Art Sub Plan for National Dress Up Your Pet Day

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

Ooooooh, another holiday is coming up! January 14 is "Dress Your Pet Day."

Here's a blog post about it from National Today: Dress Up Your Pet Day

This would be an easy idea to turn into a lesson for substitute teachers. Use a few good photos of dressed up animals and show some books with illustrations of dressed up animals. The school library is full of them!!!!

Here's a little drawing I did of dressed up pets that you may use for your lesson, if you like, but the internet is full of photos of dressed up animals.

drawing by ArtSubLessons.blogspot.com

There are so many photos of dressed up animals on Flickr. If you search on Flickr, you can add to your search that you want photos using Creative Commons, which gives you permission to use the photo. You can break down that search to your more specific needs. Artists who post their photos will set them for the level of sharing they wish to give.

Photo by Richard Masoner. https://tinyurl.com/2tjz74sy. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Crayons and paper would be all you need for this one. Encourage adding details and a background.

From My Shop

If you are interested in some art worksheets that you could use for "Dress Up Your Pet Day," here are some that I have in my TPT shop:

Create a Dragon in Disguise

Create a Silly Monkey in Disguise

Create a Turtle in Disguise

Create a Frog in Disguise

Create a Penguin in Disguise

Create a Bunny in Disguise

Create a Groundhog in Disguise

Create a Panda in Disguise

Create a Yeti in Disguise

Create a Reindeer in Disguise

Art Sub Lesson for National Hat Day - January 15

 January 15 - National Hat Day

Did you know there is an actual “National Hat Day”?  I had no idea! Evidently, it is January 15. 

There are lots of fun sculpture lesson plans for "Crazy Hat Day". A quick search will give you tons of ideas for a lesson you can teach. However, I wouldn't leave a lesson with cutting and gluing for substitute teachers. 

A drawing lesson about funny hats can be an engaging, open ended activity, and kids love those creative sorts of lessons.

 "Wacky Hats" is a lesson that I created with a sub in mind, but it can be taught by anyone. It has always been a favorite of my own students over the years.

I included lots of photos of real wacky hats, even some from art history! This lesson is fully scripted with all the directions you need. There are also drawing samples of wacky hats.

It uses the most simple materials: crayons and paper.

So, if you need a sub plan, or want to enjoy teaching this lesson yourself, check it out at my TPT Shop:  Art Sub Lessons.

Handprint Tracing as Art Sub Plans

Hand Tracing Art Projects

Kids seem to love tracing their hands. It’s easy to do and mostly a no fail way to start a drawing. 

I looked online for different art lessons using hand tracing, that would be successful as an art sub lesson. There are plenty of them out there. Here are a few.

This is a drawing, a doodle really, that I did after looking at the blog post from Hingham Art Dept. The teacher had multiple ideas for hand traced drawings. They were all easy to do and attractive to look at. The lesson was geared towards second and third grades.

Click here to see the lesson, “Lend Me Your Hand.”

Miss Heather’s channel on YouTube has a video lesson on tracing your hand and filling it with designs relative to the students’ lives and interests. I like it when students really personalize their work. 

I suspect that Miss Heather made this video for her students during the pandemic.

Click here to see: Miss Heather’s YouTube Lesson

The next blog post includes another video. “The Craft Train” blog shows you how to design a patterned and colored hand design. Likely, if I left this for a sub, I would skip the cutting and pasting part, but do all the rest.  

Click here to see: Handprint Doodle Art by The Craft Train

JoAnne Gonzales has a blog post showing three different hand tracing ideas. There are plenty of directions there for you. Click here to visit:  3 Fun Hand Tracing Drawings

So, there are some fun ideas for your kids, but they are fun doodles to do yourself.

If you would like to see another of my blog posts about hand tracing, check out this blog post: Hand Creatures 

If you are interested in a fully formed lesson for a sub, that uses doodles, check out: People in the Style of Romero Britto. It’s in my TpT shop; easy to hand to a sub; and is easy to teach.

