Your 6th grade students can create some excellent design projects as they learn about the elements of design and famous artworks, as well as artists, from the past. Whether your students are working on drawings or mixed media assignments using a colored pencil, watercolor, or clay, they will be learning many valuable skills.
If you are an art teacher, mainstream classroom teacher, or any type of instructor, you will be able to find many different resources to support the childrens' artistic experiences. You will be able to lead your students in these lessons and create these crafts with simple materials you will likely already have.
1. Geometric Hearts
Your students can create dimensions using different shading techniques. This activity can especially be implemented around Valentine's Day. Your students can also play with different shades of the same color to achieve this special effect.
Learn more: deepspacesparkle.com
2. Dream Home Floor Plan
This fantastic activity can be accomplished with very simple materials: a piece of paper and markers. Your students can try their hand at outlining the house they live in. They can fill extra work time by designing their dream home. You will be surprised how they fill in the sections!
Learn more: lmsartavery.weebly.com
3. Oil Pastel Line, Color, and Movement
You can support your students as they learn about the elements of art: line, color, and movement in this oil pastel project. You can challenge your students to use many different colors, create patterns, or experiment with smudging the oil pastels.
Learn more: incredibleart.org
4. Pop Art Pizza
This pop art project will allow your students to connect with Andy Warhol, an artist from the past, as they integrate popular culture images. This lesson can be supported by the teacher encouraging them to use bright and bold colors to make their work pop.
Learn more: elementsoftheartroom.blogspot.com
5. Sharpie Cone
This design looks very intricate but is simple to achieve. Including this project in your next art period will engage your students as they work to achieve this effect. This is an awesome project to add to your yearly art rotation because the results look so interesting!
Learn more: artwithmrsfilmore.com
6. Decorative Paper Lanterns
These paper lanterns can be beautiful and informative. The possibilities are endless with this cool papercraft. You could set a theme or color scheme for your students to work with or create designs in the styles of past artists.
Learn more: greenbayartroom.blogspot.com
7. Onomatopoeia Art
Integrating literacy into your tasks will benefit your art students. This task combines literacy and math to allow your students to illustrate words that communicate sound to readers. This is an interesting design challenge for any young artist!
Learn more: jamestownelementaryblog.blogspot.com
8. Creature Painting
Integrating literacy into your tasks will benefit your art students. This task combines literacy and math to allow your students to illustrate words that communicate sound to readers. This is an interesting design challenge for any young artist!
Learn more: jamestownelementaryblog.blogspot.com
9. Origami Dragon Eye
These eyes draw you in so much that you forget that they are origami! If your class is currently learning about reptiles in science class, then this is the perfect activity to integrate into your next session.
Learn more: elementsoftheartroom.blogspot.com
10. Still Life Jar
Creating this still life jar is reminiscent of sketchbook drawings. This is a great 6th grade art project because it allows students to practice a variety of vital skills. It looks like a fancy project but the process is easy to achieve for your young learners!
Learn more: artteacherinla.com
11. Winter Sloth
Your students can channel their inner sloth by designing the cute winter creature. They will paint their winter sloth in the foreground and color the rest of the entire paper with beautiful white and blue tones to achieve this snowy and icy result.
Learn more: artteacherinla.com
12. Sugar Skull Art
Your students can create these fantastic Day of the Dead projects using bright colors to make their creations pop and stand out. This is the perfect project to teach your students about the importance of symmetry in artistic works as well as the importance of picking the right images.
Learn more: glittermeetsglue.com
13. Camouflage Drawing Challenge
Students can create these designs with pencil and then outline their work again with a black Sharpie or black marker. You could even try having the students do this activity a little differently - using white pencil crayons on black construction paper.
Learn more: theartofeducation.edu
14. Piet Mondrian Suncatchers
The finished product will make all the work and time worthwhile. Using some paint, a picture frame, and a few other basic materials, you can have an art lesson that focuses on a brilliant artist from the past while letting your students connect to art history in their own way.
Learn more: schooltimesnippets.com
15. Paul Klee Art
Your sixth grade art students can also learn about this creative artist by creating their own work. This is a quick project that can be done with on-hand materials that can be made into squares of color. It can turn into a writing project about the artist's life.
