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Indoor activity

Newspaper Collage Art

Tear and cut newspaper into shapes, then layer and glue them onto paper to create textured collage artwork — animals, landscapes, or abstract designs!

Ages 3-12 0-1 hours Education 6/10

Materials

  • Flat Paintbrush
  • Markers optional
  • Newspaper
  • Paper
  • PVA Glue
  • Scissors

Illustrated Steps

1

Prepare the Newspaper

Tear and cut newspaper into strips, circles, and patches. Sort by size for your collage.

2

Plan Your Design

Lay newspaper pieces on paper to plan your design — an animal, landscape, or abstract pattern.

3

Glue It Down

Brush PVA glue on each piece and press onto the background, layering from bottom to top.

4

Add Details and Colour

Use markers or paint to add eyes, outlines, and splashes of colour over the newspaper texture.

What You’ll Create

Trash to treasure! 🗞️ Your young artists will discover that old newspaper is an incredible art material — tear, cut, scrunch, and layer it onto paper with PVA glue to create stunning textured collage artwork! The mix of printed text, photos, and white space creates a unique look that’s impossible to get with any other material. Make animals, landscapes, portraits, or abstract patterns!

Have fun!

  • 🦉 Make a newspaper owl — scrunch pieces for a fluffy, feathered texture!
  • 🌳 Create a tree with torn-strip bark and scrunched-ball leaf clusters!
  • 🏙️ Build a cityscape skyline from straight-cut newspaper rectangles!
  • 🎭 Make a self-portrait using different newspaper tones for light and shadow!

Why It’s Amazing

  • Sustainability Awareness: Reusing old newspapers teaches children about recycling and repurposing — art from waste is a powerful environmental lesson. ♻️

  • Texture and Composition: Working with torn paper teaches composition, layering, and how overlapping creates depth — foundational art skills. 🎨

  • Fine Motor Development: Tearing paper (not just cutting) uses a different pinch-and-pull motion that strengthens hand muscles in a unique way. ✋

  • Visual Problem-Solving: Choosing which newspaper sections to use — text columns for texture, photos for detail, white space for contrast — develops visual thinking. 🧠

Pro Tips

For ages 3–5: Pre-tear a variety of newspaper pieces for them. Let them focus on gluing and sticking — the layering and pressing is satisfying and builds hand strength. Simple shapes like a big circle sun or a house work perfectly.

For ages 5–8: Let them tear and cut their own pieces. Introduce the idea of using different newspaper sections for effect — headlines for bold areas, small text for texture, photos as feature elements. Show them how overlapping creates shadows and depth.

For ages 8–12: Challenge them to create recognisable images entirely from newspaper — portraits, animals, or scenes. Teach them to use the natural tones of newsprint (dark ink areas, grey, white margins) as a value scale. Introduce the work of artists who use collage like Picasso and Matisse.

Secret Pro Move: Water down PVA glue 50/50 and brush a thin layer over the entire finished collage — it dries clear and creates a sealed, slightly glossy finish that makes the artwork look professional and protects it! 🎯