Art Enrichment & Cultural Art Lessons — ChalkWild

🎬 Videos 🌍 Cultural Art Downloads 🧠 Art Therapy Prompts 📚 SEL Curriculum 🛒 Get the Kit → 👨‍👩‍👧 Parents Page 🏫 Educators Page

🎨 20 Free Videos · 8 Downloads · 15 Art Therapy Prompts

Fun & Engaging
Art Enrichment
& Cultural Art Lessons

How-to-draw videos, culturally relevant art activities, and evidence-based art therapy prompts — all designed to spark creativity and emotional resilience in K–5 students.

🎬 20 How-to-Draw Videos

📥 8 Free PDF Downloads

🧠 15 Art Therapy Prompts

✅ Trauma-Informed

🎒 For ChalkWild Backpacks

Watch the Videos ↓ Download Free Activities ↓

“Alix has ADHD. He never sits still and he sits on the floor for 30–45 minutes during ChalkWild art time, watching these how-to-draw videos and drawing on his ChalkWild backpack. It’s an amazing sight to see. Another kid who is really shy — he does not like to show his drawing. After a couple weeks of engaging in ChalkWild’s art program, he volunteers to show his art to staff.”

— Captain Kim · Salvation Army Modesto

🎨 How-to-Draw Videos✦ 🌍 Cultural Art Activities✦ 🧠 Evidence-Based Art Therapy✦ 📥 Free Downloads✦ ✅ Trauma-Informed✦ 🎒 Made for ChalkWild Backpacks✦ 🎨 How-to-Draw Videos✦ 🌍 Cultural Art Activities✦ 🧠 Evidence-Based Art Therapy✦ 📥 Free Downloads✦ ✅ Trauma-Informed✦ 🎒 Made for ChalkWild Backpacks✦

20 Step-by-Step Videos

How-to-Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

Follow along with these fun drawing tutorials — click any thumbnail to watch. Perfect for classroom art time, afterschool, or home.

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🚗 How to Draw Transportation Cartoon

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🐾 How to Draw Cute Animals Cartoon

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🦕 How to Draw Cute Dinosaur Cartoon

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🚀 How to Draw Space Travel Cartoon

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🌟 How to Draw Space Travel Cartoon 2

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👾 How to Draw Monster Cartoon

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👹 How to Draw Monster Cartoon 2

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🎒 How to Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

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🎨 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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✏️ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🖍️ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🌈 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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⭐ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🦋 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🌸 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🎯 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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💡 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🌊 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🦄 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🎭 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

Free PDF Downloads

Culturally Relevant & Trauma-Informed Art Activities

Printable art activities celebrating diverse cultures and identities — designed for classrooms and afterschool programs.

✊🏾

Black History Art Activities

⬇ Download PDF

🏮

Asian American History

⬇ Download PDF

🌮

Hispanic Heritage Month Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

🪶

Native American Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

❤️

Coloring My Heart Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

⭕

Tic Tac Toe Art Game

⬇ Download PDF

🌀

Mandala Art for Mindfulness

⬇ Download PDF

🎯

Visual Goal Setting Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

15 Lesson Plans · PreK–Grade 5

ChalkWild Drawing Lesson Plans

Three grade bands · California VAPA Standards (2019) · CASEL-Connected · No-prep facilitator instructions

😊

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

My Feelings Face

🎯 GoalDraw a face showing one emotion and name that feeling using words.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — recognizing and naming emotions

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cn10.1.K

📝 Vocabemotion, expression, eyebrows, surprised, calm

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Hand out backpacks and chalk markers — no other prep needed.
Say: “Today we’re going to draw a face that shows a feeling. Every face you draw is right.”
Draw a big circle — tell students to do the same.
Draw two eyes — wide open (surprised) or squinted (happy).
Draw eyebrows — up for surprised, down/together for mad.
Add a small nose — a dot or curved line.
Draw a mouth: smile curves up, frown curves down, straight = calm.
Add hair, ears, or a hat to make it personal.
Ask neighbors to guess each other’s emotion.

💡 Pro Tip: Let shy students whisper their emotion to you instead of sharing aloud — all participation counts.

🚀 Extension: Draw the same face showing TWO emotions, one on each side of the backpack.

💬 Discuss: What feeling did you draw? What makes you feel that way? How can you tell someone how you feel without words?

