Animal Art Projects for Kids
If you want a room full of happy artists, start with animals! Sea turtles, polar bears, flamingos, lizards, birds and more. These animal art projects teach real art skills like line, color and texture, while kids create a critter that’s all their own.
My favorite lessons for this
Ready-to-teach lessons from my shop. Each card shows the grade range for that lesson.
Earth Day Sea Turtle Art LessonGrades 3 to 6See the lesson
Polar Bear Cool Colors Art LessonGrades 1 to 4See the lesson
Ocean Birds Art Lesson (Free)Grades 2 to 8See the lesson
Flamingo Art LessonGrades 1 to 4See the lesson
Line Lizard: 1st Grade Line LessonGrades K to 3See the lesson
Picasso Birds Art and WriteGrades 2 to 5See the lesson
Ceramic Dragon Clay ProjectGrades 5 to 8See the lesson
Prehistoric Cave Art ElkGrades 4 to 7See the lessonFree ideas from my blog
Color Wheel Art Lesson for Grade 3 | Color Wheel Fish Art ProjectRead the post
Primary Colors Art Lesson for Kindergarten | Bird Art Project and Video TutorialRead the post
Fish Art Lesson for Kids!Read the post
Cool Colors Art Lesson, Fish ArtworkRead the post
5 Arctic Animal Art Ideas for your Classroom using Choice-Based StrategiesRead the postFree tools
Supplies I recommend
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Questions teachers and parents ask me
Why are animals good art subjects?
Kids love them, and animals are full of shapes, patterns and textures, so they’re a natural way to practice the elements of art.
Which animal projects work for the youngest artists?
Projects built from simple shapes, like a fish, bird or owl, are great for kindergarten and grade 1.
Can animal projects fit my science unit?
Yes. Many teachers pair them with habitat, ocean or arctic units so kids learn in both subjects at once.
What supplies work best?
Oil pastels, watercolor and markers are all great. Each lesson lists what it uses.
Video lessons to try
Press play and paint along with me. Each video lesson comes with a printable lesson plan and a QR code, so it is ready for the classroom or the kitchen table.
Want it all planned for you?
The Artastic Collective is my full art curriculum, with lessons, videos and printables for the whole school year. Come take a peek!
More art lessons to explore
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