Last Day Of School Drawing

In this article I'm going to give you some fresh and new ideas for teaching art at the End of the Year and yes, this shall include End of Year Art Lesson Ideas! So read on to discover 5 End of Year Art Lesson Ideas that you can use in your classroom, whether you teach in a general classroom or an art classroom! Let's make some art!

Now the best thing about the End of the Year is that you officially can start counting down those days, tearing up your classroom and minimizing all the mess and clutter that accumulated throughout the year, and you can start re-designing your dreams for your classroom for the year to come. It is the perfect time for Reflective Teaching where you can reflect on what you did well, what worked, lessons kids loved that you should do next year or similar ones of, but also reflect on what you should do less of or what you can let go of. Every year I tear apart my room and re-design and I generally recycle or remove. I do this during the last month, as kids are busy, just doing a tiny bit at a time, and before I know it, I'm walking out the door on the last day, all done and ready-to-go for when Back to School rolls around. As well, I always think about things that worked well and I write down things I want to change or add or do more of next year, that way when I return in the next school year, I can look at my notes and I am ready to go… Once I go into vacation mode, there is no turning back and I will be quick to forget literally everything.

Anyways, let's talk End of the Year Art Lesson Ideas! Here are my 5 Art Lesson Ideas for the End of the Year.

GET ALL THE DETAILS! Listen to this post on my Podcast!

In this article I'm going to give you some fresh and new ideas for teaching art at the End of the Year and yes, this shall include End of Year Art Lesson Ideas! So read on to discover 5 End of Year Art Lesson Ideas that you can use in your classroom, whether you teach in a general classroom or an art classroom! Let's make some art!

END OF YEAR MEMORIES ART:

Students can create art that explores their favorite memories from the year. Students can brainstorm 5-8 of their most favorite memories! You can even do table group brainstorms or whole class discussion of highlights from the year before students make their own list. Next, you can have students create a drawing that features their Top 5 favorite memories from the school year. Another idea is that they could create a mixed media collage that features their favorite memories. Students could also divide their page into different sections and in each section they could illustrate a memory. You could also have kids do collaborative works; for instance, you could make a whole class list and have kids vote ideas down to the top 5 by writing their names beside 3 choices of a class list. Then, you could have groups of kids make collaborative artworks on 1 memory. Divide the class up into 5 groups and then have those groups each illustrate 1 of the memories. You can give each group poster board or larger paper and then kids can work together to think of 1 composition or how they could divide the page up so that they could each work on a piece of it. Or maybe it's one image and they divide it up into sections and each person completes a section. Up to them and the age of your students! Of course, be flexible with mediums and materials with your end of year projects as you definitely don't want to make big messes or put added pressure on yourself when you're trying to wrap things up. Just keep it simple or let kids choose their medium from a selection of just a few things.

For a ready-to-use End Of Year, Memories Art Project Tutorial, check out my resource in my TeachersPayTeachers store where students explore Graffiti, line art, and memories from the year to create an End of Year artwork. If you're an Artastic Collective member, this is part of your membership. This Graffiti art and Line Art Project is a fun way for students to reflect on their favorite memories from the year, and to show some of the techniques they learned in art.Students will use the Element of Art: Line, symbols, and graffiti styled lettering to create an end of year art piece that shows what they have learned in the year, and a few of their favorite memories from the school year. This project uses wax crayon and felt marker. This resource is complete with a visual and text step-by-step (each step on its own page with description), a rubric for marking, a lesson plan, a finished example, and a step-by-step drawing handout to allow your students to create this piece successfully!

man in white crew neck top raising hi left hand

END OF YEAR DIRECTED DRAWINGS:

Honestly, it is wrap up time so don't feel guilty if you scale things back in that last month. You can definitely take it easy- you did your best all year and taught them what they need to know. As you wrap up in that final month, you can scale back and work on drawing techniques before they head out into the summer by using Directed Drawings. You can draw what you feel like or draw End of Year themed Directed Drawings. For End of Year Themed Directed Drawings that are ready-to-use and print into booklets, check out my End of Year Directed Drawing resource in my TpT Store.

As well, I have End of Year "Finish the Picture" designs that you can use to allow for kids to experiment and test their creativity with choice mediums with a focus on and End of Year Theme! Available in my TpT store!