🐠

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Rainbow Fish

🎯 GoalDraw a simple fish using basic shapes, then add colorful patterned scales.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — following multi-step directions and practicing patience

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cr2.3.K

📝 Vocabscales, fins, pattern, repeat, oval

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re going to draw a rainbow fish today — just follow each step.”
Draw a big oval — egg-shaped, almost fills the backpack.
Add a triangle on the right side for the tail.
Draw small triangles on top and below for fins.
Circle for the eye, tiny curved line for the mouth.
Draw curved lines across the body for scale shapes.
Color each scale a different color — try a pattern!
Add small circle bubbles floating up from the mouth.

💡 Pro Tip: Students this age love filling in scales — budget extra minutes for coloring and praise patience out loud.

🚀 Extension: Draw an ocean scene — add seaweed, a crab, or a starfish.

💬 Discuss: What pattern did you use for the scales? If you were a fish, what color would YOU be? What makes something a pattern?

👩‍🚒

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Community Helper

🎯 GoalDraw a community helper and describe how that person helps the neighborhood.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — understanding how others contribute to and care for the community

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.1 · VA:Cr2.3.1 · VA:Cn11.1.1

📝 Vocabcommunity, helper, uniform, tool, neighborhood

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Ask: “What community helpers do you know?” Take a few answers.
Draw a circle for the head and a rectangle below for the body.
Draw the helper’s special clothing or hat.
Add arms and legs — stick arms and legs are totally fine!
Draw a tool the helper uses (hose, stethoscope, book, hammer…).
Add a background — where does this helper work?
Write or help students label the helper’s job title at the top.

💡 Pro Tip: Ask if anyone has a family member who is a community helper — it makes the lesson immediately personal.

🚀 Extension: Draw YOURSELF as a community helper — what would you wear and do?

💬 Discuss: Who is a helper in YOUR neighborhood? How do they make our community better? How can YOU be a helper today?

🍎

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Silly Fruit Friends

🎯 GoalTurn a simple fruit shape into a silly character by adding facial features and accessories.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — expressing creativity and individual identity through art

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.K

📝 Vocabcharacter, feature, round, oval, imagination

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re turning fruit into funny cartoon characters — the weirder the better!”
Choose a fruit: apple, banana, strawberry, watermelon, or pineapple.
Draw the basic fruit shape big and bold — HUGE, fill the backpack!
Add a face: two eyes, a nose, a big goofy grin.
Give it stick arms and legs.
Add one accessory: a hat, cape, sunglasses, or shoes.
Color the fruit — realistic OR a wild color (purple apple? Why not!).
Whisper your fruit friend’s name to a neighbor.

💡 Pro Tip: Celebrate the silliest and most creative drawings loudly — it gives everyone permission to take risks.

🚀 Extension: Draw two fruit friends doing something together — lunch? Basketball? A road trip?

💬 Discuss: What makes your fruit friend silly or funny? What’s your fruit friend’s superpower? How are you and your fruit friend alike?

🌈

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Calm Place

🎯 GoalDraw a place where you feel safe and peaceful, then share it with a partner.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — identifying calming strategies; emotional regulation

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.3.K · VA:Cn10.1.K

📝 Vocabcalm, peaceful, safe, cozy, imagine

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Optional: play soft instrumental music. Do 3 slow deep breaths together first.
Say: “Close your eyes for 10 seconds and think of a place where you feel calm and safe.”
Draw the sky or background first — use colors that feel calm to you.
Add the ground — grass, sand, clouds, or a cozy floor.
Draw 2–3 things that make it feel calm (trees, water, your pet, stars…).
Draw a simple stick figure of yourself in the middle.
Fill in colors — no wrong color for calm.
Help students write “My Calm Place” at the top.

💡 Pro Tip: Pairs beautifully with a 5-minute mindfulness exercise before you start.

🚀 Extension: Teach a friend to “visit” their calm place using 3 deep breaths and closed eyes.

💬 Discuss: Where is your calm place? What do you do when you feel upset? How does this place make your body feel?

🌵

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Desert & Valley Life

🎯 GoalDraw a California Central Valley or desert landscape using foreground, middle ground, and background layers.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — building connection to local environment and cultural identity

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.2 · VA:Cn11.1.3

📝 Vocabforeground, background, horizon, landscape, layers

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re drawing the world right outside our window — the Central Valley. Three layers, like a stage.”
Draw a horizon line about 2/3 up the backpack.
Draw mountains or rolling hills above the horizon in light colors.
Draw oak trees, farm rows, or golden hills in the middle ground.
Draw something in the foreground — cactus, wildflowers, a dirt road, or a fence.
Add a warm sky — sunset oranges and yellows.
Add one animal somewhere in the scene.
Label one thing in the drawing.

