Back to School Activity

 Back to School
Follow Directions Activity
for Any Subject

The first week of school is the perfect time to help students practice listening skills, attention to detail, and following directions.

This Back to School Follow Directions Activity is a fun and engaging way to reinforce classroom expectations while helping students learn the importance of carefully reading and following instructions.

 

The resource includes:

✔ 25 follow directions prompts

✔ Printable student worksheet

✔ Visual timer slides

✔ Teacher directions

✔ No prep format

This activity works well for the first week of school, morning work, fast finishers, sub plans, review lessons, and classroom community building.

Students practice listening, reading, and critical thinking skills while completing a fun challenge that can be used in virtually any subject area.

 

Whether you teach elementary art, general education, intervention groups, or need an emergency sub plan, this activity provides meaningful practice while keeping students engaged.

Teachers looking for a first week of school activity can use this lesson to reinforce classroom procedures, listening skills, and attention to detail while creating a positive classroom environment. This no-prep resource also works well as morning work, fast finisher activities, review lessons, and emergency sub plans for grades 1–6.

Happy Teaching!

Mrs. Pearce

⭐ Click Here to view the resource on Teachers Pay Teachers.  ⭐ 

Fun Summer Follow Directions Activity

Looking for a fun, low-prep activity to keep your students engaged at the end of the school year? This Summer Follow Directions Activity is the perfect solution! Students practice listening, focus, and following directions through a fast-paced, interactive game using a summer-themed worksheet.

The best part? This activity works in any classroom setting—not just art. Whether you teach general education, specials, small groups, or even homeschool, this lesson is easy to implement and highly engaging for students in grades 1–6.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔍 Blog SEO Keywords 

summer classroom activity, end of year activity, follow directions activity, listening skills activity, no prep classroom activity, elementary classroom ideas, summer school activity, classroom games for kids, homeschool activity, brain break activity, fast finisher activity

Pop Art DOG project

This Pop Art Dog Drawing lesson is a fun and engaging way to introduce students to Pop Art! Using simple shapes, bold outlines, and bright colors, students create a patterned dog artwork while learning about color, design, and composition.

The step-by-step format makes it easy for all learners to follow along, while still allowing for creativity and individuality in each finished piece.

You can find the full lesson, including slides and step-by-step instructions, in my TpT store.

Cherry Blossom Vase ~ Spring Art Project

⭐ View Resource on Teachers Pay Teachers ⭐

Cherry Blossom ART Project

Ming Dynasty Vase Lesson for Elementary Art

Looking for a beautiful spring art project that combines art history, symmetry, pattern, and mixed media? 

This Cherry Blossom Art Project introduces students to the blue-and-white porcelain vases of China's Ming Dynasty while allowing them to create a colorful artwork perfect for spring displays.

Students begin by learning about traditional Ming Dynasty porcelain and examining examples of the decorative patterns often found on these famous ceramic pieces. Using the included vase templates, students create their own symmetrical vase design filled with original patterns and details.

After coloring their vases with blue markers and blue colored pencils, students carefully cut out and assemble their artwork onto a light blue background. Brown crayon branches and layers of pink and white tissue paper blossoms are then added to create a textured cherry blossom tree bursting with spring color.

This project is a wonderful way to combine art history, cultural connections, and hands-on creativity while reinforcing important art concepts. 

🌸 Looking for the complete lesson? 

This low-prep spring art lesson includes animated Google Slides, 5 vase templates, teacher notes, a student rubric, and step-by-step visual instructions to guide students through the project.

~ CLICK HERE to view the full resource in my TpT store ~

Students Practice:

• Symmetry
• Pattern and repetition
• Art history connections
• Cultural awareness
• Mixed media techniques
• Fine motor skills
• Creative expression

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

This low-prep lesson is designed to be completed in approximately two class periods and consistently produces beautiful results. The combination of patterned vase designs and dimensional tissue paper blossoms creates artwork that students are proud to display.

 

The finished pieces make an eye-catching spring bulletin board, hallway display, art show exhibit, or classroom showcase.

🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸

Materials Needed 

• 9" x 12" white construction paper
• Vase templates (included)
• Blue markers
• Blue colored pencils
• Brown crayon
• 12" x 18" light blue construction paper
• White tissue paper
• Pink tissue paper
• Scissors
• Glue

🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸

This Cherry Blossom Art Project has been successfully used with 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade art students. Teachers can easily adapt the lesson by simplifying or increasing the complexity of the vase patterns and decorative details.

Resource Features

The complete lesson includes:

• Animated Google Slides Presentation
• PDF Version
• Teacher Notes
• Student Rubric
• 5 Vase Templates
• Step-by-Step Visual Directions
• Art History Connections
• 2-Day Lesson Format

Students learn about Ming Dynasty porcelain while creating a vibrant cherry blossom composition that blends history, culture, design, and creativity into one engaging spring art lesson.

Whether you're looking for a spring art project, a mixed media lesson, or an engaging way to introduce art history and culture, this Cherry Blossom Art Project is a student favorite. The combination of symmetry, pattern, and textured tissue paper blossoms creates beautiful artwork that students are proud to display long after spring has ended.

