Easy Substitute Lesson Plans for Art

Drawing from an art sub plan called Silly Sandwich

Don't be caught off guard without sub plans when school starts up again. Whether you are putting together your art sub folder, sub tub, emergency sub lesson folder or planning for a long term substitute teacher, prepare early!!! You will be so glad that you did.

Simple Lesson Plans

I have collected some links to complete lesson plans that are simple enough to be used as sub plans for the beginning of the school year.

Patterned Hand

This patterned hand drawing and the downloadable PDF instructions for it can be found here: The Bonifas Art Center

In my opinion, this sort of lesson, one with little patterns and details, work better for upper elementary and middle school. I believe that younger kids would make quick work out of the patterning.

I do think you could expand on this a bit by filling up the space on the paper with overlapping hands.

Heroic Figures and Folk Tales

This "Art To Go" packet, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, includes artwork and activities. Kids may write and/or draw about heroes with step by step help from the authors. There are pages...."packets"....to download with clear directions. You may pick and choose what you want your sub to use.

You will need to print out some things for this lesson.

Medieval Beasts and Bestiaries

Here’s a complete lesson from the Met. Well, complete except for some illustrations. I found this accompanying beast by searching “public domain medieval animals mixed.” Medieval Beasts and Bestiaries But there are full and complete instructions at that link.

Medieval Beast of mixed animals - used to illustrate art sub plan of same name

Kindergarten and Preschool Art Lesson Plan

This is an easy to teach lesson that I have used for kindergarteners and preschoolers as a back-to-school lesson. I usually cut 12" x 18" into simple school bus shapes. After showing the students photos of many familiar and crazy-looking buses, I let them design their own. We also watched lots of videos about buses and sang "The Wheels on the Bus."

As a sub lesson, I would either leave the cut out bus shapes for the sub or a printed out outline of a bus that is included in the following sub plan.

If you would like to buy a PowerPoint of this lesson all ready to be used, you can buy it here, at my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. Here's a comment left by someone who purchased the lesson: Everything included that is needed to do this lesson which makes it so nice. I've added this to my sub-tub on a flash drive due to the completeness of the product. I really appreciate the attention to details for this product.

Here’s another one in my TpT shop that I would, without a doubt, put in an art sub folder. Print this one out for the school office, and you can teach it to any grade, K-6. Click here to see this one: Silly Sandwich Art Sub Plan

Drawing of a silly sandwich art lesson by a child

This one is complete with instructions and visuals. It is no prep and uses only paper and crayons or markers. It is a winner! Here are some reviews from this one:

“ I used this for a day I had a sick child at home and had to come up with a last-minute sub art lesson. This was a lifesaver! Thank you!”

“ I left this for a sub and the kids LOVED it. They ask to revisit this project frequently. ”

I have many art sub plans in my shop called……Art Sub Lessons! Here’s a link: Art Sub Lessons - TpT Shop. Go shopping for some sub plans and save yourself a lot of headaches!

Summer Art Sub Projects

Are you working with kids in a camp or school this summer? Will there be a chance that you might need a substitute to fill in for you at some point? Just like if you are teaching art during the school year, you need to have some sub plans ready to hand to a substitute teacher or counselor in case you have to be absent.

I've found some options for easy art sub plans that are pretty low prep.

Paper Plate Frisbees

Check out this blog post from Make and Takes blog. This post is about a summer camp activity about making a frisbee out of paper plates. She gives step by step directions that anyone could follow. This makes it a perfect lesson to give to a sub!

Summer art sub activity - paper plate frisbee

Colorful Flip Flop Artwork

The next easy art lesson that a sub could do comes from the blog, Pink Striped Socks. The directions are pretty simple for doing this, but she does spell them out. They turn out super cute, too!

Child drawing of colorful flip flops as an art sub plan

The blog, Crafting Chicks, has some good ideas for summer art activities. This post is a Summer Scavenger Hunt - Free Printable Game. What a great idea. You could easily create an art lesson for a sub based on where you are and what you have available.

Fun Drawing Activity

Here's a summer drawing lesson that is a favorite! Kids love silliness and fun. "Silly Sundae"doesn't disappoint. It is a great lesson to leave in a sub folder or sub tub as it is no prep and uses simple materials.

Summer art activity - child drawing of a silly sundae

Students look at a variety of wacky artworks based on the theme of ice cream. Then, they use their imaginations to create their own drawings of silly ice cream sundaes.

Quiet Time Art Worksheets

If you need some "in your seat" kind of fun activities for early finishers or to help a sub, check out my printable art worksheets. They're creative and fun to do.

Art sub plan idea for drawing your own Legos

A basic outline is drawn in and students add whatever details they like. There are options given for details, but they are mostly meant as springboards for new ideas. Click on a link you are interested in to see more.

Create a Character in Disguise

Create a Troll in Disguise

Draw a Turkey in Disguise

Create a Tooth Fairy in Disguise

Create a Dragon in Disguise

Create a Silly Monkey in Disguise

Create a Little Red Riding Hood in Disguise

Create a Turtle in Disguise

Create a Frog in Disguise

Create a Penguin in Disguise

Circle Game - Free Art Worksheet

Decorate a Jack O’ Lantern