Art Projects for Kids

Here are photos of what happened when I made my easels with jumbo craft sticks, like one of my readers did.

I like them for lots of reasons, as in being taller and sturdier. The only drawback is that my box tended to have a lot of warped sticks, so they are a little trickier to glue together. Not impossible (I recommend craft glue) but they don't lay nice and flat like the regular ones. Maybe another brand (not Creativity Street😒) would not have that issue?

On the plus side though, they can hold larger works of art, and they are much, much easier to cut with a sturdy pair of scissors.

See my comments for a link to the original project.

Last week a teacher shared how her students modified my tall craft stick easels to round out a school art show. What a great idea! I just tried making my own, and will share them next.

See my comments for a link to the project.

I recently received the sweetest note from a teacher, and it made my day. 💚

Kirsti shared that her school open house and art show included a Rainforest Glow Show made with projects from my Animals eBook and the Henri Rousseau Collaborative Mural.

Her 2nd and 3rd grade classes each learned how to draw and paint a rainforest animal, younger students colored creatures, insects, and chameleons, and everything came together with the big Rousseau mural as the centerpiece.

She said it was a “huge hit” with families, which is exactly why I love creating resources like these. When every student gets to contribute their own piece, the final display can feel really magical.

Thank you, Kirsti, for sharing your beautiful classroom success story!

I love this flag that a reader shared with me years go. They did a great job drawing all those stripes, and I'm so glad that my tutorial helped.

If you'd like your own free step-by-step tutorial for drawing the American flag like this, check out the comments below.

Can your students guess what this bird will look like when it’s finished?

I’m sharing just the last few steps from my How to Draw a Quail tutorial today, because this little bird comes together in such a fun way. Quails have so many interesting details — the head plume, the bold face markings, the round body, and those little patterned feathers — but the step-by-step directions help break it all down into something very doable.

This is a great drawing project when you want students to practice adding details without feeling overwhelmed. They can start with the simple bird shape, then build in the lines, patterns, background, and color one step at a time.

It’s also a nice reminder that even an unusual-looking bird can begin with simple shapes. Add a sky, some grass, and a few bright colors, and suddenly that little quail has a whole world around it.

Perfect for bird units, nature studies, or any time your class needs a fresh animal drawing project. 🐦

Find a link to the full step-by-step tutorial in my comments.

There’s nothing quite like seeing a Starry Night mural come together in a real classroom. 💙

If you’d like your students to get results like this, here are my best tips:

DO use oil pastels for maximum color. They make the blues, yellows, and swirling sky look so much richer than crayons or markers.

DO use drawing paper or multimedia paper, if possible. A slightly heavier paper helps the color show up brighter and gives students more room to layer.

DO use the Google Slide instructions to show students what colors to use on each section. Some will match the colors just right, some will be close, and maybe a couple will be a LITTLE off — but once everything is assembled, the mural will still have that beautiful, cohesive “Starry Night” look.

And one final tip: when the mural is complete and taped together, go back over some of the important details, like the tree and houses, with a dark pastel. Defining those edges adds boldness and helps the shapes read clearly from far away.

That’s the magic of a collaborative mural. Every student colors one piece, and together they create something much bigger, brighter, and more impressive than any one page could be on its own.

Print, color, assemble, and enjoy your hallway masterpiece!

See my comments to grab this template in my TPT store.

Need an easy way to keep student artwork organized all year? Art journals have been one of my favorite classroom systems for years.

They’re simple, inexpensive, and make such a big difference.

Each student only needs two book rings, a stack of 6" x 9" paper, and a cover made from recycled cardboard. Old cereal boxes or packing boxes work great too.

The smaller paper size is easier for students to finish, especially when class time is short. And when someone finishes early, they can flip back and add more to an older page.

Best of all, students can take responsibility for their own work. Third graders and up can usually find their journal, add their art, and put it away with very little help.

By the end of the year, those little pages turn into a wonderful keepsake. Parents love having all the art in one place, and students love seeing how much their work has grown over time.

It’s a simple system, but it solves so many problems: less sorting, fewer damaged projects, less unfinished work, and a whole lot more pride.

See my comments for a link to the post.