Free Art Worksheets for Elementary and Middle School

 Free Art Worksheets

Who doesn't like free stuff? Especially when you are in a pinch. A lot of the time when you need a sub, that is exactly what you are in. A pinch for time.

I found some free doodle sheets that you can download immediately. The blog, "Artful Kids" has a set of 6, ready for you to grab right now. Here's one. 

They'd be great to keep in your sub tub or your files for early finishers.

If you'd like an art sub lesson that you can also download immediately and email right to your school office, here's a new one I made.  "Doodle Monsters in Spring."

For $4 you get all of the directions; the script; photos; examples; rubric; and ways to end the lesson right there. Subs love these lessons and kids do too. Go here to check out this lesson and others at my TeachersPayTeachers shop:  Art Sub Lessons.

If you are interested in more free art worksheets, check out this blog post:  Circle Worksheets

Aztec Suns Art Lesson for Subs

 Aztec Suns Art Lesson

In the blog, “What’s Happening in the Art Room??”, Ms. VandenBush shows examples of student work from a lesson on Aztec Suns. The lesson incorporates lines; warm and cool colors; and color blending into a striking design that could be adapted for a sub. 

Elementary or Middle School Art Sub Plan

You can check out this lesson here:  4th Grade Aztec Sun. She has posted several examples and her directions are in the comments section. The lesson she taught was with 4th grade, but this lesson would transfer beautifully with older students. 

Elementary Art Sub Plans @ TPT

If you are interested in a fully formed art lesson written specifically for a sub, check out this lesson in my TPT shop:  Flowers in a Vase.

All the directions and examples that your sub will need are provided for you. The materials are  super simple ones; paper and crayons or markers.

Art Worksheet for St. Patricks Day

 Art Worksheet for Early Finishers

This little worksheet makes a handy little activity for early finishers but also functions as an art sub activity.  $.99 Need an art activity for an independent work packet? This worksheet includes directions; sample details; and a lightly drawn in leprechaun.

Where to Find the Worksheet

You can find this activity in my TPT shop:  TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons

Art Worksheet for February and Groundhog Day

 Art Worksheets for Early Finishers and Art Subs

I have always tried to make things as easy and pleasant as possible for substitute teachers. Their job is hard enough without trying to decipher an unclear lesson plan.  

Worksheets for early finishers or short art classes can be a giant help for subs.  I sell them in my TPT shop mostly for .99 a piece or you can buy them in a bundle for a greatly discounted price.

Here's one I created especially for Groundhog Day.

  "Create a Groundhog in Disguise."

If you are having to provide art activities for teachers with no art experience whatsoever, these worksheets are the perfect solution. They hand out the worksheet and maybe read the instructions on the paper. Kids love these sheets too!

Other February Sub Lessons

If you want to check out other blog posts about February and winter art lessons, check out these posts:

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day - Art Sub Plans

 

Art Sub Plans - Valentines Day

Looking around for lessons you could give a substitute teacher, you need something that kids will find fun and subs will feel comfortable teaching. I like the idea of doodles. 

There are so many types of doodles and they can easily be geared towards any holiday or special event.

Kids love, love, looooooooove doodle monsters. They're easy to draw so they are kind of a no fail thing to draw.  So, I created an art activity for February and Valentines Day with the theme of doodle monsters. Before I tell you about that lesson though, I'll share some web sites that also feature doodles.

Art Lessons About Doodling

Here's a blog post about doodles in general. It gives you instructions for how to get kids started doodling.  The blog is Doodle Art Alley and the post is here:  Doodle Art Activities Ideas. 

That doesn’t looks like a Valentine lesson though. So, add valentine elements to it, that is, add hearts and red. Now, this might not be a lesson you would teach during your own class time, but what you are going for in a sub lesson is engagement. How to get kids to buy into a lesson from a stranger. Kids love valentines.

The next post of from "My Modern Met." They give a general description of doodles then give a list of ideas that might inspire doodling.  You can find that post here:  50+ Doodle Ideas That Everyone Will Have Fun Sketching. Again, add hearts and reds to this, and you have a lesson for Valentine’s Day.

Art Sub Lesson Plan for Valentine’s Day - Doodle Monsters

If you are interested in an art activity for Valentine's Day, that is fully scripted, with visuals and directions, go check out this lesson in my TPT Shop.  Doodle Monsters at Valentine's Day

There are:

❄️2 slides with general instructions and supplies needed
❄️2 slides explaining what doodles are including one from the past
❄️13 pages fully,scripted lesson with visuals including how to draw a doodle monster
❄️5 pages of examples to print out and display
❄️Suggestions for different ways to end the lesson

❄️1 line drawing that may be used as a coloring sheet for differentiation or as an activity for early finishers

If you are interested in another blog post that would be great for January and February, check out this blog post:  15 Art Sub Plan Ideas for Black History Month.

Chinese New Year Dragon

Chinese New Year  Dragon

This is a lesson that I have taught in my own art room and the kids have always loved it.  Before the lesson, I always liked to show YouTube videos of Dragon dances during the Chinese New Year celebrations.  There are also lovely children's books on the subject which would go great with this lesson.  You don't need either to teach this lesson though.  I've added lots of visuals and background that provide motivation for the students.

I have heard from classroom teachers as well as art teachers who have taught this.  They all seemed to have success and the kids loved it.  

The lesson introduces the students to Asian dragon costumes as they might be seen in parades and festivals. Along with a little background information about the mythical dragons, students observe decorative details used in these festive celebrations.

This would be perfect as an emergency sub lesson or as a lesson to be taught by a teacher at any time. 

You can find out more about this lesson at my TPT shop, Art Sub Lessons.

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."