💡 Pro Tip: Students light up when they recognize their home landscape. Name local landmarks: almond orchards, the foothills, the Delta.

🚀 Extension: Add a water source — river, canal, or aqueduct — and draw how water travels to farms.

💬 Discuss: What makes the Central Valley special? How has this land changed over time? Who are the original people of this land?

🦋

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Symmetry Butterfly

🎯 GoalDraw a symmetrical butterfly and understand what “line of symmetry” means in art and nature.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — attention and focus while mirroring patterns precisely

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cr3.1.2 · VA:Re7.1.2

📝 Vocabsymmetry, mirror image, pattern, line of symmetry, wings

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Fold a piece of paper in half to demo a line of symmetry.
Say: “Symmetry means both sides match — like a mirror. This is a math AND art lesson.”
Draw a vertical line down the center of the backpack — the mirror line.
Draw the butterfly body along the center line.
Draw one upper wing on the LEFT side — large and rounded.
Mirror it exactly on the RIGHT side.
Draw smaller lower wings on both sides.
Add a pattern inside the LEFT wing — circles, triangles, swirls.
Copy every pattern onto the RIGHT wing in the SAME position and color.

💡 Pro Tip: Pair with a geometry lesson — earns double credit as a math cross-curricular activity under Prop 28.

🚀 Extension: Draw a second symmetrical animal — face, dragonfly, or owl.

💬 Discuss: What does symmetry mean? Where else in nature do you see symmetry? Why do you think butterflies have symmetrical wings?

📖

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Story Scene

🎯 GoalIllustrate a favorite scene from a story, including the character, setting, and action.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — perspective-taking; understanding characters’ feelings and motivations

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.2

📝 Vocabsetting, character, scene, illustrate, action

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Have students take out a book they’re reading, or use a ChalkTales storybook.
Give 2 minutes to flip through and pick ONE scene to illustrate.
Draw the setting (background) first — inside/outside, daytime/nighttime.
Draw the main character in the center with right hair, clothes, and size.
Show what ACTION is happening — running? Hiding? Laughing?
Add any other characters who belong in the scene.
Add details that show the EMOTION — weather, expressions, objects.
Add a speech or thought bubble.

💡 Pro Tip: Works especially well right after a ChalkTales read-aloud. Read first, draw second.

🚀 Extension: Draw the NEXT scene — what happens right after your moment in the story?

💬 Discuss: Why did you pick this scene? How do you think the character felt? How would YOU feel in that situation?

🔍

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Zoomed-In Nature

🎯 GoalDraw one natural object zoomed in large enough to fill the whole backpack canvas, using close observation.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — practicing focus, patience, and sustained attention

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.3 · VA:Cr2.3.3 · VA:Re7.2.3

📝 Vocabobservation, texture, detail, close-up, magnify

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Grab any natural object — a leaf, flower, pinecone. If unavailable, show a close-up photo.
Say: “Artists who draw nature spend a long time just LOOKING before they draw.”
Give students 30 seconds to just look — notice every line, color, edge. Don’t draw yet.
Draw the OUTLINE of the object huge — filling the whole backpack.
Add the main lines and details inside (leaf veins, petal lines…).
Draw textures — tiny lines, dots, bumps, ridges.
Color with MULTIPLE shades — nothing in nature is just one flat color.
Write the name of the object in the corner.

💡 Pro Tip: Even a dandelion from outside works perfectly. The point is close observation — not the object itself.

🚀 Extension: Write 5 descriptive words and use them in a short nature poem.

💬 Discuss: What did you notice up close that you hadn’t seen before? How is drawing from observation different from drawing from memory?

🦸

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Emotion Superhero

🎯 GoalDesign a superhero whose power comes from a specific emotion, then explain what that power does.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — connecting emotional experience to personal strengths and identity

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.3

📝 Vocabemotion, superpower, design, symbol, strength

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Write on board: courage, kindness, joy, calm, curiosity, hope.
Say: “Every emotion is a superpower if you know how to use it. Design a superhero whose power comes from ONE emotion.”
Choose one emotion — say it aloud to a neighbor.
Draw the hero’s body in a strong, tall, confident pose.
Design the costume — pick colors that match the emotion.
Create a symbol or logo for the chest representing the emotion.
Draw the hero’s face showing that emotion.
Add a background showing where this hero works.
Write the hero’s name at the top.

