As the school year unfolds, maintaining student engagement and fostering creativity can be quite a challenge. One effective way to keep the creative juices flowing in the art room is through themed drawing choice boards. These resources provide a variety of drawing and sketchbook prompts tailored to each month, offering structured activities along with ample opportunities for artistic freedom. Let’s explore how these Unique Year-Round Drawing Choice Boards with Engaging Monthly Themes can inspire your students throughout the entire school year.
Why Use Art Choice Boards?
Engagement All Year Long: Themed choice boards ensure that your students remain engaged and inspired month after month. From winter festivities and springtime reflections to Black History Month and autumn creativity, these prompts are designed to captivate students’ interest throughout the year.
Fosters Creativity and Artistic Growth: Art choice boards promote artistic development by encouraging students to explore different themes and techniques. Each prompt is crafted to stimulate creative thinking and self-expression, helping students build their artistic skills and confidence.
Flexibility and Inclusivity: Suitable for various grade levels and skill sets, art choice boards are versatile tools for any art curriculum. They are perfect for independent work, group activities, or whole-class projects. The secular and inclusive nature of the prompts ensures that every student can participate, regardless of their background. I use these in my US middle school classroom!
Minimal Requirements: One of the best aspects of art choice boards is their simplicity. All you need are basic supplies like pencils, dry coloring materials, and paper. This makes it easy to integrate these activities into your classroom, no matter the resources you have available.
Personalized Learning: The choice boards include blank matrices that allow students to create their own prompts. This encourages them to explore their unique artistic ideas, fostering a sense of ownership and individuality in their work.
Inclusive and Thought-Provoking: Features secular prompts to ensure every student can participate and express themselves creatively, regardless of background.
How to Use Art Choice Boards in Your Classroom
Daily Sketchbook Prompts: Incorporate the choice boards into daily sketchbook assignments to keep students regularly engaged with their artistic practice. I have them printed off for each student to tape into their sketchbooks for quick reference!
Warm-Ups and Early Finishers: Use the prompts as warm-up activities at the beginning of class or as creative tasks for early finishers. I am always sure to have materials out that students can quickly grab and go.
Sub Plans and Homework: Art choice boards are excellent resources for sub plans, providing structured yet flexible activities that can be easily implemented by substitute teachers. They also make great homework assignments, encouraging students to continue their artistic exploration at home.
Collaborative Projects: Transform the choice boards into collaborative class projects. This fosters teamwork and collective creativity, allowing students to work together on larger, more complex pieces.
Monthly Themes to Keep Creativity Flowing
Here’s a peek at the monthly themes included in a year-round art choice board bundle:
- August: Back to School- Art Pre-Assessment
- September: Hispanic Heritage Month
- October:
1- Halloween
2- BONUS: Halloween Drawing Matrix Art Challenge - November: Native American & Gratitude
- December
1- Winter & Christmas
2- BONUS: Winter Character Drawing Matrix Challenge - January New Year’s Art
- February
1-Black History Month
2- Valentines & Kindness - March
1–Youth Art Month - 2-Women’s History Month
3-St. Patrick’s Day
4-BONUS: St. Patrick’s Day Drawing Matrix Art Challenge - April: Earth Day and Spring Time
- May: Mental Health Awareness
Inspire and Engage Your Students Year-Round
Art choice boards are a powerful tool for keeping students engaged, fostering creativity, and enhancing artistic skills. By incorporating these themed prompts into your classroom, you can provide a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that celebrates creativity all year long.
