What To Do On the First Day of Art Class

Hello! I am already seeing lots of posts in Facebook groups asking what to do in the first few days of art class. In this post, I will walk you through what I plan to do this year in my classes. This is very similar to what I have done in other years.

Colorful watercolor frame with a paintbrush and palette surrounding the text "First Day of Art Class, Projects & Books.

First, I start all classes with basic introductions and talking about the room and art class. We go over the rules and expectations. I use a video presentation to go over the basics. Having to repeat these directions a dozen times makes you forget what you are saying to each class. So, having a video helps to make sure that each class gets the same information.

Kindergarten

For Kindergarten, I usually start by reading a book. I like The Art Box by Gail Gibbons. (Amazon Affiliate links used in this blog post)

Cover of the book "The Art Box" by Gail Gibbons, perfect for your first day of art class, featuring art supplies like pencils, scissors, and crayons.

I also like Studio: A Place for Art to Start, by Emily Arrow.

Cover of "Studio: A Place for Art to Start" by Emily Arrow, depicting colorful animals engaged in various art class activities.

Then, we do a simple sheet where they draw a picture of themselves as an artist or draw a picture of their favorite things.

During the next art classes we make name rockets and patterned initials.

A colorful rocket ship made of paper, spelling "MARCIA," with stars, planets, and a sun on a black background—an ideal beginning art project for the first day of art class.

Colorful letter "D" with various patterns; text reads "Patterned Letter" and "Great for Pre-K and K Back to School, First Day of Art Class"; crayon box illustration.

First Grade

I am going to read them the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg and they will make their own beautiful oops picture. I’m guessing most art teachers have heard of Beautiful Oops, but if you haven’t, it is a must-have for the elementary art classroom. It has delightful illustrations and interactive parts, with a great message about turning mistakes into something beautiful.

Before I left for summer break, I prepared a bunch of papers with paint splotches on them and they will use Kwik Stix, markers and collage materials to make a beautiful picture. If you don’t have time to prep the papers ahead of time, you can have the kids each make their own papers by putting random marks on a paper and passing it to a friend.

A yellow book titled "Beautiful Oops!" by Barney Saltzberg, perfect for the first day of art class, features colorful letters and a green cartoon alligator.

During the first day of art class, we explored a colorful abstract painting with heart shapes, swirls, flowers, and various splashes of paint on a white background.

Second Grade

Second grade will be making these repeated grid name designs.

Colorful geometric pattern with repeated letters spelling "MARC" in various hues of blue, yellow, pink, red, and green—a perfect inspiration for your first day of art class.

Name designs are great because it helps you learn the kids’ names and it is fun to make artwork with names! You can talk about repetition and patterns with this project as well.

Third Grade

I found these cool cut-up abstract name designs for my third graders. This is from Betsy Morningstar. I haven’t done these yet with my kids but I think they will look really interesting!

Colorful abstract art pieces adorn the wall, with names "Betsy" and "Emily" prominently displayed in black and white. These vibrant works serve as perfect inspiration for those starting art class or seeking valuable art class tips.

Fourth Grade

For fourth grade, we will start with an icebreaker to get to know their classmates.

Then, we are going to do these Getting to Know You Art History foldables.

Three personalized foldable paper crafts with colorful drawings and text, surrounded by pencils on a white surface, showcase perfect art class activities for the first day of art class.

Fifth Grade

For this grade, I will start with an Art Class Scavenger Hunt so the kids can find and try out different types of materials. Then, we will use this Student Survey to gather ideas for future art projects.

With fifth grade, I have two fun projects I am going to do. First we are going to do All About Me designs using these worksheets from SparkleGal’s Art Magic.