FALL ART LESSONS FOR KIDS: Grades K–5
All my fall-themed art lessons are now gathered here for easy access. 🍂🎨 Check back often, as I will be updating this collection with new lessons throughout the season!
Want to see these lessons in action? 👩🎨 I’ve linked my original blog posts where available! Tap through to find:
- Clear, step-by-step instructions 📝
- Learning goals 🎯
- In-process snapshots & finished student art 📸
Many of these lessons can be taught to the grade above or the grade below too!
All photos are of student artwork only
First up!! ….
“FINISH THE PICTURE!”
FOR ALL GRADES K – 5!
I LOVE this lesson! They are coming up with some VERY creative ideas!!
First art lesson of the year! “Finish the Picture!”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore
This is my go-to first-day art lesson for grades K–5. Having taught and refined it over the past four years, I refresh the activity sheets annually so returning students always experience something new and engaging on day one.
Such a great way to get the creative juices flowing again after summer break — – Low stress, easy-breezy art prompt, where there are tons of possibilities and my students LOVE doing this!
Students add to each box with pencil to turn the random lines/shapes into a picture of something! Students can turn their paper any way they want and can start in any box they want!
I love the concept because it allows students to design whatever they want from their imagination and there is no right or wrong way to create them.
I love seeing all the possibilities! Such a fun way to start the year off!
I have my students do them after showing them my google slideshow of all the art projects we’d be creating throughout the year, (to get them excited for art) and after going over the rules and routines.
Since there isn’t much art making time left on day 1 because of this, I continue the lesson on day 2.
If kids finish early, I give them a second sheet with different shapes and lines inside the boxes.
- Students can turn the page anyway they want
- Low stress, easy-breezy art prompt, where there are tons of possibilities!
- When you copy the sheets make them double-sided, but have kids only draw on one side, so parents can see the “before” (just lines and shapes) and the “after” (what the student created!)
- Also a great addition for your sub binder!
I sell these “Finish the Picture” (PDF printable) sheets in my TpT store! (Link below) ($3 for 3 sheets) They include 3 different hand-made sheets that have a random line or shape drawn inside 6-9 boxes per sheet.
🎨There’s 2 different times I put them on TpT so technically you could buy 6 different sheets in total.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore
KINDERGARTEN
“PUMPKIN’S STARRY NIGHT”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork! I also have a YouTube tutorial on this lesson
“Pumpkin’s Starry Night” – K and 1
“K AND 1ST GRADE FALL LEAVES”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see in process pics and additional artwork!
“LEAF RUBBINGS WITH TEXTURED FRAME”
This lesson can be found under my “ KINDERGARTEN ART LESSONS” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos of students art, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
”TISSUE PAPER PUMPKIN COLLAGE”
This lesson can be found under my “ KINDERGARTEN ART LESSONS” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos of students art, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“THE DOT”
International Dot Day is Tuesday September 15th, 2026! Based on The Dot by author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds
You can also use large bingo dauber markers for this— rather than using paint on fingertips
My video read-a-loud on The Dot below
This lesson can be found under my “ SPECIAL EDUCATION” page under the main menu.
“WARM COLORED FALL LEAVES”
This lesson can be found under my “ SPECIAL EDUCATION” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos of students art, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“TISSUE PAPER FALL TREES”
This lesson can be found under my “ SPECIAL EDUCATION” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos of students art, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“FALL TREE COLLAGE”
This lesson can be found under my “ SPECIAL EDUCATION” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
1st GRADE
“PUMPKIN’S STARRY NIGHT”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
“Pumpkin’s Starry Night” – K and 1
I taught this lesson last year to my K AND 1st graders. I figured I’d post it here too just in case you didn’t see it
“PUMPKIN’S STARRY NIGHT” (a different version with GLOW IN THE DARK PUFFY PAINT!)
Please click on my links below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
1ST GRADE – “PUMPKIN’S STARRY NIGHT” PAINTINGS!
Glow in the dark pumpkin paintings! (This is a quick blog post I did with a short time lapse video about the project)
“SPLATTER PAINTED GHOSTS/BATS/PUMPKINS”
The last three are my teachers examples
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
SPLATTER PAINTED GHOSTS/ BATS / PUMPKINS!
“MIXED MEDIA ALPHABET SOUP!”
Who doesn’t love a hearty, hot bowl of soup on a cold fall day? And the 3D element is a fun twist kids love!