💡 Pro Tip: Hang completed heroes on a “Hall of Heroes” wall display — great for building classroom community.

🚀 Extension: Write a 3-sentence origin story: where did your hero get their emotional power?

💬 Discuss: What is your hero’s superpower and how do they use it? When have YOU shown this superpower? How can emotions be strengths?

🏙️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

One-Point Perspective Street

🎯 GoalApply one-point perspective to draw a street or hallway that shows depth and distance.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — persistence through a challenging technical skill; growth mindset

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cr3.1.5 · VA:Re7.2.5

📝 Vocabvanishing point, horizon line, perspective, depth, converge

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Perspective is the trick artists use to make flat drawings look 3D. Once it clicks, you’ll see it everywhere.”
Draw a horizon line across the middle of the backpack.
Make a dot in the CENTER of the horizon — the vanishing point.
Draw two lines from the BOTTOM CORNERS up to the vanishing point (road edges).
Draw buildings on the LEFT — vertical lines near the edge, then lines to the vanishing point from top and bottom.
Repeat for RIGHT side buildings.
Add windows and doors — all horizontal lines aim toward the vanishing point.
Draw people or trees — bigger near bottom, smaller near center.

💡 Pro Tip: The “aha moment” is real with this lesson — give students time to notice the depth. Don’t rush past it.

🚀 Extension: Move the vanishing point to the far left or right edge — how does the whole scene change?

💬 Discuss: How does perspective make a flat drawing look 3D? Where do you see perspective in real life? What was the hardest part?

🏺

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Cultural Pattern Tile

🎯 GoalResearch and recreate a geometric pattern from a chosen cultural tradition, then reflect on its meaning.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — appreciation of cultural diversity; understanding others’ perspectives

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.4 · VA:Cn11.1.4 · VA:Re8.1.5

📝 Vocabgeometric, motif, symmetry, heritage, tessellation

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Show 2–3 reference images: “Aztec geometric pattern,” “Hmong story cloth,” “Islamic tile art,” or “Kente cloth Ghana.”
Say: “These patterns carry meaning — they tell stories and show identity. Today you’ll study one and recreate it.”
Students study their reference image for 1–2 minutes — what shapes repeat? What’s the color scheme?
Divide the backpack into a light grid — 3×3 or 4×4.
Draw ONE unit of the pattern carefully in one square.
Repeat the pattern unit across the other squares — keep shapes and sizes consistent.
Add colors matching the tradition — or a personal remix. Both are valid artistic choices.
In the corner, write the culture name and one sentence about what the pattern means.

💡 Pro Tip: Schedule during cultural heritage months: Hispanic Heritage (Sept–Oct), AAPI Heritage (May), Black History (Feb).

🚀 Extension: Design your OWN cultural pattern tile representing YOUR identity.

💬 Discuss: What does this pattern mean in its culture? How does art pass down cultural knowledge? What patterns exist in YOUR family’s heritage?

✏️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Manga-Style Self-Portrait

🎯 GoalDraw a manga-style self-portrait using stylized proportions, then compare to realistic portraiture.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — exploring identity and self-expression through artistic style

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.4 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cn10.1.5

📝 Vocabproportion, stylized, manga, contour, exaggeration

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Search “manga face tutorial” and show one example image to the class.
Say: “Manga is a Japanese art style with giant eyes, tiny noses, big expressive hair. Draw YOURSELF in manga style — let go of perfect.”
Draw a rounded face shape — slightly pointed at the chin.
Draw a horizontal line halfway down the face for eye placement.
Draw large oval eyes with a thick upper eyelid. Add a highlight dot inside each eye.
Add a tiny nose — two small dots or a simple curved line.
Draw a small simple mouth.
Draw hair in large chunks or spikes — not individual strands.
Add one accessory: headphones, a hat, earrings, or a hoodie collar.
Color with bold flat colors.

💡 Pro Tip: Students who are already anime fans become the experts — let them share their knowledge with the class.

🚀 Extension: Draw a realistic self-portrait next to your manga one and compare the proportions side by side.

💬 Discuss: How does manga style exaggerate features — and why? How does your drawing show who you are? What’s the difference between realistic and stylized art?

