Explore Art and Maths Through Four Shape-Inspired Activities
Introduce young learners to the world of geometric art with this engaging KS1 resource featuring four creative activities inspired by famous artists Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian that combine art, maths, and shape exploration.
Four Complete Activities Included:
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Exploring Shapes: Discover shapes all around us! Identify and name 2D shapes including circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles in artwork, the environment, and everyday objects—building shape recognition and mathematical vocabulary through artistic exploration
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Concentric Circles: Create mesmerizing artwork inspired by Kandinsky's famous concentric circles! Explore circles within circles, experimenting with colour, pattern, and composition while developing fine motor skills and understanding of this geometric concept
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Squares And Rectangles: Channel Piet Mondrian's iconic style! Create bold geometric compositions using squares and rectangles with primary colours and black lines, exploring balance, proportion, and the beauty of simple shapes
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Kandinsky Shapes: Dive deeper into Kandinsky's abstract art! Create colourful compositions using a variety of shapes, exploring how shapes can overlap, combine, and interact to create dynamic, expressive artwork
Why Teachers Choose This Resource:
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Cross-Curricular Excellence: Seamlessly combines KS1 Art & Design and Maths (shape) objectives
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Famous Artist Focus: Introduces children to influential modern artists Kandinsky and Mondrian
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Hands-On Art Making: Practical activities that develop artistic skills while reinforcing mathematical concepts
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Ready to Use: Complete lesson plans with artist information, learning objectives, and step-by-step instructions
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Age-Appropriate: Activities specifically designed for 5-7 year olds with achievable, engaging tasks
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Develops Multiple Skills: Builds shape recognition, colour theory, composition, and fine motor abilities
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Accessible Materials: Uses simple art supplies like paper, paint, and drawing materials
Perfect For:
- KS1 Art & Design lessons on famous artists
- Year 1 Maths lessons on 2D shapes
- Cross-curricular art and maths topic work
- Homeschool art and maths curriculum
- Building shape recognition through creative expression
- Developing art appreciation and artistic confidence
Learning Outcomes:
Through these activities, children will recognize and name common 2D shapes, explore the work of famous artists Kandinsky and Mondrian, develop artistic techniques including painting and composition, understand how shapes can be used to create art, experiment with colour and pattern, and build confidence in creative expression and mathematical understanding.
What Makes This Resource Special:
These activities beautifully demonstrate that art and maths aren't separate subjects—they're deeply connected. By exploring Kandinsky's circles and Mondrian's rectangles, children discover that shapes aren't just mathematical concepts but powerful tools for artistic expression. This cross-curricular approach makes both subjects more engaging, meaningful, and memorable.
Introducing Famous Artists:
Kandinsky and Mondrian created bold, geometric art that's perfect for young children to explore and emulate. Their use of simple shapes and bright colours makes their work accessible and inspiring, helping children understand that art doesn't have to be realistic to be beautiful and meaningful—building artistic confidence and appreciation.
Building Shape Understanding:
Understanding shapes through art helps children see them differently than through maths worksheets alone. By using circles, squares, and rectangles to create compositions, children develop deeper, more intuitive understanding of shape properties, relationships, and possibilities—making mathematical concepts concrete and creative.
Bring art and maths together! These engaging activities help KS1 students discover the beauty of geometric shapes through creative exploration inspired by famous artists, building both mathematical understanding and artistic skills while developing appreciation for modern art and confidence in creative expression.
