First Week of School Art Ideas
It’s back to school and one of the questions I’ve been getting is “What should I teach in the First Week of School?” I’m going to give you my 5 favorite art lessons to teach in the first week of school, and you can pick from my list your FAVORITE Art Lesson to teach in the first week of school!
Now the first thing that I look for in an art lesson is that it is easy enough to build student confidence in art making, but allows for creativity and exploration of art mediums to really spark those creative juices.
So let’s dive into some ideas to help you plan your first week of school with art lesson ideas that help you build student confidence, develop creativity, and encourage exploring a variety of art mediums so that you can have an amazing back to school and classroom full of artist flavor!
Have a Plan for that First Week.
My first suggestion is to have a solid plan of what you’re going to do with your students for each day. You can write it in a planner, on paper, in a Google Doc, whatever… But you need to have a plan for those first weeks. The best thing you could do would be to create a solid plan once, then use it year after year. Do it good and be done forever!
I think it is very important that, no matter where you get your inspiration from or what art lessons you design or resources you use, that you have a solid plan. Do a combination of community builders and ice breakers, art activities, and art lessons to ensure you have a balance of “getting to know” your students, building routine, warming them up for learning in the year, building confidence and creativity, and having them make art.
Artist Logos & Trading Cards
Another idea would be to have your students design Artist Logos for themselves and come up with their ultra cool artist names to develop their identity. Some artists use alternative names and logos to represent them over using their given names. Banksy, the street artist, is an example of an artist using an alternate name. As a professional artist myself and ceramic artist, my chop is a logo I use for my own art practice (not Ms Artastic, but actual art!).
You can also have your students create 3-5 artist trading cards that feature mini artworks on them! They can then trade them with other classmates and “collect” the work of other artists. This not only is a great art lesson, but a wonderful community builder. Make sure you also participate in this one!
Creative Image Collaboration First Week Art Lesson
My first idea is so super simple and only requires you to provide ANY art mediums and just 1 piece of paper for each student. I have done this art lesson over the years with all grades, but found it most effective for Grade 4 to Grade 12 as I found that primary students didn’t particularly like having their original image drawn on and the concept was lost to them.
Start by giving each student a piece of paper and have them write their names on the back of the paper. Next set a timer for 3-5 minutes (divide the time by the amount of students and how long your class is/time you have to create). Now, allow students to start making a mark and creating an image with their choice of art medium. Put on music and let them create!
Now, when the timer is up, have them pass their paper to the right. Reset the timer and let them continue the picture that was placed in front of them. As the papers keep getting passed and created on, they will be more and more challenging to continue the image. This is like a fun creativity challenge that the whole class participates in! Keep repeating this process until they receive their paper again. At the end, they will each have a unique artwork that everyone has collaborated on, that boosts creativity and experimentation, and that explores a range of art mediums.
The Dot Art Lesson for the First Week of School
I like to read Peter H. Reynolds “The Dot” (click here to grab the book if you don’t have it already!) in my first week or two of school to encourage my students to make a mark and see where it takes them. I use this book as a prompt for students to be creative and build their art making confidence. It is also a perfect book to use for Growth Mindset in the classroom!
Next, I like to make my Dot Day Art early so that way my display will be up in time for Dot Day! I like to do an artwork that explores a range of art mediums, allows experimentation, and build confidence and sparks creativity. I like artworks for the beginning of the year where ALL my students will feel successful, despite their previous experiences in art making.
If you are looking for a fully planned Dot Day Art Lesson, try my Dot Day Art Project that includes 2 dot day art lessons, 1 reading comprehension, and 3 writing prompts and all the assessment and lesson planning done for you!
All About Me Name Art Lesson for the First Week of School
Next, I like to do this “All About Me” name art project that explores mixed medium processes and has students SHOW aspects of who they are and their identities. I think this is a great “Get to Know You” artwork that they can create and then share out to the class or their table groups, or even just do a classroom “gallery walk” with the artworks at the tables. You can have blank pieces of papers beside the art on the tables and students can write “things they like about the art” on the paper for the artist to read later.
This is a great way for students to get to know each other at the start of the year and will make for a beautiful display for Meet the Teacher night!
You can check out this name art lesson by clicking here.
Back to School Graffiti Name Art
Alternatively, if you would like to go full art and non-traditional, I suggest doing Graffiti Name Art in the first week that also brings in the color wheel to finish off the background. This is definitely a non-traditional back to school artwork, but if you’re wanting to really grasp your student’s attention and engage them in those early weeks, this is definitely a show stopper that will leave your students drooling for more. Click here to Grab it!
Back to School Finish the Pictures
Get ready for Back to School with these 10 engaging Finish the Picture Art Worksheets—the perfect creative challenge to kick off the school year! Whether you need a fun first-week activity, a no-prep art sub plan, or a creative brain teaser, these worksheets will keep students engaged while fostering imagination, problem-solving, and artistic thinking!
These print-and-go worksheets provide endless possibilities for students to design, sketch, and explore their creativity in unique ways. Each page starts with a simple drawing prompt, and students must complete the picture using their own imagination—making every artwork truly one of a kind!
Back to School Grid Drawings to Explore Value and Shading in the First Weeks of School
For older students, I recommend these Grid Drawings that are all black and white and are back to school themed. Students can try and replicate the Grid Drawing on the opposing side of the paper and try and replicate it through shading and drawing skills and exploring creating value in art. You can use this with any art medium if you want, or stick to good ol’ pencils! This is a fun art lesson and is great to build drawing skills at the start of the year.