⚙️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Inventor’s Blueprint

🎯 GoalDesign and label an imaginary invention using technical drawing elements: labels, arrows, and a cross-section view.

💚 CASELResponsible Decision-Making — identifying a problem and designing a creative solution

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.5 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cn10.1.5

📝 Vocabblueprint, label, cross-section, schematic, prototype

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Ask: “What’s a problem at school or in your neighborhood that bugs you?” That’s your invention challenge.
Optional: color the whole backpack lightly with blue chalk for the blueprint effect.
Draw the OUTSIDE of the invention in the center — what does it look like?
In one corner, draw a cross-section — the inside view, like slicing it in half.
Add arrows pointing to parts with labels — what each part is called and does.
Draw a small stick figure next to the invention to show its scale.
Write the invention name at the top and “Inventor: [name]” at the bottom.

💡 Pro Tip: After this lesson, have students ask an AI: “What are real inventions that solve [their problem]?” — great AI Academy tie-in.

🚀 Extension: Write a 5-sentence pitch: what is it, who needs it, how does it work, and how much does it cost?

💬 Discuss: What problem does your invention solve? Who would benefit from it? What materials could you actually use to build a prototype?

💬

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Wordless Graphic Novel Panel

🎯 GoalTell a complete story using only sequential images across 4–6 comic panels — no words allowed.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — perspective-taking; empathy through visual storytelling

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.5 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Re8.1.5

📝 Vocabpanel, sequence, graphic novel, visual narrative, composition

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “A wordless graphic novel tells an entire story with ZERO words — only pictures. That’s the challenge today.”
Plan your story FIRST — beginning, problem, action, resolution. Do this BEFORE drawing.
Divide the backpack into 4–6 panels using straight lines.
Panel 1: Introduce your character and setting — images only, no words!
Panels 2–4: Show the problem, the action, the challenge — use expressions and movement.
Panels 5–6: Show the resolution and how the character feels at the end.
Add motion lines and visual sound effects as shapes only — no letters!
Check: can someone understand the full story just from looking?

💡 Pro Tip: Reference “The Arrival” by Shaun Tan — a masterful wordless graphic novel telling an immigration story with zero words.

🚀 Extension: Swap with a partner — can they describe your story accurately? What needed clarifying?

💬 Discuss: How did you show emotion without words? What was hardest to communicate visually? How are graphic novels different from chapter books?

Evidence-Based

Art Therapy Prompts for Mental Well-Being

Research-backed prompts to promote emotional expression, resilience, and self-awareness — perfect for backpack drawing time.

Self-Portrait

Draw a self-portrait using colors, symbols, or images that represent your emotions and personal characteristics. Helps explore and communicate self-perception.

Gussak & Rosal, 2013

Stress Relief Mandala

Create a symmetrical, circular design using repetitive patterns and colors. Reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation, and enhances focus.

Curry & Kasser, 2011

Visual Gratitude Journal

Draw or write about things you are grateful for. Expressing gratitude through art increases positive emotions and improves overall well-being.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Mindfulness Doodle

Focus on your breath and draw continuous lines or shapes. Mindfulness-based art activities decrease stress and improve mood.

Monti et al., 2006

Emotional Color Wheel

Create a color wheel with each color representing a specific emotion. Enhances emotional awareness and facilitates emotional processing.

Collier, 2011

Positive Affirmation Banner

Write or draw positive affirmations or self-compassion statements. Increases self-esteem and resilience through self-compassionate art activities.

Herrington, 2014

Coping Toolbox

Draw images of your favorite coping skills or relaxation techniques. Visual representations reinforce coping strategies during times of stress.

Hinz, 2020

Collaborative Art Project

Work with a partner to create a combined artwork, fostering social connectedness and mutual support.

Collie et al., 2006

Stress Relief Scribbles

Make continuous lines without lifting your chalk, then color in the spaces. Releases tension, expresses emotions, and stimulates creativity.

Betts, 2005

Visual Goal-Setting

Draw or write about personal goals or aspirations, reinforcing motivation and clarifying priorities.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Emotional Landscape

Create a landscape using colors and imagery that represent your emotions, promoting self-expression and emotional processing.

Collier, 2011

Mind-Body Connection

Visualize and draw physical sensations or body awareness experiences. Enhances self-awareness and promotes relaxation.