Learn more: 123homeschool4me.com
16. Foil Painting
This project features a shiny background and a classic project. Students can paint whatever they’d like, but spacescapes and bold geometric patterns are a great place to start. It’s also a great introduction to concepts like medium and texture.
Learn more: Kitchen Table Classroom
17. Clay Flower Bouquets
This project helps students render images in 3D, thanks to the painted paper background and modeling clay flowers in the foreground. It’s also a great segue into learning about artists who featured flowers with different techniques, such as O’Keeffe and Van Gough.
Learn more: Painted Paper Art
18. Sculptures with Calder
These mini versions of huge public-space sculptures help students identify and understand the important elements of installations. The small paper sculptures draw on Calder’s style, which features funky shapes and bright colors. It’s a fun way to explore abstract sculpture, too!
Learn more: Pink Stripey Socks
19. Minecraft Selfies
In this project, students recreate a selfie in a Minecraft-inspired self-portrait. It’s a great way to use graph paper and to get kids thinking in 3 dimensions with some safe squares to guide their proportions. Plus, the style is super familiar to 6th graders!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids
20. Captivating Visuals with Pulled String
Teach your kids about the essence of spirals with this simple activity. The technique relies on experience and experimentation, so it’s a great piece for discussion and practicing prediction skills. The best part is that it makes good use of the leftover strings and watercolors that you have from previous projects!
Learn more: Tinker Lab
21. Alien Creature Name Art
Kids will love learning about form and shape with this name art project. First, they write their names in block letters, being careful with the “highs” and “lows” of each letter. Then, they mirror that shape and decorate it like an alien creature. The final product is highly personalized on several different levels!
Learn more: Happiness is Homemade
22. Corner Bookmarks
These DIY bookmarks are different from the traditional strips of paper, and they’re highly customizable. Simply teach your students how to fold the basic shape and base of the bookmark, and then set them free to decorate it however they’d like!
Learn more: Etsy
23. 2-Ingredient Cloud Dough
This hands-on activity makes an easy tactile dough that students can use for modeling future projects or just for fun. It only takes a few minutes to make the dough, and unlike other slime or dough projects, this one actually smells really great!
Learn more: Woo Jr.
24. Handmade Journals
Sixth grade is a big year for most kids since it marks the end of their elementary school days and the beginning of their middle school years. Help them make a journal where they can track their experiences, struggles, and achievements throughout this key time in their lives. These journals also make great gifts for holidays.
Learn more: A Beautiful Mess
25. T-Shirt Yarn for Big Projects
You can use old, unwanted t-shirts and other cotton garments to make a strong, thick yarn. Then, use this yarn for heavy-duty projects such as rugs. Kids can easily learn “arm knitting” and complete the project without any fancy equipment.
Learn more: eHow
26. Woven Friendship Bracelets
This summer camp classic is a fun way to introduce the weaving medium to students, and also a great way to encourage camaraderie in the classroom. It uses a basic round cardboard loom and embroidery thread. You can also through in some beads and other decorations to make the bracelets extra special!
Learn more: Michael Ann Made
27. Scratch Art
Have kids start by making the background colors with oil pastels on construction paper. Then, completely cover those colors with black oil pastel. Finally, take a toothpick, disposable skewer, or disposable chopstick and start scratching patterns from the black layer. The colors will really shine through!
Learn more: Nurture Store
28. Parodies of American Gothic
In this drawing project, students will look at the classic painting American Gothic and discuss the underlying messages, themes, and context of the painting. Then, they’ll make a contemporary version that plays on the same themes in today’s context.
Learn more: The Lost Sock
29. Nebula Jars
This piece uses upcycled glass jars, cotton balls, paint, and glitter to make a galaxy that you can hold in your hand. The end result is really astounding, even though the project itself is very straightforward. It’s a great way to tie in science lessons or even popular culture in the art classroom.
Learn more: Mom Dot
30. Upcycled Planters
These handmade planters are a great way to use up the plastic containers that are left around the classroom. Students can use a variety of materials and media to decorate the containers, and the finished product makes an excellent gift or keepsake.
Learn more: Craving Some Creativity
31. Raised Salt Painting
Just by adding a bit of salt and glue to standard watercolors, you can create a whole new level to basic paintings. Try combining the raised salt paint with normally painted backgrounds to teach kids about texturing and highlighting.