Art Sub Lesson - Doodle Monsters Around the Christmas Tree

 Art Sub Lesson - Doodle Monsters 

I’m still playing around with doodling monsters. They’re fun for me to draw and kids seem to have as much fun doodling them as I do. 

Simple Monster Drawing Characters for Winter

Here's a new drawing, that I have added to my art sub lesson. It is doodle monster gingerbread people. One is rather Santa-like. One looks like Mrs. Claus. (Does she have a first name?) There's an elfin one; a kid one; one with a top hat; and a couple with beanies....tuques?...knit caps.

Monster Doodles Worksheet for Early Finishers

I have added a blank template of this drawing to the lesson on TPT in case you want an early finishers coloring activity. It is an add on at the end of the lesson and won’t change the lesson at all. So, if you have already bought this lesson from my TPT shop, you can just download it with changes, for free. (Yippee!) I’ve added this finished drawing to the sample drawings too. 

Click here to see or buy the monster doodle lesson at my Art Sub Lessons shop:  Art Sub Lesson - Doodle Monsters in Winter

More Blog Posts about Doodling Monsters

If you are interested in seeing other blog posts about these doodle monsters, check them out here:

Doodle Monsters in Winter

Doodle Monsters in Winter

Doodle Monsters in Winter Sub Lesson

Doodle Monsters in Winter

I’ve been playing around drawing these doodle monsters lately. They’re fun and easy to do and rather addictive to draw.  You can see the blog post about the lesson plan here:  Art Sub Lessons: Doodle Monsters in Winter

 

Art Sub Plan - Beyond the Gingerbread Man

 

Art Sub Lesson - Beyond the Gingerbread Man

The other day I wrote about one of my art activities where kids create gingerbread characters or objects that were not gingerbread people. This morning, for fun, I doodled an example for that lesson. Here's a link to that blog post: Art Sub Lesson: Beyond the Gingerbread Man

Art Lesson Plan - Beyond the Gingerbread Man

Art Sub Plan - Beyond the Gingerbread Man 

No doubt about it. Kids love drawing gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, and all lessons related to candy and treats. After so many years though, that whole house and cookie person idea has run its course with them. 

I came up with an idea for the whole gingerbread and candy idea, but with a twist. "Beyond the Gingerbread Man" lets kids use all those fun yummy ideas they have, but let them apply them to an open ended art experience.

This was written as an art sub plan, but can be taught by anyone. It uses the most simple supplies: crayon and paper. You may, of course, use markers, Sharpies, and the like.  

Here are some of the art work kids have done with this lesson.

I have provided lots of examples of the gingerbread houses they are familiar with and a script for you to follow. 

It is such a fun lesson to do and easy to teach. Whether you teach it yourself or hand it to a sub, you will be happy to have given this lesson to your students.

Click here to find out more about this lesson: Beyond the Gingerbread Man - Art Sub Lesson Plan

Related Blogposts You Might Enjoy

If you are looking for some other Christmas/winter art lesson ideas, here are some other blog posts you might like:

This one is about the ever popular "ugly Christmas sweater." It includes both free and paid options from the web and TPT.

Art Worksheet - Ugly Christmas Sweater

The next blog post is about a free idea from NeoWhimsey that is an ornament or a card idea.  

The last one is a good idea for your special needs classes. You can find this blog post here:  Yarn Wrap Ornament for Special Needs Students

Art Worksheets - Winter Trees

 Winter Trees Art Activity

This lesson fits nicely with the one I posted yesterday.  This works well in the winter as an art sub lesson; an activity for early finishers; or as a center activity.

There is a template of a winter tree; sample patterns; directions to hang in a center; teacher directions; and examples of different ways to complete the art work.

It's only $3 and you can buy it on TPT here:  Winter Trees Art Activity

Art Worksheet - Winter Mittens

 Winter Mittens Art Activity

Here's an activity that works great for centers, early finishers, and subs. 

There is a worksheet with a line drawing of mitten shapes, divided into sections. 

