Explore Identity with Frida Kahlo Portraits for Kids

This is a fun Frida inspired drawing prompt for kids. Explore identity with kids & create personalized Frida portraits for kids. 

I wanted to do a Frida Kahlo inspired project for some time now since I really admire her work, as well as her husband’s, Diego Rivera.

Frida’s self-portraits, inspired by nature and artifacts of Mexico, are so powerful and expressive in many ways. They explore controversial issues such as: identity, class, gender and race, among others.

She constantly included autobiographical elements in her work,  combining fantasy with realism in a very unique way.

After reading a short book about Frida’s life and sharing with the children some of her most known artwork, we entered into a conversation of identity.

What makes you YOU? What defines you as a person? What are your likes and dislikes? Your thoughts? Your fantasies?

It was so interesting to listen to the children speak and share their ideas and interpretations on these open-ended questions.  We then proceeded to start working on our Frida portraits with that in our minds, and begin headpieces that identified each and every child.

Frida Portraits for Kids

MATERIALS

• Black Sharpie
• Frida’s face printout
• Colored Sharpies
• Transparency film
• White cardboard paper (we used 12 x 18 in)
• Chalk markers (optional)
• Washi tape

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Print image of Frida

Start by searching for a Frida image on the web and printing it out. I found one that was pretty simple, just a black outline of her head.

2. Trace the Frida outline onto transparency film

Place a transparency film on top of the Frida print out and stick the four corners onto the cardboard paper.

Trace Frida’s face onto the film (not her hair though) using a black sharpie.

Remove the Frida print out from behind the film and leave the tape on each corner of the film, holding it to the cardboard paper.

3. Begin drawing the Frida headpiece

Ask the children to start working on their Frida headpiece.

Be sure to include things that identify them, things they like, fantasies, dreams; anything that speaks to them and to their unique character and personality.

4. Add color!

Finally, once they have drawn the outline of those headpieces they created, set out the colored sharpies and the chalk markers and ask them to start adding color to their creations. I like using the chalk markers because they really pop up beautifully on the transparency film, but sharpies work great too.

And that’s it! You can frame these or just tape to the wall! They will be so fun, colorful, playful and for sure an inspiring way to learn about the life and work of artist Frida Kahlo.

MORE DRAWING IDEAS FOR KIDS

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