Learn more: Artful Parent
32. Sidewalk Chalk Paint
This activity is perfect for a lovely summer day. It also makes great use of leftover or otherwise unusable sidewalk chalk that’s left lying around. With some water and oil, you can make sturdy chalk paint that will allow your kids to decorate the sidewalks with bold and beautiful creations.
Learn more: The Best Ideas for Kids
33. Painting with Bubbles
In this activity, students use bubbles to paint with watercolors. Then, they can either stop there or use the interesting colors and unpredictable patterns as a background for further painting. It’s a fun new way to think outside the box and lay an unexpected and flexible foundation for the final product.
Learn more: Early Learning Ideas
34. Recycle Fabric Mache Bowls
These make for a great gift, and with the right shape, they’re great for holding plants, too. You can use leftover plastic containers as the base, and upcycled fabric too. It’s a great way to open up a conversation about reusing and recycling with your kids.
Learn more: Mosswood Connections
35. Japanese Wire Sculpture
This is a great lesson in expression and representation because kids look at everyday or natural objects. Then, with a variety of colors, they wrap wire to represent these objects. The best part is that they always have tactile access to the items while they’re working, so they can experiment with different ways to get the right shapes, sizes, and representations.
Learn more: Artful Parent
36. Accordion Books
Middle schoolers love to tell stories, and an accordion book is a great way to express their experiences. You can use all kinds of materials and media to illustrate the book, and the easy layout of the book means that kids can focus on the content rather than the construction.
Learn more: Joanne Sharpe Art
37. Pancake Art
This out-of-the-box project takes you out of the classroom and into the kitchen. Using pancake batter of different colors, make patterns and pictures in the pan. It’s a fast-paced activity and the results are delicious!
Learn more: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
38. Build Your Own Magnetic Building Set
This is a project that keeps on giving. Using upcycled cardboard, magnets, and some decorating materials, you can make your very own magnetic building set. This is a great way to introduce STEAM concepts and practice form and physics together.
Learn more: Artful Parent
39. Glass Gem Magnets
This activity requires students to think small. The whole “canvas” of the project is the size of a button, so students should carefully select what they highlight on each magnet. The glass gem on top gives a cool distortion effect. These pieces make great gifts or collectibles.
Learn more: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
40. Objects in Detail
Here, students will look at the tiny details of everyday objects and then recreate them in larger proportions. It’s a great study in still life, and it gives a new perspective to things that students are used to seeing. Offer complex and interestingly shaped objects for kids to manipulate and draw in the classroom.
Learn more: Arte a Scuola
41. Design a Tiny House
Kids will have fun designing a tiny house that will meet their functional needs while also being visually appealing. It’s a great lesson in form and function, and it’s a fun way to get to know students’ hobbies and interests as well!
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
42. Milk Carton Design
In this project, students learn about advertising in their daily lives. Then, they design a milk carton to try to make a normal object even more appealing. Talk about the different techniques, styles, and trends in advertising and packaging to really drive these points home.
Learn more: Tracy Fortune
43. Botanical Prints
All you need is some leaves or petals from the great outdoors and some simple watercolors. Use the leaves and petals as a stamp to create patterns and scenes. The final product can be as complex or as simple as the young artist desires. Be aware that these pieces do take a long time to dry.
Learn more: Kitchen Table Classroom
44. Cell Phone Holder
This practical project results in a customized and handy mobile phone stand. It is a great gift item, and it’s a fun way to work with clay. Many clay projects have become predictable pinch-pots, so it’s great to see new techniques and end products in clay.
Learn more: Hatiffant
45. Reductionist Prints with Kieth Haring
This is a great way to explore recent art history and a new medium. Students make multiple prints of the same image, changing the colors as they go along. The result is bold and colorful statement pieces that really showcase their creativity.
Learn more: Chucks and Crayons
Conclusion
These tasks are beneficial to add to any art lesson rotation you might have. Many of them use simple materials or basic supplies. They can also be made more complex or challenging regarding the design elements if you feel your students would enjoy taking on more intricate tasks.
There is also a lot your students can learn from these tasks. Learning about different elements of design, like movement, color, and line, for example. You can also use these ideas as springboards into discussions about artists from the past that still have stylist influence today. Your grade six students will have fun and learn while they do it!
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