Halloween Art Lesson Plans for Elementary

Halloween Art Sub Lessons for Middle School and Elementary

Here are lessons your kids will love doing around Halloween. Some are full lessons in my TPT shop. Some are links to lessons on other blogs.  Some are ideas for great Halloween lessons. I thought they would be great for sub lessons, but an art teacher or classroom teacher could successfully teach them as well.

Here is a fun elementary art project for Cinco de Mayo, Halloween, or Day of the Dead. It can be set up as an art center; used as an early finishers project, or taught as an art sub lesson. There are templates, sample patterns, and examples of three different designs. See more about this set of worksheets at TPT Shop: Centers and Early Finishers

Here's a haunted house lesson that I created.  Find it here on TPT:  Art Sub Lessons - Halloween Haunted Houses or a  post about it here in this blog: Haunted House Lesson.

Here's a worksheet for early finishers at TPT.

"Create a Silly Monster"  This would be great for subs, art teachers, and classroom teachers.

Here's another one.  Yippee!!!  Creating Silly Monsters

Here's an extra goodie of my own.  Subs will love if you leave a worksheet for those early finishers!!!  This worksheet has an assortment of details for decorating their jack o' lantern. It also has a lightly drawn-in pumpkin for them to use as a base.  As a complete lesson, students could draw on another sheet, their own pumpkin shapes and use the worksheet as a reference.  There is also a sheet with 3 sample decorated pumpkins.  $.99 at my TeachersPayTeachers shop:  Art Sub Lessons.

This STEAM art activity would be fun to do around a Mexican holiday like Day of the Dead. If your students have seen the animated movie, “Coco,” they will be familiar with Día de Los Muertos. It would work perfectly as an art sub lesson. This lesson plan is by TPT Shop: Cool Classroom Stuff

This may be set up as a classroom learning center; an activity for early finishers; or as a teacher led lesson.

I found the most wonderful Halloween lessons that could be turned into art sub lessons.  Check these out!!!

Amy, at Makes and Takes, gives step-by-step instructions and many visuals for this lesson. She used black paper and oil pastel, but this could easily be done with crayons on lighter paper.

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At Panicked Teacher, Susie gives you step by step instructions on how to make this patterned pumpkin.  I believe she is a classroom teacher who has to supplement art instruction in her class for most of the school year.

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This lesson, at ArtfulNest, was written for middle school.  You could write it up as a fifth-grade lesson or a sixth-grade one.  You could also bring it down to the upper primary grades with a change of media.  Leave your subs some good visuals.  They could teach this!             

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Monster lesson.  There are lots of wonderful visuals and complete details here.  It is taught with paint and gadget prints, but you could so easily adapt it with crayons for your sub lesson. Visit Line FrØslev. There are wonderful things over there.

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Here's one done for you already.  Step-by-step instructions were written here by Ms. Crisco over at Crisco Art. Always a good type of lesson to leave for a sub.  

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Art Sub Plan - Op Lines 

 The blog, Kids Art Market, has written up directions for a lesson that could be used by an art sub. Don't you love it when someone else has already done the work and shared it???

Elementary Art Sub Plans | Romero Britto

Romero Britto Inspired Elementary Art Activity

This lesson is from the Elements of the Artroom blog. Mrs. Stacey provides many examples from this second-grade art lesson. I believe an art sub could teach a lesson based on this. 

Here is another 2nd or 3rd-grade art lesson about Romero Britto.  This one is at The Talking Walls blog.  There are plenty of instructions so you could easily translate this to an art sub lesson.  

I could see this used for second through fifth grades.  

If you would like to see a fully formed, lesson you can just email to your school office when you are out, check out this blog post:  Romero Britto Figure Lesson for K and 1

Native American Art Project for Elementary Students - Native American Shields

Art Sub Plan - Native American Shields

Here’s an art sub plan the kids and teachers love. 


Native American Shields This elementary art lesson would work well as a Thanksgiving or fall art project. It presents art history information on Native American Indian shields as well as on the artist, George Catlin. The students are led, step by step, how to draw the shape of a shield. They then take that basic shield and embellish it with their own symbols and decorations.

