I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to explore some ideas for art projects with kids, but doesn't have much art experience or feels intimidated by it. The images, and the ideas, are quite basic and the instructions go back to the building blocks of art knowledge (as in primary colors, type of pencils e.t.c.).

I could have sworn I already reviewed this one! In any case, we actually got to use a library copy of this in the Spring of 2020 when the pandemic hit so I know first hand it's really useful for inspiring parents who are maybe not artistically inclined.

I had the idea that this book might be useful for ideas or projects in my toddler classroom. While it failed in that regard, it did succeed as a how-to for doing art older children, say 5 years on up.

The best parts of the book are the art lessons. Foster-Wilson explains basic art concepts simply and respectfully, never talking down to readers. It's a good intro for adults as well as children, with simple instructions on drawing a variety of subjects and objects. The art projects are too adult driven and too product oriented for my personal taste but they will appeal to many children, and adults. The directions are simple enough to follow and there are lots of illustrations accompanying the directions. The subjects of the projects are a variety of trendy and classic. Most of the projects require some planning but a few can be done spontaneously. The book also provides suggestions for art supplies to keep on hand.

This book was fun for both myself and the kids. I provided the kids with choices of activities and they were happy to help choose. This book was a great reminder of how art can be implemented and done with kids. I always find myself thinking that arts/crafts with kids is a drawn out process, but read otherwise in this book.

This was a fun, informative guide to making art! My kids loved learning how to draw and it was a fun thing to do on a rainy afternoon. The guide was straightforward and easy to follow with great illustrations.

I love the idea of this book. I was hoping to get more ideas of projects I could do with my kids. This book contained a lot of ideas of animals to draw but not much beyond that. My kids aren’t all that interested in drawing realistic animals but they love painting and general mess-making. If your kids want to learn how to draw realistically, this book may be a good place to start.

This book was beautifully laid out and colourful and appealing, however the pages were not cluttered and this made everything easy to follow.
There is not an overwhelming amount of resources needed for the projects which made it feel instantly useable.
I found the step by step instructions really improved my confidence in drawing items but the kids didn’t always find them the easiest to follow and needed encouraged to keep practising.
Some great ideas for use in the classroom and also at home.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I love making arts and crafts and I'm glad that my children have inherited my love for this hobby. When reading this book, I tried to picture myself and my kids (in particular my 8-year-old artsy-craftsy girl) working on the projects described in the book. My favorites were the big tree and the floor map projects. Some of the other projects seemed a little too advanced for all of my children (e.g., the people and teaching them about perspective), including the 8-year-old who is already pretty advanced in her skills. So I wouldn't call the projects easy unless it is specified more, i.e., "easy for older kids" or similar qualifiers.
Overall, this is a good book, but needs some improvement.

Every home with children needs this easy to understand art book.

It shows how to make a variety of art projects with children. I loved that it explained tertiary colors and how they are made. It shows the placement of primary, secondary and tertiary colors on the color wheel which makes it easier to show a child what colors go with what others.

It shows how to draw crazy creatures, dinosaurs and fish. That is just what boys like (and some girls too). The section on drawing people is broken down into features such as type of hair, facial hair, body type, etc.

My favorite was the paper doll garland. I haven’t seen that since I was little and was reminded of good times doing art projects as a child.

Many of the projects can be spontaneous as the items needed for the projects are typically kept on hand. They require things such as crayons, markers, scissors, or paper. Others that need more complicated can be planned.

My grandson and I have a standing date once a week and he always wants to do “projects.” I can’t wait to try the leaf rubbings in the fall!


I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

This is a brilliant book for teaching children to draw, and fostering an early love of art. The instructions are so easy to follow that any child will see that they can draw, and are good at it. The skills taught are transferrable and everyone can use the shape method to try to draw anything. It is a book that all parents should have as not only will they be helping their children develop the skill to draw, they will be developing it themselves. I loved the variation in subjects and I loved the book overall. Brilliant.

I am a bit torn on this book. I loved the idea and how it is broken down, but I wasn't entirely impressed with the actual art creations. It may just not have been my particular taste, though I think many would enjoy it. It does look like the author put a lot of work into it! There are various step by step directions to draw various animals and more. I did like the projects spread throughout.

I would recommend this book in certain cases, but not exactly as a book about making art with kids. It is more a drawing instruction book that's appealing to both kids and adults. From the title, I was expecting more content about how adults and kids can work on art side by side, and how to work with kids in a supportive way. As a drawing book, I think it's cute and appealing.

The Grown-Up's Guide to Making Art with Kids is a fun tutorial guide for teachers, parents, and other resource people full of ideas for drawing with kids. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a book absolutely full of exuberant step by step tutorials for drawing any number of creatures and objects with a whimsical style which will appeal to kids and in a manner which anyone can do. This includes the 'I can't draw a stick figure' people out there.

The books introduction (circa 17% of the page content) covers materials and a little bit of color theory, with tips and extra info highlighted in sidebars. The following chapters are paired in an alternating format with the first chapter covering how to draw animals, moving objects, buildings, people etc, and the following containing a step-by-step project tutorial incorporating the items from the previous chapter. The project tutorials include pop-up scenes, collages, shadow puppets, a map, and several others.

I am not familiar with many art books aimed specifically at adults in a context of drawing in a way to please and appeal to the small people in their lives. This one is excellent and would make a superlative support book for classroom teachers, facilitators, homeschoolers, librarians, parents, babysitters, camp staff, etc.

Five stars. This is a really useful and appealing book for all ages.

This book is an awesome guide for teacher or parents, or anyone who is trying to help kids with art but isn't super artistically inclined. I find that not having learned some basic techniques when I was younger makes it much more difficult to explain to kids when painting or drawing. The book is nicely set up with the different styles as well as what materials work best for which craft.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every parent should get this book for themselves/their children. My kids and I love it!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to explore some ideas for art projects with kids, but doesn't have much art experience or feels intimidated by it. The images, and the ideas, are quite basic and the instructions go back to the building blocks of art knowledge (as in primary colors and type of pencils). While this is not the book to find mind-blowing inspiration, it will do nicely as a practical starting point for those who want a non-intimidating source of ideas for rainy days, playdates, or scout meetings.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this book. It is simply a 'how to draw.../how to paint.... book. I think I was expecting something akin to a book full of original art projects and art ideas to occupy the children. That said, it is extremely visual and colourful which is going to appeal to children and it's very clear to follow. And with this in mind, I'm sure the children would be kept happy and occupied by this book anyway.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

This is a fun book for a grown-up and child to explore, spending time together while getting creative. Made up primarily of drawing tips and instructions, my favorite parts were the art project ideas, like the "crazy creatures" where you make paint blobs and use your imagination to turn them into critters! Also, in our Pinterest world, I enjoyed that the photos were projects that were also kid-friendly and looked like they were made by children. A great book to have on hand to inspire junior (and older!) artists.

This is a beautiful book which is both captivating and creative. It is bold, bright, encouraging and full of inspiration. It discusses materials, mixing colours, before presenting a range of projects., Each project is accompanied by clear visuals, a 'tools and materials' list, and a step-by-step instruction layout. This is a really fun project which is a great addition to any family.

This is a cute book breaking down drawing basics for you so you can both draw and teach tour kids to draw as well. Each section has a fun activity that children can help create and then use to fuel tehir information. I wish i had this book when I was working with kids.