🌸 Cherry Blossom Art Project  🌸

Spring Lesson | Symmetry & Pattern | Elementary Art

For more ART lessons visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸 ~ 🌸

Keywords: cherry blossom art project, spring art lesson, elementary art project, Ming Dynasty vase art, Chinese porcelain art lesson, symmetry art project, pattern art lesson, mixed media art project, spring bulletin board ideas, elementary spring art, 2nd grade art lesson, 3rd grade art lesson, 4th grade art lesson, 5th grade art lesson, art history lesson, cultural art project, low prep art lesson, animated Google Slides art lesson, Teachers Pay Teachers art resource

Pop Art Bear Drawing Project

If you're looking for a fun Pop Art lesson for elementary students, this Pop Art Bear Drawing Project is a great way to introduce students to bold colors, patterns, and creative design.

Students begin by learning about Pop Art artists such as Romero Britto, Keith Haring, and Takashi Murakami. They then follow a guided step-by-step drawing lesson to create their own patterned bear using bright colors, bold outlines, and repeating designs.

The lesson includes:

• an animated Google Slides presentation
• step-by-step drawing instructions
• a pattern ideas reference page
• teacher directions and slide notes
• a student rubric

Because the instructions are clearly structured, the lesson is easy to follow and works well for grades 1–5, even for substitute teachers. Most classes can complete the project in 1–2 class periods, and the finished artwork is always colorful and unique.

You can view the full lesson here:
👉 Pop ART Bear Lesson on TpT

3D Winter Art

This fun 1 day, low-prep ART lesson teaches radial balance and 6-sided symmetry through a hands-on building snowflake craft activity that includes visual guided Google Slides, along with a printable exit quiz.

 

The example showed is AI generated. Real process and finished project examples are included within the slides.

This Radial Balance Snowflake STEAM - ART lesson teaches students the principles of radial balance symmetry and 3D sculpture while integrating a fascinating science video about how crystals form in nature.

Using only Q-tips, glue, and a dash of glitter, your students will create stunning, winter art ornaments that look like real ice when hung in a window!

Lesson Components:

• Google Slides Presentation: 16 slides with speaker notes
• Pre-Lesson Material Prep: Tips for materials and set up
• Direction Sheet: 3-page guide listing all slides and associated speaker notes.
• Comprehensive Question Sheet: To be printed for assessment purposes.
• Comprehensive Question Answer Sheet
• Project Rubric: To be printed for grading purposes

Implementation:

Guide the class through the Google Slides presentation in Slideshow mode, utilizing the speaker notes.

Art Supplies Needed for this Lesson:

• Wax or Parchment Paper
• Q-Tips (whole and some you need to pre-cut in ½ )
• Pencils
• Small (1-inch) paper "anchor" circles
• Glue bottle
• Blue or Silver Glitter
• Yarn, String or Ribbon for hanging later
• Small containers for glue and glitter

Cat Drawings

2nd graders followed along with me to draw a cat using simple shapes.  Then students colored both their cat and the background with crayons.

ROBOTS

2nd grade designed ROBOTS using different lines and shapes. Students outlined their robots with black crayons and then created a colorful background.

 

Positive Words Heart Art Lesson for Elementary Art

 ⭐ View Resource on Teachers Pay Teachers ⭐

2nd grade students created a black & white background paper writing nice and positive words all over it in different directions, styles, and thickness.  Then students choose the paper color to trace and cut out for their hand and wrist, as well as for the heart to hold.

For more directions on this project visit a post from a few years back: Hand holding Heart.  This is also a great PBIS lesson to talk about positive, happy, and kind words.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking for more elementary art resources?

If you enjoyed this lesson, you may also like these classroom-tested art resources from Mrs. Pearce Elementary Art:

🎨 Elements of Art Vocabulary Activities

🎨 Principles of Design Vocabulary Activities

🎨 Art Vocabulary Bundle (Best Value)

🎨 Follow Directions Activities

🎨 Seasonal and Directed Drawing Projects

CLICK HERE to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store for printable lessons, animated Google Slides, assessments, teacher guides, and art projects for grades K–8.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keywords:

• positive words activity
• positive affirmations for students
• character education art project
• kindness lesson
• classroom community activity
• 
  

Hawaiian Shirts

2nd graders have been practicing for their Winter Music Concert and will be singing a Hawaiian song about the holidays.  To help collaborate, students created Hawaiian Shirts with Flower Leis during art.  First students choose their shirt color and then stamped white paint using a flower stencil design.  Once dry, they cut out the shirt shapes and assembled adding trim and collar pieces.  To complete the look, students thread paper flowers onto yarn to hang as leis over their shirts. 

 

 

Owls... secondary colors

2nd grade reviewed the secondary colors (orange, purple, and green) by sponge painting a background and then cutting and assembling paper to create an owl sitting on a tree branch.

 

Pumpkins in a field.

2nd grade students follows step-by-step directions to draw a pumpkin sitting in a field.  Students then had the choice of turning it into a Jack-O'Lantern and adding more objects to their background.

 

 

 

Art Book

2nd grade students will be working throughout the school year to create an Art Book based off every letter of the alphabet.

 

  

 

Star Mural

On their first day of art class, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students all participated in a star mural by tracing a star shape on an index card and then added color using crayons and/or markers.

 

Click on the picture to enlarge the image.