As a retired art teacher turned art sub, I can attest to the fact that this is one of those lessons where every child can leave feeling successful about their work. I have found that my students stay fully engaged throughout the entire class period.  

Supplies Needed

The supplies needed for this lesson are simple: 12"x18" white paper; pencils; markers or crayons; circles, both large and small, for tracing the shape of the shield. (I had students trace around paper plates and paper bowls.)

Reviews of This Lesson

Here is feedback left by teachers who have used this lesson.

"On July 11, 2018, Jennifer L. said, "This is my favorite lesson I did this entire year! Thank you! So much fun to include with my Native Americans unit.”

“On March 6, 2018, Artsy Ivie (TpT Seller) said: "This was wonderful for my 5th graders!!!!! Our school mascot is the Indian and they loved doing this project! Thank you for the editable powerpoint and for covering EVERYTHING in this.“

Something for Early Finishers

Here's another fun Thanksgiving idea. This worksheet is great for those early finishers. Kids draw a disguise for the poor turkey who is trying to escape a Thanksgiving dinner. Yikes! Create a Turkey in Disguise

For a time saving and quality art sub plan, click here to visit my TeachersPayTeachers shop:  Art Sub Lessons @ TPT

How to Draw a Turkey for Thanksgiving - Kindergarten

Turkey Directed Drawing for Thanksgiving

If you have an art sub who can lead a simple directed drawing, here's a super cute one for fall. Proud to be Primary has a lesson on her blog with complete directions.  Kindergarten kids will love it!  Of course, you might not want to leave paint with a sub.  (By the way, YOU DON"T WANT TO LEAVE  PAINT WITH A SUB!!!)  But, kids can draw this and color it with crayons and still end up with a lovely work to take away with them.

 Art Lesson Plan for Kindergarten

If you would like an early finisher activity about turkeys, I have this worksheet at my TPT shop: Art Sub Lessons.  "Create a Turkey in Disguise." Great for elementary kids.

If you are interested in a lesson on how to draw a simple turkey, check out this blog post: 

Art Sub Lesson: Thanksgiving Drawing.

How to Draw a Turkey in Disguise - Elementary Art Lesson

This is a complete lesson plan on drawing a turkey.  There are simple directions on the basic turkey shape and then examples for how it might be in disguise. This is a fun lesson for elementary kids and can be taught by anyone. 

You can find this lesson here in my TPT Shop:  Art Sub Lesson - Create a Turkey in Disguise

Kindergarten Art Sub Plans | Shape and Mondrian

Kindergarten Art Sub Lessons Idea on Shape and Mondrian

***This original post was based on a blog named This Mama Makes Stuff, but that blog no longer exists.***

This art lesson, in the blog, This Mama Makes Stuff, teaches shape, Mondrian, and oil pastels to kindergarten, but it could convert well to an elementary art sub lesson. Regular crayons would easily replace oil crayons. (I would not leave oil crayons for a sub.)

In this lesson, Carrie is teaching kids about shape; tracing a shape; and the art of Mondrian.  If you like including art history references, this is a good choice.  

Photo used under Creative Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

If you are interested in kindergarten art lessons that utilize shape, you might be interested in this one at my TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons.  It is a directed drawing of a bird with patterns and flowers, in which students draw a variety of simple shapes to create the picture.  Easy to teach with beautiful outcomes.

Art Sub Plans - Silly Sundae Preview

Art Sub Lessons "Silly Sundae"

Find relief when you have an emergency absence. Writing lesson plans for a sub when you are in a rush, feels horrible. Don't stress out when you don't need to.  I have complete no-prep lesson plans already fully formed for you.

This is a preview of my art sub lesson called "Silly Sundae." I thought you would get more information from a preview of this lesson than just from one or two images. Find this fun elementary lesson at my TpT Shop: Art Sub Lessons. 














This lesson is no prep and can be taught by anyone.  All someone needs to do is to show each page; read the script, and follow the directions. Subs love my lessons because there is a lot of content and they will keep the students engaged for the entire class period.  

