Pixel Art Kids Craft

Post by Rebecca Green of Not-So-SAHM

As our kids get older, I’m constantly on the lookout for crossover activities — projects we can do together that pull different interests of theirs. Kane has been spending most of his art time lately drawing, so I wanted to find an art activity that would encourage him to try out another media. He is totally obsessed with the game Minecraft and when he spotted The Land of Nod’s Lo-Res Rug, he commented on how the pattern and colors reminded him of the pixelated game. Lightbulb!

I figured we could try our hand at making some pixel art! Pixel art is usually a form of digital art, but I wanted to get away from the technology time and make it more of a hands-on project. We had a whole pack of colorful tissue paper squares, so I put together a grid paper, set out some glue and brushes, and we went to town!

Kane started out making a Minecraft ogre, but sort of evolved into more of a pattern. Cami actually stuck with the project the longest, first making a portrait of her dad (I love how she crumpled up some of the squares to make his features!) and then helping me with a pattern (the pixel patterns always remind me of Tetris). It was a great, easy art project that let everyone try something new.

If you don’t have the tissue paper squares, try coloring in the pixels on graph paper with colored pencils, markers, or even watercolors. If your kiddo wants to make a specific object, suggest that they lightly outline it in pencil first and then fill it in with pixels. Or go freehand and see what they come up with!

Thanks to The Land of Nod for the inspirational Lo-Res Rug!

Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.