Benefits of Grid Drawing for Kids and Pre-Teens:
Grid drawing offers numerous benefits, especially when focusing on developing observation and drawing skills, as well as creating value to achieve realism:
1) Observation Skills: Grid drawing encourages individuals to closely observe the details and proportions of the reference image, leading to improved observational abilities.
2) Drawing Skills Development: By breaking down the image into smaller squares, grid drawing helps kids and pre-teens develop their drawing skills in a systematic and controlled manner.
3) Hand-Eye Coordination: The process of copying each square onto the blank grid template enhances hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
4) Value Perception: Grid drawing emphasizes the importance of different values (shades of light and dark) in creating realistic representations of the subject.
5) Realism and Confidence: As students learn to replicate various values accurately, they gain confidence in their artistic abilities and can achieve more realistic and visually appealing artwork.
5 IDEAS FOR USING THEM IN YOUR CLASSROOM:
1) Art Center Skill Development: Set up a dedicated art center where students can access various grid drawing worksheets to practice their observation, drawing, and value creation skills.
2) Warm-Up Activity: Start art lessons with a short grid drawing warm-up using simpler images to get students focused and ready for the main artistic activity.
3) Progressive Skill Building: Use a series of grid drawing worksheets with increasing complexity to help students gradually enhance their observation and drawing abilities.
4) Cross-Curricular Integration: Select images related to other subjects (history, science, literature, etc.) and have students create grid drawings based on those topics, fostering interdisciplinary connections.
5) Art Gallery Exhibition: Display students’ completed grid drawings in an art gallery-style exhibition to showcase their progress and celebrate their accomplishments.
By incorporating these grid drawing pages with a focus on value creation, you can not only enhance students’ drawing skills but also instill an appreciation for realism and attention to detail in their artwork.
You can grab this art lesson by clicking here.
Back to School Art Activities Workbook for the First Weeks of School
If you are looking for some SUPER EASY PREP, I highly recommend this Back to School Art Workbook. It will cover a range of concepts and will provide a bunch of different back to school themed art activities for students to do. Plus you can photocopy it into booklets so they’re set to create for the entire first week!
THIS Back to School RESOURCE INCLUDES: Non-Editable PDF Booklet
*ALL THEMED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
-1 Lesson Plan (2 pages)
-Title Page for Booklet format
-Rubric
-Warm-Up Activity
-Directed Draw
-Element of Art: Color, Finish the Picture
-Complementary Colors coloring Activity
-Zen Doodle Pattern Reference
-Zen Doodle Artwork Activity
-Pattern Mosaic Activity
-Element of Art Value Activity (Monochromatic)
-Element of Art Space Activity
-Element of Art Texture Activity
-Roll and Draw Themed Page & Drawing Page
-Build a Landscape Reference & Drawing Page
-Silly Portrait Roll and Draw & Drawing Page
-Symmetry Activity
-Radial Symmetry: Mosaic Activity
-Build and Artwork: choice drawing prompt Activity & Drawing Page
-Principle of Design: Movement Artwork Step-by-Step & Drawing Page
-Principle of Design: Repetition Artwork Step-by-Step & Drawing Page
-Pick-a-Prompt Activity
-Principle of Design: Emphasis Activity
-Grid Draw
-Artivity Book Reflection
You can check it out by clicking here
Kindergarten First Week of School Activities
If you are teaching kindergarten and are looking for the first week of school activities for art, then you should grab this. These are a bunch of worksheets that explore basic skills such as fine motor, shapes, drawing, and colors. This resources is a MUST-HAVE when it comes to teaching art to Kindergarteners!
WHAT’S INCLUDED: (Non-Editable)
This resource includes structured, step-by-step printable worksheets covering:
- Basic Art Concepts: What is Art? What do Artists Look Like?
- Elements of Art: Lines, Shapes, Forms, and Color Theory
- Early Drawing & Tracing Activities
- Simple Art Exploration Projects
- Introduction to Famous Artists with engaging coloring pages
- Hands-on activities including tangrams, symmetry drawing, landscapes, and self-portraits
You can check it out by clicking here.
Art Classroom Community Builders
Finally, if you’re looking to really be the master of your classroom, you should do some art themed community builders! Kick off your school year with meaningful community building art lessons that do more than just break the ice—they build bridges of creativity, trust, and student engagement right from day one! This Back to School Art Community Builder Pack is your go-to toolkit for launching an incredible year in the art room with 10 engaging, creative community builders specifically designed for art classrooms.
These low-prep, high-impact art activities are intentionally created to help you get to know your students, observe their skill levels, and build classroom culture—all while students are exploring different art mediums and materials. Designed for the first week of school, each lesson plan provides guided prompts, art explorations, and icebreakers to help students talk to each other (and you!), share ideas, and create in a non-intimidating way.
Say goodbye to awkward introductions and overused games. These fresh and creative icebreakers will help students warm up to the art room AND express themselves visually, while giving you tons of insight into their confidence, personalities, and drawing tendencies. Plan in advance, implement with confidence, and keep your classroom buzzing with creativity and connection from the start.
You can check them out by clicking here.
Conclusion
Well that’s it! I hope these spark some ideas for you when it comes to planning the first week of school! If you have any other ideas, you can reply to this as I would LOVE to hear what you do to spark creativity with your own students!
Recommendations:
If you’re looking for resources to help you plan or teach either at home or in your classroom, then check out these resources to help you get ahead!
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