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
1st Grade– “MIXED MEDIA ALPHABET SOUP!”
“ NOT SO SCARY SCARECROW COLLAGE”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork! You can also see additional artwork by 1st grade under my “1st Grade Art Lessons” page!
“NOT SO SCARY SCARECROW” COLLAGE — 1ST GRADE!
“TEXTURED PAPER QUILTS!”
Whenever I teach my students this lesson, I tell them they can use these quilts for their stuffed animals or dolls as a blanket! They LOVE that idea and love this lesson!
***UPDATE: I just added the resource sheet for this lesson in my TpT store 9/8/26! Link below!
You can also restrict the color palette and have kids color with just warm colors for a more “fall feel”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
TEXTURED PAPER QUILTS – INSPIRED BY ARTIST SANFORD BIGGERS – 1st Grade
Resource sheet (PDF) available in my TpT store for the Textured Paper Quilt lesson for $1.95 link below!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore
“FALL TREE DRAWINGS”
This lesson can be found under my “ 1st Grade Art Lessons” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“K AND 1ST GRADE FALL LEAVES”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
2nd GRADE
“SILLY MONSTER SELFIES”
This lesson can be found under my “ 2nd Grade Art Lessons” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“SYMMETRICAL FALL LEAVES”
This lesson can be found under my “ 2nd Grade Art Lessons” page under the main menu. Lesson’s directions, photos, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
“PUMPKIN TINFOIL PRINTS”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
PUMPKIN TINFOIL PRINTS -2nd Grade
“OWLS AT NIGHT”
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
“Owls at Night” – grades 2 + 3
“SUPERHERO MASKS”
Mask making is so much fun and what better time to do it than around Halloween!! These obviously don’t have to be superhero masks—students can make them into anything they want!
My students absolutely LOVE making their own unique masks! I have these exact mask templates in my TpT shop- link below
Please click on my link below to view my blog post on this lesson and view the instructions, learning goals, and see additional artwork!
Winter Cardinals -4th grade and Superhero Masks – 2nd grade!
Link to my TpT store to download a PDF of all 4 different hand drawn masks is here – for all 4 masks https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore
3rd GRADE
“DIA DE LOS MUERTOS SKULLS”
Please click on my link below to see my original blog post on this lesson, and view steps on how we made these, in process pics, additional student artwork and learning goals!
In my directions it says to glue the tinfoil to the 9×12” tagboard paper with a glue stick —however I have just simply taped (with clear scotch tape) the tinfoil once folded onto the paper and that works the same!
DIA de los Muertos skulls –3rd Grade
“PATTERNED PUMPKINS WITH OIL PASTEL inspired by Yayoi Kusama! “
Please click on my link below to see my original blog post on this lesson, and view steps on how we made these, in process pics, additional student artwork and learning goals!
PATTERNED PUMPKINS WITH OIL PASTEL INSPIRED BY YAYOI KUSAMA- 3rd Grade
4th GRADE
“DOTTED LEAF PAINTINGS”
Please click on my link below to see my original blog post on this lesson, and view steps on how we made these, in process pics, additional student artwork and learning goals!
“Dotted Leaf Paintings” -4th Grade
I have these exact Leaf templates/Tracers for this lesson (or for any fall art lesson!) in my TpT store HERE
“SPOOKY EYEBALL DRAWINGS”
This lesson can be found under my “ 4th Grade Art Lessons” page under the main menu.
Lesson’s directions, photos, and learning goals are listed under the lesson!
5th GRADE
“MIXED-MEDIA LEAF IMPRESSIONS”
This lesson can be found under my “ 5th Grade Art Lessons” page under the main menu with simplified directions.
Mixed-Media Leaf Impressions -5th Grade
“1 POINT PERSPECTIVE CITYSCAPES”
Although not a traditional “Fall” lesson per se, I did this lesson last fall in October with my 5th graders and absolutely LOOOVE it! My students loved it too! It’s a definite keeper in my rotation!!
Please click on my link below to see my original blog post on this lesson, and view steps on how we made these, in process pics, additional student artwork and learning goals!
One point Perspective Cityscapes – 5th Grade
Below are 2 links to my older blog posts that discuss ideas for the first days of art that you might like as well!
International Dot Day Art, Fun Videos, first days back in Art and more!
“ROLL WITH IT “- Ideas for the first day back in art
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