It’s May! That means we are getting closer and closer to the last day of school. Towards the end of the school year, students (and teachers) might be getting a little bit antsy. Plus, with the weather warming up, it can be hard to stay focused. One way to capture students’ attention is to engage them with end-of-the-year art activities that are fun and simple. At the end of this post I have a free no-prep art activity for you, so keep your eye out for that.
Cool Off with Popsicle Resist Art
This time of year it can get pretty hot! You can keep cool with fun popsicle resistance art! This end of the year art activity is a fun way for students to get ready for summer by dreaming up some awesome popsicle stick flavors. All you need is the popsicle template, a hot glue gun and glue, some watercolor paper, watercolors, and Sharpies. Then you just have to follow the simple directions for this craft! You can pair this with a fun creative writing activity by asking students what flavor their popsicles are.
Create Sandcastles for an End of the Year Art Activity
Sometimes the end of the year can have students dreaming about the beach! Bring the beach to your classroom with end of the year art activities that have fun textures. All you need to build this sandcastle are paper towels, brown lunch bags, sandpaper, watercolors, paint brushes, construction paper, glue, scissors, and newspaper.
Using the paper towel, your students will be able to make a beautiful textured background. Pair that with cutting the sandcastle out of the brown paper bag and crumpling it a little and this end of the year art activity will have your classroom looking like a day at the beach! You can add some writing to this activity by having students tell a fictional story about what happens in their sandcastle. This would be a great way to assess sequencing that your students have worked on with their Picture Book Pals!
Create a Delicious End of the Year Art Activity with Popsicle Stick Smores
The sweetest part of the summer is getting all sticky while sitting around a campfire with family roasting marshmallows for smores! I love smores and so does everyone in my family. To make this delicious (nonedible) craft, all you will need are jumbo popsicle sticks, a small paper plate, craft paint, paint brushes, glue, scissors, and cardstock paper. Then you can teach students how to assemble and adorable smore.
To pair this with science, you can make smores in your classroom using a hotplate or something your school will approve of. You can talk about heat and energy with your students that all ends with a tasty treat. Put a video of a fire up while you enjoy your treat and tell your students a May Picture Book Pal story!
Make Popping Art with the Paper Plate Cardboard Roll Lighthouse Craft
Of all the end of the year activities, this one is one of the simplest! To start, all you need are things you probably have in your classroom like: a paper plate, construction paper, a paint brush, glue, scissors, markers, and a pencil. Then you just have to get to work painting a beautiful scene on your paper plate. Finally, use a card board tube for the perfect lighthouse to add a fun 3D effect. You can make a fun story out of this as well or learn about the history of lighthouses. I always love to add some education or writing practice to my end of the year art activities.
Use End of the Year Art Activities to Create a 3D Paper Crab
Another great end of the year art activity is to use the paper you have left over in your classroom. Using just blue, yellow, red, and white paper as well as some glue and a black marker, your students can make an amazing crab!
To make this educational, you can read a story about crabs or have students make one up themselves. If you like to do centers, doing a writing round up can be a great way to write a collaborative creative story. Create several starters and then let your students do the rest!
Hit the Open Road with a Paper Plate Beach Camper
There is so much you can do with simple supplies like a paper plate, markers, cardstock, glue, and some beach themed paper! Using a simple stencil, your students can create an amazing camping scene to set their own camper in. You can pair this end of the year art activity up with a few others like the popsicle stick smore and have a camping week at school.
Float into the Sky with the Paper Plate Hot Air Balloon Craft
Take off with your students on a beautiful flight in the sky with this end of the year art craft. All you need is five things: paper plates, paper straws, scissors, hot glue, and decorations that you already have like markers, paint, glitter, etc. Then you can teach your students to weave the basket of the hot air balloon out of the paper plate. From there, your students can decorate the balloon however they like using various mediums you have on hand. This is a great way to get rid of some of that lingering art supplies that isn’t quite enough to save.
Camping Under the Night Sky
With this end of the year art activity, you can teach your students about the art of layering colors and taking their time. Using a canvas and an array of paint colors, your students can paint the beauty of the night sky. I would give them some guidelines like there must be these shapes and this general structure. However, I would give them plenty of room for creative freedom. If your students have ever seen the Northern Lights, this would be a great way for them to show what they saw.
Dive Under The Sea with this End of the Year Art Activity
This is another great end of the year art activity that features a 3D element. Because it has a 3D element like the crab and the lighthouse, you might want to pair them together and talk about dimensions as part of the project. For this activity, you need some paper, some glue, and some markers. If you want, you can also provide some craft shells or rocks. You start by constructing your underwater structure. Then from there, your students can make fun fish and bubbles to decorate the bottom of the sea.
Hit the Open Road with a Trip in a Van
Using a step by step painting method, you and your students can hit the open road with this trip in a van end of the year art activity. All you need is a little time and structure. Then, your students can learn how to create a masterpiece with a little creative freedom for them. Once they have painted this wonderful scene, you can have students write about a trip they would like to take someday or a trip they are taking with family this summer.
The end of the school year can be hard to handle at times because students get so restless. However, you can make it fun with easy end of the school year art activities that are simple. Plus, they can clean out your craft closet. Pair each of them with academic activities that can give students an informal assessment.
Check out this free art activity that I have. It’s virtually no-prep. All you need is a photocopied worksheet, and basic classroom supplies. They look fabulous. Just sign in below and it will go straight to your inbox.
