Writing sub plans for the art room is its own special challenge. A math teacher can leave a worksheet and a page number. An art teacher has to think about paint, water, scissors, glue, a room full of supplies that a guest teacher may have never seen before, and a group of students who know exactly which cupboard holds the glitter. It is no surprise that many art teachers would rather drag themselves in sick than spend an evening writing plans for a substitute. But with a bit of setup, sub days can become far less stressful for you, for your substitute, and for your students.

This guide covers what to include in an art sub plan, which kinds of activities tend to go smoothly when you are not in the room, how to build an emergency folder that can carry you through an unexpected absence, and a collection of reliable lesson types such as drawing prompts, directed drawings, and craft-and-write activities. The goal is simple: when you need a day away, you should be able to take it without worrying about what you will find when you return.

Why Art Sub Plans Need Their Own Approach

A substitute walking into an art room faces a few unique hurdles. They may not have any art background. They may not know where supplies are kept or how your clean-up routines work. They may be covering several different grade levels in a single day, with only a few minutes between classes. And they are often working without the visual cues and habits that make your room run smoothly when you are there.

Because of this, the best art sub plans are not watered-down versions of your normal lessons. They are designed specifically for a guest. They use simple supplies, require minimal demonstration, have clear and short instructions, and produce something students can feel good about finishing. When you design with the substitute in mind, you set everyone up for a calm and productive day.

What to Include in Every Art Sub Plan

Before you even think about the lesson itself, make sure your substitute has the information they need to manage the room. Many of the problems that happen on sub days have nothing to do with the art activity and everything to do with not knowing how the room works.

A clear daily schedule

List each class in order with the time, grade level, teacher name, and room number if students arrive from different classrooms. Note any duty assignments such as recess or lunch supervision, and include the times for bells, prep periods, and dismissal. If your schedule rotates, make it obvious which day of the rotation it is. A substitute should be able to glance at one page and know exactly where they need to be and when.

Class lists and seating charts

Seating charts are one of the most helpful things you can leave. They allow a substitute to call students by name, which makes a huge difference in classroom management. Include a short note about any students who are especially helpful, any who need extra support, and any important medical or safety information, following your school’s privacy guidelines about what can be shared.

Routines and procedures

Write down how students enter the room, where they sit, how supplies are passed out, how clean-up works, and how they line up to leave. Keep it brief. A short bulleted list is easier for a busy substitute to follow than a long paragraph. If you use attention signals, such as a clap pattern or a chime, describe them so the substitute can use the same cues your students already recognize.

Where things are

Tell your substitute exactly where to find the supplies they will need for the day. Better still, gather those supplies ahead of time and put them in one labeled bin or tray. If you can, leave a simple map or label your cupboards. The less time a substitute spends searching, the more time they can spend with students.

Emergency and school information

Include fire drill and lockdown procedures, the nearest exit, the location of your emergency backpack or clipboard, and the names of a couple of helpful staff members nearby. A teaching neighbor who can answer quick questions is a lifesaver for a substitute.

A simple way to leave feedback

Leave a short form where the substitute can note how each class went, which students were helpful, and anything you should know when you return. This gives you useful information and also signals to students that their behavior will be reported, which tends to help.

Choose Low-Mess Activities

The single most important decision you can make for a sub day is to keep the mess low. Paint, clay, and anything involving water are wonderful when you are there to manage them. When you are not, they can turn into a long clean-up and a room you dread returning to. Save the messy media for days when you are present and choose activities that use supplies students can manage independently.

Supplies that work well for sub days

Pencils, erasers, crayons, colored pencils, and markers are the most reliable choices. They need almost no instruction, they are easy to pass out and collect, and they clean up quickly. Oil pastels can work well too, with a reminder to keep hands off clothes. Scissors and glue sticks are fine for many classes, especially if you leave clear instructions about how they are distributed and returned. Liquid glue, glitter, and paint are usually best avoided.

Paper is your friend

Pre-cut paper in the sizes students will need and leave it in labeled stacks. If an activity uses a printed handout, make copies for every class with a few extras. It takes a little time on your end, but it saves your substitute from scrambling to find paper or figure out a photocopier code.

