Let’s talk about bold colors, storytelling, and powerful artwork—because today, we’re creating a fun project that is inspired by the art of Faith Ringgold! If you’re not familiar with her work, Faith Ringgold is an incredible artist, author, and activist known for her story quilts and vibrant paintings that tell powerful stories about history, culture, and dreams. Her artwork blends words, images, and fabric-like borders, making her style perfect for kids to explore through painting and collage!
This Faith Ringgold-inspired art project is all about self-expression, creativity, and storytelling. Using watercolors and collage elements, kids will create their own city scape that is inspired by the children’s book Tar Beach. A beautiful story of a little girl exploring her city through flight and spending time with her family at the top of her building.
Why You’ll Love This Craft
- Encourages storytelling – Kids get to express their own dreams, experiences, or special moments through art.
- Perfect mix of painting & collage – Blending watercolor, bold outlines, and layered paper elements makes this project super engaging.
- Great for all ages – Younger kids can focus on colors and shapes, while older kids can add words and detailed designs.
- Inspired by an amazing artist – A fun way to introduce kids to Faith Ringgold’s a powerful art and storytelling and a great way to celebrate Black History Month!
Materials You’ll Need
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paints
- Paintbrush
- Construction paper (various colors)
- Posca markers (or black permanent marker)
- Black paint
- White paper
- Scissors
- Glue
How to Make a Faith Ringgold-Inspired Art Project
- Read the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold or listen to her read the book on Youtube. I provide the link below.
- Paint the Background: Start with a piece of watercolor paper different shades of blue to represent the night sky.
- Cut out different sized rectangles to represent skyscrapers. Glue them in a collage manner at the the bottom of the page. Overlapping as you go.
- Use Posca markers or a black marker to create windows in the buildings. Next, it time to create the bridge the character in Tar Beach flies over. Adults can trace this out using a pencil and then have your child trace over it with a white Posca marker
- On a separate sheet of white paper, invite your child to draw the outline of your child flying. Color it in using markers and cut it. Glue it just above the bridge.
- On colored construction paper, use black paint or a black Posca marker to paint lines either straight or zig zags. Allow the lines to dry.
- Cut small rectangles or squares from colored construction paper to create a patchwork border, mimicking Ringgold’s story quilts. Arrange and glue these pieces around the edges of the watercolor paper.
Tips for Extra Fun
- Encourage bold colors & patterns – Faith Ringgold’s work is all about expressive, colorful storytelling.
- Try different border designs – Use paint, paper, or even fabric scraps to make a unique quilt border.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
