As summer arrives and the weather starts to warm up, you want to feel energised about your art lessons… but the reality is often very different.
You’re tired.
Your students are restless.
And you still need something that:
- looks great on display
- builds real art skills (not just “busy work”)
- and spans across several lessons, with minimal prep
This is exactly why I come back to collage and oil pastel projects at this time of year.
They’re engaging, flexible, and when structured well, they create vibrant, successful results for every student, whatever their work pace may be. And the bonus is that you can use up left over paper scraps from the year.
Let me show you one of my recent lessons that worked beautifully for us.
Why This Summer Art Lesson Works (Even When Energy Is Low)
When short on time, with increased interruption to schedules, this lesson easily adapted to meet our needs. This summer picnic collage art lesson supports and extends:
- Collage techniques (cutting, layering, composition)
- Oil pastel skills (blending, value application, texture)
- Creative choice (students can personalise their picnic scene)
And more importantly, it has enough structure that even your less confident students feel successful, as they get excited about the up-coming summer holidays.
The Problem This Solves in Real Classrooms
If you’ve ever taught a “fun seasonal activity” and it didn’t quite land, you’ll identify with this:
- Students rush and make mistakes
- They don’t like parts of their artwork and want to start again
- Everyone’s work starts to look the same
- You spend more time managing than teaching
Making the shift to structured, scaffolded lessons, like this one, that have choice built in at every step, can make all the difference.
What This Looks Like in the Classroom
This project is built around a simple but engaging idea:
👉 Students build their artwork in small, bite-sized sections that come together into a bright picnic scene, reducing overwhelm. If students miss lessons, it doesn’t matter, because they have the opportunity to make a range of things for their basket - they don’t need everything! All steps are on the included slides to inspire students with a visual example or to help students catch up anything that they missed.
Student Process:
- Start the lesson at any point.
- When all students are present, that is a good day to create the basket together. Students design their unique basket and a background with a focus on colour, texture and value
- Make each item for their basket across a couple of lessons, as individual collage elements (blankets, food, drink)
- Use oil pastels, then enhance and define details with coloured pencils. Use paint sticks or liquid water colours to fill the backgrounds quickly
- Extend with collage grass and flowers for your focused fast finishers
This will result in a high level of engagement due to genuine student-driven outcomes, and yield colourful pieces you’ll actually be proud to display.
Skills Students Are Actually Learning
This project isn’t just fun, it’s also skill-building with purpose. Students develop:
- Composition skills – arranging elements in a balanced way
- Colour theory understanding – bright, seasonal palettes
- Fine motor control – cutting and detailed pastel work
- Layering techniques – combining materials effectively
- Art elements – texture, shape, line, value and form
- Observational drawing - for the basket and contents
So yes, it’s engaging and seasonal. But it’s also meaningful and structured. This lesson works especially well for students aged 7–9 (middle to upper primary), those classes that need clear structure and guidance and teachers wanting a low-prep but high-impact lesson.
Let’s be honest, we don’t have time to reinvent lessons every week. This is the exact type of lesson I use when I need something that needs minimal prep and keeps students focused on individual outcomes with purpose, producing strong results, without the stress.
It’s the kind of lesson you can walk into class with and feel prepared, even in a busy week.
Save Time and Get Strong Results
I have written up my process and added step-by-step photos so that you can also teach this Summer Picnics art project, perfect for your art lessons over the next few weeks.
👉 Summer Picnic Collage Art Project (Collage + Oil Pastel Lesson)
The resource includes:
- step-by-step teaching slides (PDF - not editable)
- clear process instructions with visuals
- a simple materials list (basic art room supplies)
- a classroom-tested sequence (ages 7–9)
If you need something reliable for the spring / summer term, this is it.
Make It Even Easier for Your Future Planning
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Each week, I share my:
- time-saving lesson ideas
- latest classroom-tested resources
- and practical strategies for busy teachers
Needing More Summer Art Ideas
If you’re planning ahead or want to build on collage skills, these are more proven lessons to try:
- My latest Summer Art Project (also ages 7-9) - these turned out stunning: 👉 Dutch Tulips Oil Pastel Lesson
- More Summer Lessons ideas on this blog: 👉 Summer Posts
- And finish with a great end-of-term collage activity for your early finishers: 👉 Shaggy Dog Collage
Connect with me for more art teaching ideas
You can also follow me on my other channels, for ideas and classroom inspiration, here:
- Instagram: @Timea_oneteachersjourney
- TPT: One Teacher’s Journey on TPT
- Pinterest: One Teacher's Journey on Pinterest
- Substack: One Teacher's Journey on Substack
Thank you for stopping by, With love
Mea
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