50 Free Short Art Activities

I have compiled a list of 50 free short art activities. These are my favorite and most engaging activities I have used over the past 20 years when I just need a short and simple art activity. I use them for the beginning of the school year, the end of the year, just to break things up, or at home for some weekend or summer vacation art activities. Many of these activities require no art materials or mess at all while some require a few simple supplies. You can read the full list below or CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE LIST AS A PDF.

1. Pictionary – Have each student write a word and draw from a hat or use a deck of cards from Pictionary Game – divide the class into 2 teams
2. Sculptionary – Same idea but sculpt using oil based clay or PlayDoh
3. Friendship Bracelet – Use embroidery floss to create a bracelet for your friend-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehxIXrWQp1g&t=325s
4. Blooket, Quizizz, Kahoot! – So many art games and review ready to play
5. Dictionary Drawing – Take a page from the dictionary and illustrate one or more words from the page, color lightly with colored pencils
6. Plein Air Drawing – Use a book, clipboards or drawing boards and go outside and draw what you see
7. Sidewalk Chalk – Draw a mural students can color, trace each other and make life size portraits or free draw
8. Game Day – Bring in your board games, cards or have a spoons tourney
9. Art Trivia – Top of your head questions they should know. Each correct guess gets a ticket, token or candy
10. Origami Crane – How to make an origami crane – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTK9YeR-oLc
11. Origami Nesting Dolls – Create stacking kittens using a simple origami cup – design https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf0SveJCXcs
12. Origami Box – Create a functional box with 2 pieces of origami paper – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgRrPUB2Bk
13. Origami Transforming Ninja Star – Make a star using 8 Post Its or cut square paper – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83xjZSvaV_I
14. Op Art – 17 video tutorials, many using just markers, pencil or crayon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyXa2DtSfY4&list=PLLaEaJH73vhUiJ0niilfitzRDXWz27zEN
15. Flexagon – Use markers to create a 4 sided fidget! Template link listed in YouTube description. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3XAQMmWFg
16. Shrink Art – Use Sharpie markers on Shrink film (search ‘shrink sheets’ on Amazon)
17. Memory Book – Cut papers in half and staple together to make a book for classmates to sign and write notes
18. Marble Paper – Fill a container with shaving cream, add drops of liquid watercolors, lightly swirl with pencil and set paper on top. Remove shaving cream with a ruler.
19. Test Markers – Fill a paper with marks, lines, shapes and make non-objective work of art. Afterward, sort markers using a color wheel.
20. Cleaning Contest – Give a reward to students who organize storage room and supplies for next year, clean tables and counters, sinks, and DUST!
21. Experimental Art – Use leftover supplies to create a work of art
22. Movies – The Lego Ninjago Movie, Coraline or My Neighbor Totoro. Check out my longer list of Art Movies for the Classroom.
    
23. Stop Motion Animation – Use Stop Motion Studio App – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxfm8injPiQ&t=472s
24. Create a Class Coloring Book – Copy and charge a small fee for paper – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTqjKhE1psE
25. Artist Trading Cards – Cut 2.5 X 3.5 tagboard and have students make a mini-masterpiece. Once they are finished, trade with friends in the class.
26. Banner – Make a “Back to School” banner for next year
27. Post It Note Art Show – Make a mini masterpiece on a Post It Note and display next year to welcome back students
28. Found Object Drawing – Incorporate a found object into your drawing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m6DfITEQkg&t=32s
29. Roll-a-Picasso Drawing –  Or any other “roll-a-drawing” handout you can find
30. Pass the Drawing – Start a drawing, set a timer, when the timer sounds pass it on, continue until time runs out
31. Exquisite Corpse – Fold paper into thirds – a different artist draws the head, torso and legs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPb3GYBOmGI
32. Coloring Contest – Print out any coloring image and make it an old fashioned coloring contest or a 3 marker challenge – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orF22kYcEF8&t=4s
33. Painting with Water – Just water, paintbrushes and a sidewalk. Paint as fast as you can before it disappears.
34. Shadow Drawing – Use objects to create cast shadows and trace them on paper
35. Ted Talks – Personal favorite Phil Hansen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZTho_o_is
36. Texture Hunt – Fill your paper with texture rubbings (bottom of shoes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SkOnS3rUoY&t=17s
37. Paper Airplanes – Have a contest to see who’s design will fly the farthest
38. Lettering – Write your name in 20 unique fonts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-tnzCzhSY&t=82s
39. Design An Alphabet – Write the entire alphabet in a new font
40. Draw with Letters -Draw everyday objects using only letter shapes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiVpUuwkelw
41. Disney+ – Disney Sketchbook or Disney Shorts
42. How to Draw – A playlist of step by step drawing tutorials – draw along – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQaDJ_YpHs&list=PLLaEaJH73vhU7T_Azn1TwSaRl1IJVFxJE
43. Oreo Carving – Each child creates a bas relief portrait sculpture with an Oreo and some toothpicks for sculpting tools – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp1PFefBgWo
44. Nature Installation – Learn about Andy Goldsworthy and create an installation outside using stick, leaves and weeds – ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP6-oKDZZhk
45. Salt Drawing – Use salt in ketchup bottles to draw on black paper – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47qrq0ebGNw&t=15s
46. Found Object Art: Backpack Challenge – Limited to using only items found in your backpack to create a portrait – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSqpmSmJo-8&t=48s
47. Chopped Jr. Art Edition – Provide “basket ingredients” and give a time limit to create a sculpture – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fgolJ3mLPc&t=50s
48. Google Drawings – Use Google Drawings to create digital art – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxQwCy-TBk8
49. Toothpick Sculptures – Use toothpicks and Model Magic and work in groups – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqjHxJe7XTQ&t=3s
50. Op Art Spinner – Use a penny and tagboard – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGtmetKLs9M

Make it a Challenge

My students can be competitive and enjoy a fun contest now and then. Several of the items from the list of 50 Free Short Art Activities can be used as art challenges. You can be the judge or have the students vote. Often when students are voting we use tickets as the ballot. When I say ticket, I mean a small slip of paper. A gallery walk is done after the activity, toward the end of class. Each student has a ticket and simply places it next to the artwork they think meets the criteria. The student with most tickets is the winner of the challenge. I have also had students write their names on the tickets to keep them accountable and let their peers know who is voting for them. After the tickets have been counted, I put all tickets in a hat and draw a few tickets for additional prizes!

Rewards & Prizes

The prizes for these activities can be free. Your art examples from the year, bragging rights, a paper crown created by you, origami crane, or old art supplies you were going to replace in the fall. Or, you can ask your parents to help out with purchasing rewards for activities like this. I put together an Amazon Wish List and sent a link to my parents. I let them know it was for the end of the activities and prizes. Items included bags of candy, stickers, small snack bags, and boxes of theater candy. I am always pleased at how supportive families can be. If you don’t ask, you will never know.

Click here to download the list of 50 Free Short Art Activities as a pdf.

Enjoy! -Trista

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