science using art rather than teaching art using science.

Science Arts: Discovering Science Through Art Experiences - Science and Art ActivitiesBefore reading on, check out this book by MaryAnn Kohl, Science Arts: Discovering Science Through Art Experiences. I love her books and have several of them (but not this one! I need to remedy that.) If you like the science and art activities below, I’m sure this book won’t disappoint! Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rainbow Paper | Color Science for Kids by The Science Kiddo

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Rainbow Paper Color Science for Kids by The Science Kiddo - Science and Art ActivitiesThis is so cool! I almost stopped writing this post to go try this with my kids. Basically, you use clear nail polish, water, and paper to capture rainbows on paper. So neat! You could use this as a great little activity to help explain to children how rainbows exist.

The Art & Science of Leaf Rubbings by Edventures with Kids

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - The Art & Science of Leaf Rubbings by Edventures with Kids - Science and Art Activities

Texture rubbing is a staple in the art classroom, and I like how Jacquie incorporated the science of trees with her kids. I know I will definitely be using this activity in my homeschool!

Leaf Relief by Cassie Stephens

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science- Leaf Relief by Cassie Stephens - Science and Art Activities

While we are talking about leaves, check out this project. It is pretty freaking amazing. It does require a little heavier involvement with the teacher, but the results are so beautiful! This definitely takes leaf printing to the next level.

Exploring Absorption with Watercolors on a Texture Board by Fun at Home with Kids

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Exploring Absorption with Watercolors on a Texture Board by Fun at Home with Kids - Science and Art ActivitiesI love this project exploring the different absorptive qualities of different materials. This is a great way for the child to experiment and describe their observations!

Art & Science for Kids: Watercolors & Oil by Babble Dabble Do

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Art & Science for Kids Watercolors & Oil by Babble Dabble Do - Science and Art ActivitiesTeach your kids that oil and water don’t mix with this fun project with a gorgeous end result!

Sweet Science – The Study Of Seed Crystals Growth (Rock Candy) by Fancy Shanty

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Sweet Science – The Study Of Seed Crystals Growth (Rock Candy) by Fancy Shanty - Science and Art ActivitiesI love posts that make me want to drop everything and do the activity. This is one of those! I love this. Stacey and her boys made crystals/rock candy. It looks like a lot of fun. She added some cool color experiments at the end which give it an art twist.

Explore Nebulae Through Art by Mosswood Connections

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Explore Nebulae Through Art by Mosswood Connections - Science and Art ActivitiesThis is a fun little miniature project where the kids make nebulae out of glue and liquid watercolor. They also provide some links to learn more about nebulae at the bottom of the post.

Exploring Sunography: Making Sun Prints by In the Playroom

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Exploring Sunography Making Sun Prints by In the Playroom - Science and Art ActivitiesYesss! I love sun prints. So fun. So learning about stuff. That’s really all I have to say about that. Just make some. It’s neat.

Flower Petal Fingerpaint by The Chaos and the Clutter

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Flower Petal Fingerpaint by The Chaos and the Clutter - Science and Art ActivitiesLove. This. So. Much. This is a science, art, history extravaganza, and it’s fabulous. Sharla and her kids took flowers and made paint from them. I would probably use this more in an art history lesson rather than science perhaps studying textiles from South America or something like that, but however you teach it, it is such a great activity.

Exploring Sound: Making a Kazoo by Buggy and Buddy

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Exploring Sound Making a Kazoo by Buggy and Buddy - Science and Art ActivitiesMake a musical instrument and learn about the science of sound. I love how the blogger included discussion questions and scripted out some things to say when you do the activity with your kids. Helpful!

Connecting Art and Science with Hokusai’s The Great Wave by Pragmatic Mom

The Art Curator for Kids - Great Wave Off Kanagawa - Science and Art Activities
Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1829-32

This is one of my favorite artworks. I’ve always loved it! In this post, Mia at Pragmatic Mom shares some great books and resources about the artwork and also describes how to use this artwork to teach about the science of Tsunamis. I’ve written about this artwork and others like it on my post of Japanese ukiyo-e prints as well as my Japanese prints Montessori-inspired lesson for kids.

Jupiter Art and Science Lesson by Adventures in Mommydom

The Art Curator for Kids - Ways to Integrate Art and Science - Jupiter Art and Science Lesson by Adventures in MommydomIn this project, students make a watercolor painting of Jupiter. I love how Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom teaches the science as the project goes on–the gas storms, why Jupiter has a red spot, Jupiter’s moons, etc. She also has a cool science project idea for Jupiter in a later post as well.

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Filed Under: Art and Artists, Art Teacher Tips

 

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Reader Interactions

14 Comments

  1. Pragmaticmom

    July 17, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    Thanks so much for including my post on The Great Wave by Hokusai!!

    Reply to this comment
    • Cindy, The Art Curator for Kids

      July 17, 2015 at 10:19 pm

      Of course! And, thank you for linking to mine and for all the tweets! 🙂

      Reply to this comment
      • Lori

        January 30, 2023 at 12:59 pm

        Hi,
        I tried getting your freebie worksheets for sometime now and it won’t send me the email for them. lalimboyoguen@sulross.edu. I want to introduce this concept to my college class.

        Reply to this comment
        • Amy Davis

          February 10, 2023 at 6:12 am

          Thank you for letting me know. I just attempted to email you and it bounced back, so the reason you have not received your requested downloads is that your schools firewall is blocking our emails. Do you have a different email you can send the downloads to?

          Reply to this comment
  2. Maria Barberis

    January 4, 2017 at 7:16 pm

    If I suscribe, will >I have access to the recorded webinars ??

    Many thanks for your help

    María

    Reply to this comment
    • Cindy, The Art Curator for Kids

      January 4, 2017 at 7:36 pm

      Yes! If you join The Resource Library, you will have access to both the live and recorded webinars.

      Reply to this comment
  3. Elizabeth Greenbaum

    January 15, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    I suggest taking down the nail polish project:

    Only one other person back in 2015 brought up the concern about the toxicity of nail polish. As an artist and executive director of an arts education organization, I have given lectures on toxins in art materials. Nail polish is NOT JUST problematic if children eat it – it’s the fumes that are so extremely toxic . The chemicals used in nail polish are neurotoxins – dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde and are called the ”toxic trio.”

    Children have something like 32x the metabolism rate as adults. Nail polish is toxic to us, therefore, children absorb it 32 times faster than we do. Never do this project with children at home or in the classroom! Use other methods to teach ROYGBIV projects such as bubbles, prisms or DVDs.

    Reply to this comment
    • Prof

      August 7, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      There is organic nail polish without such chemicals now….but it is pricier. Agree that nail polish in general is not a classroom-friendly material.

      Reply to this comment
  4. Swathi Priyanka

    July 10, 2020 at 5:14 am

    nice
    We can also learn

    Reply to this comment
  5. Dr Poonam Chaubey

    July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

    Thanks for all the lovely ideas you are generating . Loving it all.

    Reply to this comment
  6. Phumzile Dlamini

    December 2, 2020 at 6:12 am

    this is so interesting I ve a lot how science meet art , we cannot separate the two

    Reply to this comment
    • Amy Davis

      December 8, 2020 at 11:08 am

      Agreed!

      Reply to this comment
  7. Emily

    November 23, 2021 at 3:52 pm

    Thank you for providing art lessons connected to science ideas!

    Reply to this comment
    • Amy Davis

      November 26, 2021 at 9:38 am

      You’re welcome!

      Reply to this comment

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