5 activities to spark your high schooler’s interest in art

Emerging in 1950, pop art was an artistic movement that sought to challenge the value placed on art. Artists used objects and symbols from popular culture and the mass media to express their views. Help your teen learn more about pop art by researching the following topics online:

• Andy Warhol (one of the most iconic figures of pop art)
• Pop artists’ techniques
• The most famous pieces of pop art 
• Etc.

Have your teen do this fun art project after they’ve finished their research:

• Choose an object from popular culture (Mickey Mouse, pizza, canned soup, etc.)
• Reproduce the object in paint or papier-mâché using pop art techniques
• Explain why they chose this object and not another
• Etc.

Mosaic is a technique where small pieces of paper, rock, or ceramic are placed closely together to create an image. After gathering information about the history of this technique, and looking at different examples online, ask your teen to make their own mosaic based on one of the following:

• A book
• An endangered animal
• A celebrity
• A scientist
• Etc.

Once they’ve done their research, they can follow the steps below:

• Sketch a design on the surface of their choice (canvas, small wooden board, piece of cardboard, etc.)
• Gather their fragments and arrange them on the design
• Glue the fragments in place once they’re happy with how it looks

This activity is a great way to use all those rocks that your teen brings home after a vacation or walk in the woods. Ask your teen to look up a few inspirational sayings or thought-provoking phrases online and to follow the steps below: 

• Paint a base coat on the rocks with nail polish or paint
• Using permanent markers, draw on the rocks
• Add an inspirational message
• Arrange the rocks in your garden
• Use the rocks as paperweights
• Etc.

This fun activity combines reading and drawing. To start, have your teen read a novel of their choosing. Then ask them to create a storyboard based on the book. Here are a few tips to help guide your teen:

• Draw a scene for each chapter
• Make a drawing that sums up the whole story
• Include key phrases or dialogues in the drawing
• Etc.

What would our wildlife look like if all the animals were made of geometric shapes?  Challenge your teen’s geometry skills and ask them to draw the following:

• Forest animals using only circles
• Jungle animals using only triangles
• Ocean creatures using only squares
• Etc.