Rogers, 1993

Artistic Problem-Solving

Create a visual representation of a problem and potential solutions, supporting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Gussak & Rosal, 2013

Role Model Portrait

Draw a portrait of a role model or someone who has positively influenced your life, fostering inspiration and aspiration.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Mood Color Chart

Create a chart with various colors and label each with an associated mood or feeling. Promotes emotional awareness and understanding.

Collier, 2011

Art Enrichment & Cultural Art Lessons — ChalkWild

🎬 Videos 🌍 Cultural Art Downloads 🧠 Art Therapy Prompts 📚 SEL Curriculum 🛒 Get the Kit → 👨‍👩‍👧 Parents Page 🏫 Educators Page

🎨 20 Free Videos · 8 Downloads · 15 Art Therapy Prompts

Fun & Engaging
Art Enrichment
& Cultural Art Lessons

How-to-draw videos, culturally relevant art activities, and evidence-based art therapy prompts — all designed to spark creativity and emotional resilience in K–5 students.

🎬 20 How-to-Draw Videos

📥 8 Free PDF Downloads

🧠 15 Art Therapy Prompts

✅ Trauma-Informed

🎒 For ChalkWild Backpacks

Watch the Videos ↓ Download Free Activities ↓

“Alix has ADHD. He never sits still and he sits on the floor for 30–45 minutes during ChalkWild art time, watching these how-to-draw videos and drawing on his ChalkWild backpack. It’s an amazing sight to see. Another kid who is really shy — he does not like to show his drawing. After a couple weeks of engaging in ChalkWild’s art program, he volunteers to show his art to staff.”

— Captain Kim · Salvation Army Modesto

20 Step-by-Step Videos

How-to-Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

Follow along with these fun drawing tutorials — click any thumbnail to watch. Perfect for classroom art time, afterschool, or home.

▶

🚗 How to Draw Transportation Cartoon

▶

🐾 How to Draw Cute Animals Cartoon

▶

🦕 How to Draw Cute Dinosaur Cartoon

▶

🚀 How to Draw Space Travel Cartoon

▶

🌟 How to Draw Space Travel Cartoon 2

▶

👾 How to Draw Monster Cartoon

▶

👹 How to Draw Monster Cartoon 2

▶

🎒 How to Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

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🎨 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

▶

✏️ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

▶

🖍️ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

▶

🌈 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

▶

⭐ ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🦋 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🌸 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🎯 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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💡 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🌊 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🦄 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

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🎭 ChalkWild Drawing Tutorial

Free PDF Downloads

Culturally Relevant & Trauma-Informed Art Activities

Printable art activities celebrating diverse cultures and identities — designed for classrooms and afterschool programs.

✊🏾

Black History Art Activities

⬇ Download PDF

🏮

Asian American History

⬇ Download PDF

🌮

Hispanic Heritage Month Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

🪶

Native American Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

❤️

Coloring My Heart Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

⭕

Tic Tac Toe Art Game

⬇ Download PDF

🌀

Mandala Art for Mindfulness

⬇ Download PDF

🎯

Visual Goal Setting Art Activity

⬇ Download PDF

15 Lesson Plans · PreK–Grade 5

ChalkWild Drawing Lesson Plans

Three grade bands · California VAPA Standards (2019) · CASEL-Connected · No-prep facilitator instructions

😊

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

My Feelings Face

🎯 GoalDraw a face showing one emotion and name that feeling using words.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — recognizing and naming emotions

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cn10.1.K

📝 Vocabemotion, expression, eyebrows, surprised, calm

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Hand out backpacks and chalk markers — no other prep needed.
Say: “Today we’re going to draw a face that shows a feeling. Every face you draw is right.”
Draw a big circle — tell students to do the same.
Draw two eyes — wide open (surprised) or squinted (happy).
Draw eyebrows — up for surprised, down/together for mad.
Add a small nose — a dot or curved line.
Draw a mouth: smile curves up, frown curves down, straight = calm.
Add hair, ears, or a hat to make it personal.
Ask neighbors to guess each other’s emotion.

💬 Discuss: What feeling did you draw? What makes you feel that way? How can you tell someone how you feel without words?

🐠

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Rainbow Fish

🎯 GoalDraw a simple fish using basic shapes, then add colorful patterned scales.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — following multi-step directions and practicing patience

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cr2.3.K

📝 Vocabscales, fins, pattern, repeat, oval

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re going to draw a rainbow fish today — just follow each step.”
Draw a big oval — egg-shaped, almost fills the backpack.
Add a triangle on the right side for the tail.
Draw small triangles on top and below for fins.
Circle for the eye, tiny curved line for the mouth.
Draw curved lines across the body for scale shapes.
Color each scale a different color — try a pattern!
Add small circle bubbles floating up from the mouth.

