Fun with Piet Mondrian: Art Activities for Kids
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Welcome to the very first “Artist of the Month” post on my intentional parenting blog! I’m excited to kick off this series with none other than the master of minimalism himself, Piet Mondrian. With his love for primary colours and simple polygon shapes, Mondrian seemed like the perfect starting point for introducing art activities for kids.
Over the last month, each week brought a new art activity inspired by Mondrian’s unique style, designed to be both educational and fun.
This series is not just about admiring great art; it’s about making art accessible and enjoyable for children. By breaking down Mondrian’s concepts into playful and interactive activities, I’ve aimed to create an engaging learning experience that’s both educational and memorable. Join me as I share the highlights of our month with Mondrian, and perhaps get inspired to try some of these artistic adventures with your own family!
Here’s a peek into our month of creative adventures inspired by Mondrian’s unique style.
Who is Piet Mondrian?
Before we dive into the activities, let’s get to know our artist a bit better.
Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter born in 1872 who believed in the beauty of simplicity. Imagine walking into his studio—no wild splashes of paint, no chaotic brushstrokes. Instead, you’d find neat grids and primary colours, all perfectly arranged with satisfying precision. Mondrian believed that art should represent a universal order, transcending the chaos of everyday life – let’s just say, it’s a good thing he didn’t have children!
He wasn’t always the master of minimalism. Early in his career, he dabbled in landscapes with windmills and rivers. But as he grew older, he thought, “Why paint a tree when you can paint its essence?” So, he ditched the greens and browns for reds, blues, and yellows, and swapped curves and swirls for straight lines.
But don’t be fooled by the simplicity of his art. Like our child’s toy blocks—simple shapes, endless possibilities, Mondrian’s work was deceptively complex and not easy at all. He carefully planned the colours, shapes and spacing and proportions of the lines based on a sense of balance and harmony, reflecting his interest in achieving aesthetic order through mathematical precision.
His minimalist approach makes his art accessible and inspiring for children, making him a perfect choice for our first Artist of the Month. Here’s how our month with Mondrian went:
Week 1: The Magic of Primary Colours
We began our Mondrian journey with the basics: primary colours. For my 1-year-old, Lou, this meant lots of colourful storybooks and pointing at objects while excitedly naming each colour during our daily routines, such as red apples, blue skies, and yellow flowers.
Here are some of our favourite books about colours:
For my 3-year-old, Mimi, who already knows her colours, we upped the ante by exploring what happens when you mix them. In the past, we had a blast experimenting with vinegar, baking soda, and food colouring. She looked like a little scientist in a lab, excitedly observing the fizzing reactions and the creation of new colours.
So this time, we took a different approach, based on @parinpatel92 Instagram post. We painted one hand yellow and the other blue, then squished them together to make green. The look of sheer amazement on Mimi’s face was priceless, even if it did end with a bit of a mess!
Week 2: Discovering De Stijl
With primary colours under our belts, we moved on to the De Stijl movement, which sounds fancy but really just means “The Style.”
Mondrian found this movement based upon strict geometric principles, and although the concept of strict geometry might sound intimidating, we turned it into an engaging activity by creating collages of red, yellow, and blue squares and rectangles on white paper, while playing some of his masterpieces on the TV for background inspiration.
Mimi, who’s already a shape expert, enjoyed talking about how rectangles can be tall or wide, while squares are always perfectly equal. She also found it hilarious that Mondrian decided to give circles the cold shoulder in his later works. “No circles, Mamã!” she giggled, as if it were the funniest rule ever.
Lou on the other hand, explore shapes with a simple puzzle and continued her literary expedition:
Week 3: Lines, Lines, and More Lines
Next, we introduced the grid-like patterns Mondrian loved, with their straight vertical and horizontal lines.
We had a mini art history lesson about Mondrian and his friend van Doesburg disagreement over diagonal lines—cue dramatic toddler gasp, and then we made little cuts along the edges of white cardboard squares and threaded black, red, yellow, and blue yarn through them to create our own line masterpieces.
Mimi took her string art very seriously, which was perfect to work on her fine motor skills, while Lou found the whole thing fascinatingly chewable, working on her sensory exploration instead. The contrast between their styles highlighted the beauty of artistic expression and the different ways children engage with art materials.
Week 4: Abstract Art vs. Realism
In our final week, we tackled the concept of abstract art versus realism. Mimi and Lou each got to paint their own abstract artworks inspired by Mondrian’s “Composition C (No. III) with Red, Yellow and Blue.”
Mimi approached her work with the concentration of a seasoned artist, thoughtfully placing each colour. Lou, on the other hand, took a more, shall we say, expressive approach, ending up with a lovely abstract piece that included a bit of the dining table.
Mimi’s careful placement of each colour showed her growing appreciation for artistic composition, while Lou’s free-spirited approach resulted in a vibrant, albeit messy, masterpiece. This activity underscored the importance of creative freedom and the idea that art is a personal expression rather than a strict set of rules.
Extending the Learning Experience
To further enrich Mondrian’s month, I suggest a visit to a local art museum or gallery to see real-life examples of abstract art and Mondrian’s influence. If you’re near London, Tate Modern currently has an amazing exhibition on Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian called “Forms of Life” that I absolutely recommend. It’s a chance to connect the dots between what was learned at home and the broader world of art.
Additionally, reading books about Mondrian and other abstract artists can provide further context and inspiration. We’ve enjoyed several titles that delve into Mondrian’s life and work, helping to deepen our understanding of his artistic vision. Exploring puzzles and other creative activities related to art can also be a fun way to keep the learning going. Mimi, a dedicated puzzle lover, recently discovered a new favourite that ties into our artistic themes and has been a great addition to our routine.
Conclusion
As we wrap up our month with Mondrian, I can’t help but feel accomplished and a little proud of our artistic journey. It’s been a month full giggles, colour, creativity, and a fair share of messiness—exactly what makes art so much fun!
It’s been a joy to see my children engage with art in such a meaningful way, and I’m excited to continue this artistic journey with future artists.
Stay tuned for next month’s artist—who knows what creative adventures await us! Thank you for joining us on this artistic exploration, and I look forward to sharing more art-inspired activities with you and your little ones soon!
TIP:
Children’s learning thrives on routine and repetition. While repeating the same activity can be enjoyable for kids, it can quickly become tedious for parents. To keep things fresh and exciting, consider exploring the same concept through a variety of activities. There are so many wonderful online suggestions to inspire you! I’d love to love to hear from you: What are your favourite ways to explore primary colours with your little ones? Share your ideas in the comments below! In the meantime, here are some other interesting suggestions I found:
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