Silly Sundae - Elementary Art Sub Plans

Silly Sundae - Art Sub Plans

This art lesson for kids is easy to teach. Substitute teachers only have to read the script; ask the questions; and show the pictures.  It requires no prep. This lesson gives students an opportunity to use their imaginations and create a fun product that they have never seen before. 

A no-prep lesson, it uses the most basic supplies: pencil, crayons or markers, and paper.

Check it out at the TPT shop: Art Sub Lessons.

Landscape with Patterns - Art Sub Plans

Patterned Landscapes for Elementary Art Sub Plans

Here are some visuals for a landscape lesson that anyone could teach. It could be great for an art sub.

I have drawn 4 stages of a patterned landscape lesson that you are welcome to use in a lesson with your own students.

Here is a video that you could use with older students.  Patterns and Landscape Video.

Other Lessons Idea on my Blog about Pattern

Easy Art Lesson for Elementary and Middle School

Put a Pattern on It

Complete Lesson at My TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons

The Colorful Art of Bruce Gray

***Originally I had linked to a lesson about patterned landscapes on a site called "Relief Teaching Ideas," but that site no longer exists.

Secret Rooms and Hidden Passageways

Art Sub Plan - Secret Rooms and Hidden Passageways

Before I got a job teaching art, I taught fifth grade.  I taught my class art when I could and tied it into our lessons.  When I taught the pyramids, my students drew imaginary interiors to the pyramids. They were enthralled, and so excited to share their drawings.  I have been meaning to recreate that experience as an art sub lesson for years.  Finally, I did it.

This is a lesson I named, "Secret Rooms and Hidden Passageways." Students look at a variety of hidden spaces in artwork; in history; and in imaginary images.  They then create their own space with trap doors, hidden rooms, secret hallways, and all manner of spaces that are tucked away.

You may find it in my TpT shop:  Art Sub Lessons

Dog Party - Preschool and Kindergarten Art

Preschool and Kindergarten Art Sub Plans

Here is a sweet idea for preschool and kindergarten that I had not seen before.  The lesson she created is for preschool. Here's a look at what they did.

She bases the lesson on Go, Dog, Go to have students create a dog party.  The idea came from Collage Mama's Itty Bitty Blog: A Big Dog Party.  

Take a look at the illustration from the book.

The original lesson has students using paint. Paint wouldn't be a medium you should leave for a sub unless you know the capabilities of the sub, but crayons will work nicely.  Students will love hearing the storybook read to them.  Likely, it will be a favorite.  So, let your sub read that book to your students and then have the students draw their own dog party.

Read "Collage Mama's" blog post for more ideas on this lesson.  

Insect Mandala - STEAM/STEM - Art Sub Lessons

Art Sub Lesson Plans for STEAM | Art and Math

Cool Classroom Stuff’s TPT shop has an art activity that could be used with an art sub, a center, or an early finisher activity. This could be used by elementary, middle, or high school students.  Create Insect Designs with Radial Symmetry - STEM/STEAM

This activity may be set up as a classroom learning center; an activity for early finishers; or as a teacher or sub led lesson.

This PowerPoint includes:

-Four drawing templates featuring spacing guidelines and lightly drawn insects. (Butterflies, spiders, crickets, and bees.)

-One drawing template featuring spacing guidelines without insects so that students may draw their own insects.

-Five sample drawings, showing a variety of media. They may be hung in the class as visuals for a lesson or hung in a learning center. 

-One sheet with a composite of the sample drawings that may be hung in a learning center.

-One sheet of sample ways to divide a circle into a design of radial symmetry.

-Three sheets that include information about radial symmetry and directions on how to do the design.

The designs may be created with pen, crayon or marker.

Flower Mandala Worksheets - STEAM -

STEAM - Math and Art Lesson

The TpT shop, Cool Classroom Stuff, has a fun art activity for elementary or middle school. It could be used for subs, centers, or early finishers. It includes circle templates that are divided to help design symmetrical floral designs. There is a template for creating a design to a Mother’s Day card as well as one for a larger design.

This radial symmetry lesson is a STEAM lesson as it integrates math and art.

It could be used by elementary and middle school students.