Students may use pattern and color, however they like, to fill in.

There is also a sheet of sample patterns they may choose from or be inspired by.

There are also sample mitten designs showing different methods they may use as a reference for their own design.

Directions are included in two ways: for use in a learning center or to be used by a teacher leading students through a lesson.

It's a great thing to have on hand for emergency absences or for those early finishers. 

Only $3, you can buy it at the TPT shop, Centers and Early Finishers.

Art Sub Plans with Holiday Color Schemes

Sub Plans with a Holiday Color Scheme

If you are in a pinch, needing sub plans, take a look at what you already have. Are you able to give art worksheets a new twist to make them more appealing to the season or the students' interests? How about a change of color schemes. You don't have to be specific about any season or event, but you can offer a color scheme that would suggest it.


Here's a lesson from the TPT Shop: Centers and Early Finishers. It's a lesson that could be taught any time. If you want to use it in December, you could always put up a sample in red and green, or blue and silver, some traditional color schemes for the month. Students could also use the colors of their favorite teams. 

Art Worksheets for December

Early Finishers Art Worksheets for Winter, Christmas, and December

Art worksheets for early finishers are always a relief for subs and teachers alike. As hyper as kids seem to be this year, they need help occupying themselves when they are finished their work.

The shop, Centers and Early Finishers, caters to that need. Here are activities and worksheets that cater to Christmas, and winter. 

These are from the TPT Shop: Centers and Early Finishers.

Doodle a Christmas Stocking

"Doodle a Christmas Stocking" has a stocking template; lots of sample patterns; and samples of finished artwork. These could make a nice display on a bulletin board.

Doodle Art Nutcrackers

"Doodle Art Nutcrackers" includes two templates of nutcrackers, one male and one female, to doodle and decorate; four examples of finished artwork; directions for students; directions for the teacher; and a sheet of sample patterns for doodling. 

Draw Your Own Gingerbread House

Students may draw their own house shape or use the template house shape. There is a sheet with sample candies and treats from which the kids may get ideas, and there are multiple sheets of gingerbread house designs.

Doodle Art - Fancy Decorated Trees

It includes two templates of tree shapes to doodle and decorate; three examples of finished artwork; directions for students; directions for the teacher; and a sheet of sample patterns for doodling. 

Art Lesson - Robots in Winter

It was created so that a teacher only needs to print out the slides and hang them if they are to be used as a center activity. There is also a script with directions for if the teacher or sub is going to use this as a lesson plan.

How Would You Design a Winter Mitten

This elementary art activity may be used in a center; as a short art lesson; as a sub lesson; or for early finishers. Students look at sample mitten designs and then create their own mitten design. A page of directions for the activity is provided so you may print it out and hang it in the center. Also, a sheet with questions to help stimulate ideas is provided. The teacher only has to print out the slides and hang them in their center area or use them as teaching visuals. A line drawing of a blank mitten is provided as a place for the students to design their own mitten.

If you would like to see a fun Christmas worksheet from another TPT shop, check out this blog post about the activity, "Ugly Christmas Sweaters."

Doodle Monsters in Winter - Art Sub Plans

Doodle Monsters in Winter, Christmas, or December

This time of year, kids will beg to do holiday art lessons. That's a tough one, since there are multiple holidays celebrated in December, and there are those who are not allowed to celebrate any of them.  I contemplated how to do a fun holiday-ISH lesson while leaving it open ended enough to not be related to a holiday at all. 

And since I am all about creating lessons that subs can teach, it would need to be a lesson easy enough to be taught by anyone.

I found lots of videos about doodling by kids and adults alike. The kids' art was every bit as fun to look at as the grown ups' art. 

Doodle monsters were what I settled on. 

I had so much fun drawing and coloring them, I contemplated continuing doing them long after my art sub lesson was finished.

In the lesson, after kids learn how to draw the shapes of the doodle monsters, they have options to choose from for all the details: eyes and mouths. Then there are sheets of options for winter and holiday symbols. 