Build an Emergency Sub Folder

Planned absences are one thing. Waking up sick at five in the morning is another. An emergency sub folder means you never have to write plans from your bed. It sits in your room, clearly labeled, ready for any day you cannot be there, and it should be able to cover at least one full day, ideally two or three.

What goes in the folder

Start with the general information described above: your schedule, class lists, seating charts, routines, emergency procedures, and a note about where to find supplies. Then add a set of activities that work for any day of the year and any grade you teach. These should not depend on your current unit. They should be self-contained and doable with supplies you always keep on hand.

Many teachers organize their emergency folder by grade level, with one or two activities for each grade and enough copies for every class. Others use a single activity that can be adapted across grades, with notes about how to simplify it for younger students or extend it for older ones. Either approach works. The important thing is that a substitute can pick up the folder and run with it.

Keep it updated

Set a reminder to check your emergency folder a few times a year. Update class lists and seating charts, refresh copies, and replace any activities you have since used with the same group. A folder that was perfect in September may be out of date by spring. A quick review at the start of each term keeps it ready.

Tell someone where it is

Make sure your office staff and a teaching neighbor know where your emergency folder lives. Keep it somewhere visible, such as on your desk or in a labeled tray by the door. If you are away unexpectedly, someone should be able to find it in seconds.

Drawing Prompts That Hold Attention

Drawing prompts are one of the simplest and most effective sub plan activities. They need only paper and drawing tools, they work for nearly every age, and they give students room for creativity without needing a demonstration. The key is choosing prompts that are open enough to spark imagination but specific enough that students know how to begin.

Imaginative prompts

Prompts that invite students to invent something tend to be the most engaging. Ask students to design a new animal by combining two real ones, draw the inside of a treehouse they would love to live in, invent a machine that does their least favorite chore, or illustrate what their town might look like far in the future. Encourage them to add details, labels, and a background so the drawing fills the page.

Finish-the-drawing prompts

Give students a page with a simple starting shape or a few lines already drawn and ask them to turn it into something. A squiggle could become a creature, a circle could become a planet or a face, and a half-drawn object could be completed in any way they choose. These prompts are especially helpful for students who feel nervous about a blank page.

Observation prompts

Ask students to draw something they can see, such as their shoe, their hand, a classroom object, or a view out the window. Observation drawing builds real skill and can be surprisingly calming. Remind students to look closely, draw slowly, and notice small details like wrinkles, shadows, and textures.

Design challenges

Design prompts give students a problem to solve. Ask them to design a book cover, a cereal box for an imaginary brand, a postage stamp that celebrates something they love, a skateboard deck, or a poster for a school event. These challenges connect art to real-world design and often keep older students engaged for a full class period.

Directed Drawings: Structured and Reliable

Directed drawings walk students through a drawing step by step. They are a favorite for sub days because they provide clear structure and a satisfying result. A substitute can follow along with a step-by-step handout or a slide, and students can work at a steady pace together.

How to set them up for success

Leave a clear visual guide that shows each step in order. A printed handout for each table or a projected slide works well. Include a short note for the substitute explaining how to model each step on the board, or simply to let students follow the handout independently. Encourage students to personalize their drawings once the basic steps are complete by adding a background, patterns, color, or their own details.

Balancing structure and creativity

Directed drawings are sometimes criticized for producing identical work, but that does not have to be the case. Build in choice wherever you can. Students can choose the setting, the colors, the expression, or the extra details. The steps give them confidence, and the choices give them ownership. For older students, a directed drawing can teach a specific skill, such as drawing a cylinder in perspective, which they can then use in their own creative way.

Choosing subjects

Animals, simple buildings, plants, vehicles, and seasonal objects all make good directed drawing subjects. Choose subjects with clear, simple shapes for younger students and more complex forms for older ones. Avoid anything that depends heavily on precise proportions or fine detail, since those can frustrate students without your guidance.

