Engaging Day Before Spring Break Art Activities to Keep Students Focused
Spring break is almost here! Both teachers and students are counting down the days until that much-needed break. But as excitement builds, keeping students engaged—especially the day before spring break—can feel like an impossible task. Supplies are running low, students’ attention is fading, and yet, keeping those idle hands busy is crucial to maintaining classroom management (this is my #1 tip for a smooth running classroom). Check out these creative, low-supply, and easy-to-manage day before spring break art activities that will keep students of all ages engaged until the final bell!
Day Before Spring Break Art Activities for Elementary Art
Elementary art students are always eager to create, but the day before spring break they will be bouncing off the walls. These quick, low-prep (and fairly independent) art activities will keep students engaged while you focus on cleaning up the art room and checking off your to-do list before break.
🎥 Flip Picture Animation
Introduce the basics of animation with a simple flip picture project. Students create a two-page flip book that brings their drawings to life.
Supplies:
- Strips of lightweight paper (copy or notebook paper), 8.5″ × 3″
- Pencils, erasers, markers, and colored pencils
Steps:
- Fold the long paper strip in half.
- Draw an object on the bottom page and trace it onto the top page, making slight changes to show movement.
- Roll the top page around a pencil and gently move it to animate the image.
- Add color and details if time allows.
Hit the easy button and get this activity pack ready to go on my TPT shop here or from my website here.
🐣 Pop-Up Chick Sculpture
This paper sculpture project blends fun with form, allowing students to create adorable spring chicks with interactive features. This one-day project covers the elements of art shape and form, and allows them to be creative with their design.
Supplies:
- Heavy drawing paper or construction paper
- Scissors, glue, pencils, and erasers
- Markers, crayons, and colored pencils for details
- Optional: glitter, feathers, or sequins for decoration
Steps:
- Cut the paper into quarters and fold in half.
- Cut a curved line to shape the body and make a small cut where the beak will go.
- Fold and crease the beak area to create a triangle.
- Push through the cut out to create the pop-up beak.
- Add color, details, and feet to complete the chick.
- Decorate with optional supplies for extra flair!
Hit the easy button and get this activity pack ready to go from my TPT shop here.
🎨 Artist to Know Activity Pack
Allow students to explore famous artists with these easy-to-use activity packs. Students choose from 12 different handouts, they learn about artists on the front, and complete fun, independent activities on the back. Most of these handouts include 2 activity options for the back to allow students younger and older to use them.
Supplies:
- Pencils, erasers, colored pencils, markers, or crayons
Artists Included: Vincent van Gogh, George Seurat, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Edvard Munch, Claude Monet, Robert Indiana, Paul Cezanne, and Edgar Degas.
Grab this worksheet pack from my TPT shop or my website shop.
Day Before Spring Break Art Activities for Middle School Art
Middle schoolers have wide swings of emotion from overly excited to half asleep. As spring break approaches, these swings get even worse and they can be even harder to engage. These one-day projects are fun, simple, and provide solid results that keep them focused.
📰 Magazine Weaving
This quick, engaging project teaches art techniques while encouraging creativity. Students weave two magazine images together to create abstract artwork.
Supplies:
- Magazines or torn magazine pages
- Construction paper, scissors, and glue
- Pencils and thin markers
Steps:
- Choose two magazine images with good colors and textures.
- Cut and prepare the warp (vertical strips) and weft (horizontal strips).
- Weave the strips together to create an abstract, layered piece.
- Secure the ends and add finishing touches.
Check out a quick overview of this project on my Instagram here.
Get everything you need to teach this lesson (including a demo video) on my TPT shop here or from my website shop here.
🎨 Op Art Squiggles
Middle schoolers love optical illusions! This simple but mesmerizing activity uses squiggles and arcs to create a 3D effect. It’s one of those unicorn projects that is easy and effective for everyone.
Supplies:
- Paper, pencils, erasers
- Sharpies and colored pencils
Steps:
- Draw squiggle lines vertically, leaving space to add arcs.
- Add horizontal arc lines between the squiggle sections.
- Use a limited color palette (2-5 colors) and shade to create depth. Add darker value at the vertical lines and lighter value between the lines.
- Check that you have a range of values to emphasize the 3D illusion, add more value if needed.
Get everything you need to teach this op art activity from my TPT shop here.
🧘 Zendoodle Worksheets
Give middle schoolers a more relaxed art day with Zendoodle worksheets. These sheets provide structured yet calming activities that students can complete independently. My zendoodle pack includes 14 back and front activities, including how to create a zendoodle design and how to create a range of zendoodle patterns.
Supplies:
- Pencils, pens, and colored pencils
👉 Get the bundle on TPT or my website!
Day Before Spring Break Art Activities for High School Art
High schoolers tend to be the most unmotivated the day before spring break. Rather than starting a new project or continue working on a current project, mix things up with these engaging, one-day art lessons.
🖼️ Mini Tape Transfer
This mixed media project creates really interesting results. As long as you have laser printed images or quality magazine images it is easy to create an image transfer only using packaing tape. Students transfer an image using tape and combine it with a text-based background to create a mini mixed media work of art. Check out a quick overview of this project on my Instagram here!
Supplies:
- 5”x7” posterboard or cardstock
- Laser printed images or high-quality magazine pictures
- Packaging tape, scissors, and Mod Podge or glue
Steps:
- Glue torn text sheets onto posterboard for the background.
- Tape over the printed image and burnish the back.
- Wet the image and carefully rub off the paper.
- Apply the transferred image onto the text background.
Get everything you need to teach this one-day art lesson on my TPT shop here or website shop here.
🤯 Face/Vase Zendoodle
Put a twist on the classic face/vase optical illusion by incorporating zendoodle patterns. It’s a relaxing and rewarding project perfect for pre-break days.
Supplies:
- Construction paper, pencils, erasers
- Scissors, Sharpies, and glue
Steps:
- Draw and cut out profiles on folded paper.
- Create zendoodle patterns within the vase and background.
- Glue the profiles and vase to separate sheets of paper.
- Add optional highlights with gel or paint pens.
Grab this lesson pack from my TPT shop here.
🎲 Prompt Jars for High School Art
Keep things simple with prompt jars. Fill jars with drawing prompts, collage ideas, or visual journal activities. Students draw a prompt and get creative—no further instructions needed! I love having jars filled with ideas on hand for fast finishers, a student who needs a break from their project, or days before and after breaks.
Examples:
- Combine two animals into one new creature.
- Create a collage with a magazine image, a word, and Sharpie accents.
- Use random objects from the classroom to inspire a drawing.
Check out my sketchbook prompt jar here, my visual journal prompt jar here, and my material-subject-word prompt jars here.
Final Thoughts: Survive and Thrive Until Spring Break!
The day before spring break can be chaotic, but with these day before spring break art activities, you’ll keep students engaged, learning, and creating—while preserving your sanity! Whether you’re teaching elementary, middle, or high school art, these projects provide the perfect balance of fun, focus, and creativity. Try them out and head into spring break with your to do list DONE! 🌸
Looking for more one-day art projects? Check out another blog post here!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok (I have a few tutorials of these one-day art projects already in my feeds) for weekly visual journal demos and other project ideas. Subscribe here to get freebies, project tutorials, and more straight to your inbox. Until next time!
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