💬 Discuss: What pattern did you use for the scales? If you were a fish, what color would YOU be? What makes something a pattern?

👩‍🚒

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Community Helper

🎯 GoalDraw a community helper and describe how that person helps the neighborhood.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — understanding how others contribute to and care for the community

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.1 · VA:Cr2.3.1 · VA:Cn11.1.1

📝 Vocabcommunity, helper, uniform, tool, neighborhood

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Ask: “What community helpers do you know?” Take a few answers.
Draw a circle for the head and a rectangle below for the body.
Draw the helper’s special clothing or hat.
Add arms and legs — stick arms and legs are totally fine!
Draw a tool the helper uses (hose, stethoscope, book, hammer…).
Add a background — where does this helper work?
Write or help students label the helper’s job title at the top.

💬 Discuss: Who is a helper in YOUR neighborhood? How do they make our community better? How can YOU be a helper today?

🍎

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Silly Fruit Friends

🎯 GoalTurn a simple fruit shape into a silly character by adding facial features and accessories.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — expressing creativity and individual identity through art

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.K

📝 Vocabcharacter, feature, round, oval, imagination

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re turning fruit into funny cartoon characters — the weirder the better!”
Choose a fruit: apple, banana, strawberry, watermelon, or pineapple.
Draw the basic fruit shape big and bold — HUGE, fill the backpack!
Add a face: two eyes, a nose, a big goofy grin.
Give it stick arms and legs.
Add one accessory: a hat, cape, sunglasses, or shoes.
Color the fruit — realistic OR a wild color (purple apple? Why not!).
Whisper your fruit friend’s name to a neighbor.

💬 Discuss: What makes your fruit friend silly or funny? What’s your fruit friend’s superpower? How are you and your fruit friend alike?

🌈

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Calm Place

🎯 GoalDraw a place where you feel safe and peaceful, then share it with a partner.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — identifying calming strategies; emotional regulation

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.3.K · VA:Cn10.1.K

📝 Vocabcalm, peaceful, safe, cozy, imagine

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Optional: play soft instrumental music. Do 3 slow deep breaths together first.
Say: “Close your eyes for 10 seconds and think of a place where you feel calm and safe.”
Draw the sky or background first — use colors that feel calm to you.
Add the ground — grass, sand, clouds, or a cozy floor.
Draw 2–3 things that make it feel calm (trees, water, your pet, stars…).
Draw a simple stick figure of yourself in the middle.
Fill in colors — no wrong color for calm.
Help students write “My Calm Place” at the top.

💡 Pro Tip: Pairs beautifully with a 5-minute mindfulness exercise before you start.

🚀 Extension: Teach a friend to “visit” their calm place using 3 deep breaths and closed eyes.

💬 Discuss: Where is your calm place? What do you do when you feel upset? How does this place make your body feel?

🌵

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Desert & Valley Life

🎯 GoalDraw a California Central Valley or desert landscape using foreground, middle ground, and background layers.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — building connection to local environment and cultural identity

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.2 · VA:Cn11.1.3

📝 Vocabforeground, background, horizon, landscape, layers

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re drawing the world right outside our window — the Central Valley. Three layers, like a stage.”
Draw a horizon line about 2/3 up the backpack.
Draw mountains or rolling hills above the horizon in light colors.
Draw oak trees, farm rows, or golden hills in the middle ground.
Draw something in the foreground — cactus, wildflowers, a dirt road, or a fence.
Add a warm sky — sunset oranges and yellows.
Add one animal somewhere in the scene.
Label one thing in the drawing.

💬 Discuss: What makes the Central Valley special? How has this land changed over time? Who are the original people of this land?

🦋

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Symmetry Butterfly

🎯 GoalDraw a symmetrical butterfly and understand what “line of symmetry” means in art and nature.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — attention and focus while mirroring patterns precisely

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cr3.1.2 · VA:Re7.1.2

📝 Vocabsymmetry, mirror image, pattern, line of symmetry, wings

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Fold a piece of paper in half to demo a line of symmetry.
Say: “Symmetry means both sides match — like a mirror. This is a math AND art lesson.”
Draw a vertical line down the center of the backpack — the mirror line.
Draw the butterfly body along the center line.
Draw one upper wing on the LEFT side — large and rounded.
Mirror it exactly on the RIGHT side.
Draw smaller lower wings on both sides.
Add a pattern inside the LEFT wing — circles, triangles, swirls.
Copy every pattern onto the RIGHT wing in the SAME position and color.

