Classroom Activities for Teaching About Pablo Picasso

These K-3 activities provide parents and educators with ideas for reinforcing learning at home about Pablo Picasso. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Pablo Picasso topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Color Period
Have students create several works of art that explore one color or shades of one color. What mood or feeling does their color communicate? Encourage them to be creative with their artwork. They may also want to explore the color through other art forms, including collage, photography, or sculpture.

Still Life

Remind students that a still-life painting shows an arrangement of objects. Picasso created still-life paintings throughout his career. During his Cubist Period, he re-imagined objects, combined different viewpoints, and experimented with shapes and colors. Have students create their own still-life paintings. Encourage them to experiment, and challenge them to create a piece in the Cubist style.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Pablo Picasso

Thematic

Review with your child that a theme is a message or idea that is explored in an artwork or piece of writing. Have your child choose a theme and create a series of artworks that address or explore the theme such as friendship, love, or caring for the environment. Brainstorm different aspects of the theme. For example, an exploration of friendship might include ideas about support, comfort, fun, and adventure. Have your child create paintings, drawings, collages, etc. to explore the theme and then display the artwork in your home. Can viewers guess what theme is being addressed?

Self-Portraits

Picasso painted a self-portrait during his Blue Period. He communicated how he felt through colors, shading, brushstrokes, and the facial expression in his portrait. Have your child paint or draw a self-portrait that communicates how he or she is feeling right now. What colors communicate specific moods? Brainstorm different examples and then have your child incorporate these colors into his or her creation.