Easy Summer Art Lesson for Elementary Students: Bright Picnic Baskets Project (Collage + Oil Pastels)

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

If you want to stay in the loop, getting updates about comprehensive, ready-to-use art lessons that you can trust, you can subscribe to my FREE Substack newsletter.

👉 Join Up Here

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 

Follow this  blog and check back soon for more art teaching ideas.

Set Up An Art Table In Your Classroom

Hi there!

Ever thought about setting up an art table in you classroom? But not knowing where to start or how to stock and manage an art center?

And then wonder - isn't that just for art teachers? 

The short answer is NO. 

We can no longer omit art explorations stations from our classrooms and ignore the value that they bring to your students. 

For starters, independent explorations at an art table can make a powerful contribution to our students' mental health.  Free expression (using art materials at an art center) is really good for overall health and well-being. Giving young children a creative outlet can help relieve stress and work through the things happening in their lives. Making art can help children deal with a wide range of issues and psychological stress, like anxiety.

In addition, creating at an art table helps students develop a number of important learning skills. By encouraging artistic expression, you can help facilitate sustained focus and engagement. Testing out ideas, problem solving through multiple iterations, making modifications and persevering through challenges are just a few skills that students develop at the art table in your classroom.

And finally, don't forget that art is also beneficial for both fine and gross motor improvements. With the need to use your grip and pinching actions, cutting with scissors, applying a range of pressures as needed and working with greater accuracy all contribute to building those motor skills.

But don’t just take my word for it.  View further information on this topic from researchers at Michigan State University HERE

Click here to follow One Teacher’s Journey on TPT

Convinced that setting up an art table immediately, will have a tremendously positive impact for your students?

So where to start? Don't worry - I have your covered!

I have written a series of 4 Art Table guides so far, for a range of art media, that you can use to set up an art making station in your classroom. New sets are added regularly.  They are fantastic for low stakes explorations and can be used to:

1. Build independent prior knowledge before starting a whole class project.
2. Guide new learning for students who have not experienced the medium before
3. Consolidate knowledge for students who have used the medium in the past.

So which one are you going to set up first, before your next whole class guided art project?

Collage … Papier Mâché … Clay …  Wax Resist?

And if you have a specific medium that you require a resource for, please drop a note below in the comments. I will be glad to make it for you and I know it will benefit other teachers too :)

These art station guides each cover a specific art medium and include square shaped slides for:

1. The guide cover
2. What is (medium)
3. Famous (medium) artists
4. Materials
5. Making a (medium) artwork
6. Can you make a (medium) project instruction card
7. (medium) clean-up
8. Teacher Information x2
9. Teacher instructions
10. Blanks slides for you to add your own instructions x2

And a bonus slide with links to recommended, whole class, art projects for (medium).

You can either print out the pages and slip into a clear file for students to refer to, or print 2/pg, laminate, punch and slip onto a jump ring.

Take a closer look at these Art Table guides for 2nd Grade - 5th Grade, by clicking on any of the images above.

I wish you all the best with setting up these great experiences for your students too! If you like the sound of all 4 sets so far (and why wouldn't you - they are all great),  take advantage of purchasing the bundle and save $$$. 

Why trust One Teacher’s Journey resources?

Because I too am a full time teacher, just like you, with years of experience and current Visual Art Specialist responsibilities. In other words, I do this everyday - just like you.

You can contact me through my store Q & A or email me through my website if you are looking for anything specific. 

That way I can get in touch to better support you. info@help-me-learn.com

Click here to follow One Teacher’s Journey on TPT

Remember to share this post with a friend who might need this.

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More Spring Themed Art Lesson Plans and Video Guides for Classroom Teachers

In my previous post I wrote about the benefits of harnessing the arrival of Spring as a starting point for some great art lessons with your students. This post will further expand on those benefits and also align some specific pick-up-and-go comprehensive art lessons that you can use with your students today. Some lessons are step-by-step PDF guides while others are narrated video demonstrations. You can find one that suits you and your students, the best.

More Spring-Themed Art Lesson Plans and Ideas

Abstract Garden Quilts & 3D Spring Flowers

Spring flowers are a symbol of new beginnings and can be the perfect subject for a spring-themed art lesson. Have your students collect different types of flower pictures or take photos of flowers. Both of the following art lessons will build problem solving skills and also result in each student’s work being unique.

Abstract Garden Quilts  focuses on the art concept of ABSTRACTION for 2nd grade and up. Use oil pastels and paints. This is a fully narrated video tutorial that demonstrates all steps in real time. Stream the video lesson on your large screen and free yourself up to roam your classroom and support your students. This lesson plan focuses on:

• Break up and recompose photographs

• Extract basic shapes to compose an image

• Under-painting to create the garden mood

• Show depth in an artwork through layering shapes and using analogous colours

• Contrast warm and cool colours to create focal points

3D Spring Flowers is a 3D painted paper collage art project for grades 1-3. Includes a fully illustrated PDF teaching guide that demonstrates every step. Introduce students to the elements of SHAPE and FORM, & the principle of PROPORTION (sizes and location). 2 colour schemes are demonstrated in the guide. Students also learn about colour value and using stencils to create repetition. 

Spring Flowers 3D art project has built in choice for differentiation, while keeping the skills taught consistent across the class, to save your sanity.

