Art Around You

Activity Description: Youths explore different types of art and design that surround them and reflect on what inspires their creativity.

Items Needed:

Books or printed images showing different art styles
- (Optional) Printout of VTK’s Style Your Medium (Brownie) or VTK’s Make It with Style (Junior)
(Optional) Paper
(Optional) Pens/Pencils or Coloring Tools (Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils)

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 30–35 min):

Discover art around you (5 min)
- Youth look around the room or think about art they’ve seen before.
- Examples include paintings, sculptures, murals, book covers, or decorated items.
Meet the makers and/or Explore mediums (5–10 min)
- Choose which one to introduce, or to introduce both.
  - Introduce different types of artists like painters, sculptors, illustrators, designers, and digital artists. Explain that artists use creativity and many kinds of materials to make their work.
  - Show examples of 2D mediums like paint, pencil, photography, and pastel and/or show examples of 3D mediums like clay, wood, metal, and found objects.
Compare artwork styles (5–7 min)
- Show two examples and ask: What do they look like? What materials were used? Are they realistic or abstract?
  - (Optional) Style Your Medium (Brownie): Look at impressionist, cubist, and pop art pieces.
  - (Optional) Make It with Style (Junior): Look at folk art, abstract expressionism, figurative art, and surrealism.
Art scavenger hunt (7–10 min)
- Youth explore the room or area safely to find common examples of different art and design styles that were discussed. (Such as sculpture, murals, package labels, or book illustrations.)
- (Optional) They can list or draw what they find.
Reflect and share (5 min)
- Youth count what they found and talk as a group.
  - What was the most interesting piece of art?
  - What materials and styles did they notice?
  - Would they like to try making something in that style?

Click Here -> See what GSUSA Requirements are Met

Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Daisy Art and Design badge requirements.
Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Brownie Art and Design badge requirements.
Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Junior Art and Design badge requirements.

Info Needed: Artists and designers use different materials (called mediums) to create all kinds of art. Makers may draw, paint, build, sculpt, or even create art on a computer. By exploring the styles and materials they use, we can better understand what creativity looks like around us, and how it can inspire our own art.

This activity does not meet any Scouting America Requirements

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