In addition to this, I have an entire YouTube Channel that you can scroll through and find ready-to-use directed drawing lessons that are all classroom friendly! On days when you need some time to get things done, tidy up, or take down in your classroom, just pop on my videos! I'll help you teach and I'll free you up so you can help kids, connect, reminisce, or just get things done that need to be did. Search Ms Artastic on YouTube and don't forget to Subscribe as I release new videos weekly!

END OF YEAR "PLACES I HAVE GONE":

I love creating art pieces that reflect the places that students have "travelled" or have "gone" either literally or in their learning journey through the year. Students can trace their foot or shoe on their paper as a symbol of themselves, and then inside they can illustrate where they have traveled on their educational journey this year. I have a ready-to-use art lesson tutorial for this that you can find in my TpT store by clicking the "End of Year" Category on the left side of the store. Or you can click this direct link and it will take you there!

END OF YEAR GRADUATION ART LESSON:

If you have a group of kids that is "Graduating" from a Grade… such as Kindergarten or High School, you can totally make "Graduation" portraits with those students! For younger kids, you can do somewhat of a directed drawing and have students draw in details that are specific to their appearance. You can let them use easy-prep mediums such as wax crayons and watercolor paints and let them place with resist. For older students, you can have them draw a portrait of them in that moment of time. It could be a portrait that illustrates how they identify, or one that shows the "real" them. Or it could be a grid drawing of their Grad Picture.

For a primary "Graduation" art lesson, check out my End of Year Graduation Art Lesson tutorial in my TpT store that is ready-to-use or find it in the End of Year section with your AC membership.

FREE Art Lessons for Kids!

3 Free Ms Artastic Art Lessons for your Classroom!

Click here to download my Free Art Projects that you can use in your classroom!

SKETCHBOOK OR DRAWING PROMPTS:

Finally, you can definitely have kids work on sketchbook or drawing prompts during the end of the year to keep them exploring, experimenting, and creating in those last weeks without you having to do a lot of planning or prep. Simply create some drawing or sketchbook task cards that you can assign for each day and let the kids choose the mediums they want to create with. While they create, have fun and turn on some fun music or put on a cool Ambient World 6 hour playlist on YouTube on while they create. I love the Harry Potter Ambient worlds ones… but there are soooo many so take a look! It's a fun vibe. As well, these low-key activities require little prep and will give you the much needed time for closing up your classroom and getting ready for back to school before you walk out the door on the last day.

For ready-to-use sketchbook prompts, find my Sketchbook Task cards in my TpT store under Sketchbook. Just print, cut, and use one a day! There is a ton so they'll last you for years and years to come. No prep is my jam!

Here is your Action Item!

Action Item: Okay so, here is an action item that isn't related to an art lesson idea, but IS necessary for the End of the Year. Write down ALL things that need to be done before you walk out the door on the last day. Now start doing these things 1 month prior to the last day or ASAP. Just focus… get it done. Work through your lunch breaks, go in a little bit early… Do whatever it takes to have it ALL done and ready for Back to School before you leave.

This way you're NOT going in over summer and you don't need to do HUGE prep for Back to School. I used to go in a week before to get ready and now, I honestly can show up on day one ready to go. I even will prep a folder of activities that I pre-copy that I will use in those first 2 weeks so I don't even have to think as I transition myself into a new year. If I'm really good, I'll write lesson plans or day plans too. This depends on how teacher tired I am in the end of the year, but this is always the goal.

Be organized, get more freedom later. Short term pain, long term gain. You'll thank me later!

Save this Blog Post to Pinterest!

Find Drawing Tutorials & Art Lessons on the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel!

Finally, if you need some ideas or need to take a break in your classroom or from recording lessons for online instruction, I have lots of Art Video tutorials that are classroom friendly on my YouTube Channel!

Try these Ms Artastic Art Lessons!

Read My Latest Blog Posts:

-The BEST Picture Books that Teach about Art for Kids
-The BEST Books that Teach Art History for Kids
-Learn How to Fuel your Creativity at Home
-Learn About How to Walk a Creative Path in your Everyday Life
-How to Encourage a Maker Mindset in your Classroom
-Exploring the Elements of Art at Home with ANYTHING!
-10 Reasons Why Arts Integration in Schools is Important
-How To Guide for First Year Art Teachers: 10 Steps to Success
-How to Teach Art Classroom Rules and Routines in a Fun and Engaging Way