Praise for SPRING FLOWERS: 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ "did this with my first grade class. Took us about 4 art classes to complete. turned out so absolutely beautiful that they were displayed in our school foyer"

Butterflies and Bees Art works

Butterflies and bees are a common sight as spring arrives, and they make great subjects for a drawing lesson. Have your students study the different parts of these insects, including their wings, body, and antennae. This helps to create artworks with more understanding about the subject matter. 

Butterfly mobiles  

is a fully narrated video tutorial created for K-1st grade, that demonstrates all steps in real time. Stream the video lesson on your large screen and free yourself up to roam your classroom and support your students.

Benefits of using a video lesson:

• The lesson has already been tested

• All steps are viewable from start to finish

• Techniques are demonstrated

• Rewind and rewatch as many times as needed

• Narrated explanation adds depth to understanding art theories

• Its like having an art specialist in your classroom 

Bee Brave Art project for Back to School guides students to create values based artwork at the start of the new school year. Each student draws and paints a large flower design, symbolising learning growth in a happy classroom. Then add an observation drawing of a bee that representing themselves as the busy learner. Finally students incorporate a classroom value word of their choice, e.g. Bee Positive or Bee Kind. You will love the results and they can stay up on display all year as they remind students about the class expectations of a happy learning environment.

PRAISE FOR Bee Brave

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "What a great back to school project. Great messages to go with this project and the students really got into it. I love the process of it and that if fits more than one grade level. Thanks!"

Blossom covered Spring Trees & Landscape Paintings

Spring trees and landscapes can be full of vibrant colours and interesting textures. Have your students study photographs of blossom covered trees and  landscapes and then create their own artworks using collage or a variety of colours and brushstrokes.

Bird Song Spring art lesson plan for BIRD SONGS COLLAGE suits Grades 2-4 introduces students to the wonderful media of paper collage. This comprehensive art project for grades 2-3, or older was inspired by the illustrations of popular children's picture books and the artworks of Henri Matisse.

• SHAPE - identify and use 2D shapes to compose artwork

• SPACE - Create space by layering shapes

• COLLAGE - gain experience and skill working with this medium

• STENCILS - gain experience and skill for making and working with stencils

This is a great art unit to combine with a Science inquiry focused on seasons (Spring) or animals (birds). For a literacy connection, collage picture books have been suggested as reference among other resource links, and a clear and comprehensive photo journal of each step of the process has been provided, along with student and teacher exemplars of work in progress and completed work.

This lesson plan focuses on:

Colour Value Landscapes is a project that can relate to plant life cycles and seasons, Sharing the Planet or How The World Works. Your students will love creating this unique and impactful art project that has a strong focus on the Element of Colour (Value) and the Colour Blocking painting technique. Learn about why as artists, we need to use multiple values in any hue and build painting skills with different paint brushes and tools.
COLOUR VALUE LANDSCAPES is a comprehensive visual art lesson plan for paint & oil pastel that will guide your students through creating artworks of trees on a hillside in a season of your choice, including spring. This lesson has tons of built in choice for differentiation

Spring Weather Art

Spring weather can be moody and unpredictable. Showers one minute and windy the next. Some great drawing and painting artworks can be created using the weather for inspiration. Combine with a poetry lesson, like writing Haikus about weather, and you’re onto a winner.

Rainy Days is great when you're teaching a unit on weather and needing an impactful Art Lesson that also helps to consolidate Science learning. Your students will love creating this bright art project with tons of built in choice for differentiation, while keeping the skills taught consistent across the class, to save your sanity. 

Take the guesswork out of teaching art, avoid the epic fails that result from not having the time to trial the lesson or media yourself before teaching it. I’ve done it all for you and trailed this lesson with my own students, aged 5-6, in 1st and 2nd grade.

Windy Weather is another great art project when you're teaching a unit on weather and needing an impactful Art Lesson that helps to consolidate Science concepts. Your students will love creating this fun art project about a kid with an umbrella, blown off their feet by the force of the wind. With an art focus on the principle of MOVEMENT, this lesson has tons of built in choice for differentiation. I’ve trailed this lesson with my own students, aged 6-8, in 2nd grade through 4th grade. 

PRAISE FOR WINDY WEATHER:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This is a great project, my grade two students definitely found it challenging. We had to stop and replay the video several times. I found the guide pages very helpful.”

And finally...

Easter themes

As Easter falls into spring (Northern hemisphere), bunnies form another popular subject matter. These create a gorgeous wall display in your classroom, and students can add eggs and / or flowers to further embellish their display.

Fluffy Easter Bunnies is a comprehensive art lesson plan to guide your Easter art project in grades 1-3, using poster paints and sponge printing techniques. Includes a PDF teaching support document with printable drawing guides and display suggestions. This lesson comes with the instructional video that demonstrates every step, supporting students with creating texture in paint, using the element of SHAPE and the principle of PROPORTION. 3 versions (colour and bunny poses) demonstrated, to guide originality. Created with students aged 5, this lesson plan is aimed at early elementary but also includes an extension for older/ more capable students, and focuses on:

• the element of SHAPE concepts and principles of PROPORTION

• painting techniques (sponge painting)

• and fine motor skills (drawing, cutting, composing)

So as you can see, Spring brings many options for incorporating amazing art projects into your teaching days and your students will love you for introducing them to a range of art processes and creative options.
If you would like to know more about any of these lesson plans, click on any of the images or links to be taken directly to that lesson on TPT.

If you find TPT overwhelming, you might prefer to browse my website  instead. All links for where you can find me are below my signature at the end of this post.
And please reach out in the comments or on any of my platforms if you have any questions about my products or about teaching in general.

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With love, Te Aroha 

Timea 

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