Craft and Write Activities

Craft-and-write activities combine a simple art project with a short writing component. They are especially popular with classroom teachers and homeschool families, and they work beautifully on sub days because the writing portion keeps students focused and gives the activity a clear purpose.

What they look like

A craft-and-write might ask students to draw and color a character, then write a short story about it. It might involve creating a simple folded paper project with a written reflection inside. It could be a postcard where one side is an illustration and the other is a note written from the perspective of someone visiting that place. The combination of making and writing appeals to many different kinds of learners.

Keeping them simple

For sub days, choose craft-and-write activities that need only paper, drawing tools, scissors, and glue sticks. Provide a template if folding or cutting is involved, and include sentence starters or prompts for the writing portion so students are not stuck. Younger students might write one or two sentences, while older students can write a full paragraph or a short poem.

Connecting to art concepts

Writing can also be a way for students to reflect on art. Ask them to look at an artwork and describe what they see, how it makes them feel, and what they think the artist was trying to say. Or ask them to write about their own drawing, explaining the choices they made. This kind of reflection builds art vocabulary and critical thinking, and it is a meaningful way to keep learning going while you are away.

Other Reliable Sub Day Options

Art history and artist studies

Introduce students to an artist through a short reading or a printed set of images, then ask them to create a drawing inspired by that artist’s style. Choose artists whose work has a clear, recognizable style that students can respond to with simple supplies. This works well for older students who can read independently.

Collaborative drawings

Collaborative projects, where students pass a drawing around the table and each adds something, can be fun and low-pressure. Give clear time limits for each turn and a simple theme. The results are often delightfully unexpected, and the activity builds community.

Sketchbook days

If your students keep sketchbooks, a sketchbook day can be an easy sub plan. Leave a list of prompts and let students choose. This works best with students who are used to working independently in their sketchbooks and know the expectations.

Games and puzzles with an art focus

Art-themed word searches, crosswords with art vocabulary, and drawing games can fill gaps or serve as early finisher activities. These are best used as backups rather than the main activity, but they are useful to have in your folder for extra time.

Make It Easy on Your Substitute

A few small touches can make a big difference in how your sub day goes. Write your plans in plain language without art jargon. Keep instructions for each class on a single page if you can. Include an estimated time for each part of the lesson so the substitute knows how to pace it. Leave a backup activity in case a class finishes early or the main lesson is not working. And leave a short thank-you note. Substitutes often take on hard days with little information, and a kind word goes a long way.

It also helps to prepare your students. Talk to them about what you expect when a guest teacher is in the room, and remind them that you will hear about how the day went. Many teachers find that a clear conversation ahead of time leads to noticeably better behavior on sub days.

When You Return

Read the substitute’s notes, follow up with any students who need it, and thank the classes that did well. Collect and look over the work students completed. Even a quick acknowledgment, such as displaying a few drawings or giving a word of praise, shows students that their sub day work mattered. Then take a moment to note what worked and what you would change, and update your emergency folder if needed.

If you would like a few more options to tuck into your sub folder, the free Art Lesson Library is a helpful place to look for lesson ideas, and the Ms Artastic shop has classroom-ready materials you can print and leave for a guest teacher.

Free Sketchbook Prompts for Your Art Room

If you would like a stack of ready-to-print ideas for early finishers, sketchbook time and those days when you need something calm and simple, grab my free 120 Sketchbook Prompt Task Cards. Signing up also gets you my newsletter, where I share new lesson ideas and seasonal planning tips.

And if you would love to stop planning from scratch, the Artastic Collective is my K–9 art curriculum membership, with hundreds of art lessons organized so you can find the right one for your grade and season, along with planning tools and printable supporting pages.

Sub days will never be completely stress-free, but they do not have to be dreaded either. With clear information, low-mess activities, an emergency folder ready to go, and a few reliable lesson types in your back pocket, you can step away from the art room knowing your students are in good hands and your room will still be standing when you return.

Not Looking for a Whole Curriculum? Art Lessons That Work for Sub Days

These lessons are also available on their own in my shop. Tap a cover to see what is included.