There is art history info about doodling, (daVinci and the Queen of Prussia from the 1700's); info about overlapping; and a bit about shading.

As always, I write my lessons to be easy enough to be taught by anyone. 

Go check out this lesson at my TPT store here:  Art Sub Lessons

Art Sub Lesson - Winter Drawing with VanGogh Sky

 Winter Art Lesson

This lesson plan was at the site, Art to Remember. It is a basic but complete lesson plan. There were a variety of landscapes in there visuals. The winter scene was just one of them.

If I was teaching the lesson, I might provide visuals of winter scenery; photos of snow covered structures, trees, etc. I’d probably also add a visual reminding students about horizon lines and such. 

If you live some place where snow covered scenery is not the norm, you can use some of their other visuals of landscapes and do a variation on the theme.  

There are written instructions for this lesson, which is a plus. 

Check it out and see if this would work for you and your students.

If you are looking for more ideas for winter art sub lessons, check out this post:

Winter Art Sub Lessons

Art Sub Plan - Thanksgiving Lesson

Create a Turkey in Disguise

Here is a classic art lesson for November. I put it together as a complete art sub lesson this week.  Its for those of you who need a sub plan ASAP or those who just need an easy and fun lesson. 

Instead of you having to recreate the wheel by adding your own visuals and sub instructions, here it is already done for you. Directions; sample finished art work; visuals by professional illustrators from the past; and visuals with details for inspiration, all are provided for you. All you have to do is print it and hand it to your sub or school office.  The only supplies you need are pencil, paper, and crayons.

You can take a look at it here:  TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons - Create a Turkey in Disguise.

Kindergarten Art Sub Plan on Figure Drawing

Art Sub Lesson - People in the Style of Romero Britto

Early in the school year I like to teach kindergarten and first grade, "how to draw a person." They learn the basic shapes you need to use, and then turn it into a self portrait.

I have learned, though, that many times students in all grades will fall back into drawing stick people. ....Sigh..... So a review of at least giving their humans a full body shape, is never a bad thing.

Statue by Romero Britto. Photo by Phillip Pessar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Art Sub Lesson for Drawing a Human Figure

 When I contemplated what I would do for a new art sub lesson, I stumbled across some Romero Britto paintings of people. He used those basic shapes that primary kids learn how to draw, and that, coupled with the bright colors and simple patterns, would make a perfect lesson for an art sub to teach. As with all of my art sub plans, teachers will often use them in their regular classes.

So, this new art sub lesson that I created teaches a basic definition of Pop Art. It shows Romero Britto's bright and happy paintings; connects the work of Picasso to Britto; and leads students on how to draw a person using simple shapes.

It can be printed out and handed to a substitute teacher; emailed to your school office for them to hand to the sub; projected in your classroom; or shown to your students for distance learning in a Zoom type meeting online. (Not Outschool, please.)

Where You can Check out all the Details

Check out the lesson preview over in my TpT shop.  Art Sub Lesson - People in the Style of Romero Britto

Back to School Art Sub Plan Name People

 Back to School Art Sub Plan - Name Parade

Art lessons based on names are popular for the beginning of the school year. If you have emergency leave then, there are some name art sub lessons that will work well for you also.

Inspiration for this Idea

This first lesson was an art activity that I stumbled across over at Artsonia. Click here to check it out:  Name Parade That's where you can find a description of the lesson and lots of samples.

It was posted by Old Post Road Elementary School
E. Walpole, Massachusetts 
(This is an example that I created based on the posted drawings.)

Here is another one  I made as a sample.

You can totally figure out the directions for yourself and your sub. If you would like this similar idea written out as a fully formed art sub plan though, you can visit my TPT Shop here:  Name People

Back to School Art Sub Plan for Middle School

Name Design Taught 2 Ways

I hate to be the bearer of unwanted reminders, but if you are not already back in school, you will be soon.  Sorry! Sorry! I know! I know!

And it's never too early to prepare for those worst of school days.....sick leave days. Boo hiss!!!! But, worse than a sick leave day is a sick leave day when you are not prepared for one.

Here's a typical back to school lesson: name designs. It is a great way to take a look at the kids's names and try to remember them. It also creates interesting art for a bulletin board or a cover for an art portfolio.

Zentangle Name Design Video (Free Resource)

I found this lesson already worked out for you on YouTube. Zentangle Nametags The YouTube channel, "Mr. New's Art Class," has a short video that would be perfect to use for middle school kids if you have an art sub. If they can use the internet and projector, you can just leave it up to Mr. New to teach that lesson.

Zentangle Name Design Art Sub Lesson (Blog Post and TpT Resource)

Now, if you are in a hurry, and want to just print out a similar lesson for middle school or elementary, you can buy this lesson from my TpT shop. It was written for a sub, so most of the work has been done for you.  Check it out in this blog post:    Name Design for Back to School or in my TpT shop:  Name Designs Art Sub Plans.

Update to my Art Sub Plan, "Wacky Hats"

 Update to Art Sub Lesson "Wacky Hats"

Updated TpT Lessons

Did you know that sellers on TpT improve and update their products? And if it is something you have already purchased, you can download the improved product for FREE???  

I don't know how often people find out about updated items, so I'll start posting my updates here in the blog.

Latest Updated Lesson in my TpT Shop

This week I updated one the first lessons in my TpT shop. I looked at the first version that I made in 2013. I was going to post a photo here from that version, but I am too embarrassed. YIKES! So trust me. This is an improvement.

How I Improved It

One of the main reasons I went in to improve it, though, was because all the slides had a blue background. It occurred to me that the folks who wanted to print a copy of it, were going to be using a lot of printer ink on just the background. So, I made the backgrounds white.

There are improved graphics. The lesson texts are editable. I think it is just overall a way better lesson. 

SO if you already purchased my lesson called, "Wacky Hats," please go into my TpT shop and download the new version for free.

5 Back to School Art Sub Plans - Name Designs

Five Art Sub Plans for Back to School - Name Designs

Preparing for the first week of school can feel like the pits. I will admit to being someone who often waited until rather late to start doing those back to school lesson plans. And if you have to write art sub lessons for that first week back, that's just the worst!

I've looked around for some lessons online to help you with that. And I looked for ones where the planning has mostly been done for you.

Name designs are some of the first lessons I like to do because they can be used on the cover of student portfolios or hung as bulletin boards.

1.  Fully Prepared Art Sub Plan in my TpT Shop  

I'll start with an art sub plan that I have just finished creating for my TpT shop. 

It has all the instructions, visuals, dialog, and examples that you need to print out and hand right to a sub. It'd also be a good one to put right in your emergency sub plan folder.

There are options for how the students may complete it. They can do it in black and white with patterns.

They can do it in color with patterns.

For differentiation or for primary grades, you might choose to do it just with color and no patterns.

Here's where you find this lesson:  TpT Shop: Art Sub Lessons - Name Designs

2.  YouTube Lesson for 6th Grade 

Now, if you prefer to have your older kids, maybe 6th graders, watch a video lesson, check out this one from Mrs. Thiele.  Here's the address for that one:  6th Grade Portfolio Cover Name Design

She has them use Zentangle type patterns in their name design.

3.  Easy Lessons that Need a Few More Instructions

The Incredible Art Dept. has multiple ideas for name design lessons. They are a little thin on the written instructions, but you could probably write them up without too much trouble.

Here are some other blog posts that I have written about name design lessons that you could use with a sub. 

Name People is a lesson that I found on Artsonia, for third graders.

4.  Middle School Abstract Name Design

This one is an abstract name design for middle school students.  Abstract Name Designs as Middle School Art Sub Plans

5.  Radial Name Design 

This blog post shows you a little about a radial design for names. 

This one, at the Seoul Mates blog, also shows the idea of a name written in a radial design, but a little differently.

Again, if you want to just buy one that is already prepared and ready to hand to a sub, check this one out at my TpT shop.  Back to School Name Design.