💬 Discuss: What does symmetry mean? Where else in nature do you see symmetry? Why do you think butterflies have symmetrical wings?

📖

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Story Scene

🎯 GoalIllustrate a favorite scene from a story, including the character, setting, and action.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — perspective-taking; understanding characters’ feelings and motivations

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.2

📝 Vocabsetting, character, scene, illustrate, action

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Have students take out a book they’re reading, or use a ChalkTales storybook.
Give 2 minutes to flip through and pick ONE scene to illustrate.
Draw the setting (background) first — inside/outside, daytime/nighttime.
Draw the main character in the center with right hair, clothes, and size.
Show what ACTION is happening — running? Hiding? Laughing?
Add any other characters who belong in the scene.
Add details that show the EMOTION — weather, expressions, objects.
Add a speech or thought bubble.

💡 Pro Tip: Works especially well right after a ChalkTales read-aloud. Read first, draw second.

🚀 Extension: Draw the NEXT scene — what happens right after your moment in the story?

💬 Discuss: Why did you pick this scene? How do you think the character felt? How would YOU feel in that situation?

🔍

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Zoomed-In Nature

🎯 GoalDraw one natural object zoomed in large enough to fill the whole backpack canvas, using close observation.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — practicing focus, patience, and sustained attention

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.3 · VA:Cr2.3.3 · VA:Re7.2.3

📝 Vocabobservation, texture, detail, close-up, magnify

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Grab any natural object — a leaf, flower, pinecone. If unavailable, show a close-up photo.
Say: “Artists who draw nature spend a long time just LOOKING before they draw.”
Give students 30 seconds to just look — notice every line, color, edge. Don’t draw yet.
Draw the OUTLINE of the object huge — filling the whole backpack.
Add the main lines and details inside (leaf veins, petal lines…).
Draw textures — tiny lines, dots, bumps, ridges.
Color with MULTIPLE shades — nothing in nature is just one flat color.
Write the name of the object in the corner.

💬 Discuss: What did you notice up close that you hadn’t seen before? How is drawing from observation different from drawing from memory?

🦸

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Emotion Superhero

🎯 GoalDesign a superhero whose power comes from a specific emotion, then explain what that power does.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — connecting emotional experience to personal strengths and identity

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.3

📝 Vocabemotion, superpower, design, symbol, strength

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Write on board: courage, kindness, joy, calm, curiosity, hope.
Say: “Every emotion is a superpower if you know how to use it. Design a superhero whose power comes from ONE emotion.”
Choose one emotion — say it aloud to a neighbor.
Draw the hero’s body in a strong, tall, confident pose.
Design the costume — pick colors that match the emotion.
Create a symbol or logo for the chest representing the emotion.
Draw the hero’s face showing that emotion.
Add a background showing where this hero works.
Write the hero’s name at the top.

💬 Discuss: What is your hero’s superpower and how do they use it? When have YOU shown this superpower? How can emotions be strengths?

🏙️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

One-Point Perspective Street

🎯 GoalApply one-point perspective to draw a street or hallway that shows depth and distance.

💚 CASELSelf-Management — persistence through a challenging technical skill; growth mindset

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cr3.1.5 · VA:Re7.2.5

📝 Vocabvanishing point, horizon line, perspective, depth, converge

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Perspective is the trick artists use to make flat drawings look 3D. Once it clicks, you’ll see it everywhere.”
Draw a horizon line across the middle of the backpack.
Make a dot in the CENTER of the horizon — the vanishing point.
Draw two lines from the BOTTOM CORNERS up to the vanishing point (road edges).
Draw buildings on the LEFT — vertical lines near the edge, then lines to the vanishing point from top and bottom.
Repeat for RIGHT side buildings.
Add windows and doors — all horizontal lines aim toward the vanishing point.
Draw people or trees — bigger near bottom, smaller near center.

💬 Discuss: How does perspective make a flat drawing look 3D? Where do you see perspective in real life? What was the hardest part?

🏺

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Cultural Pattern Tile

🎯 GoalResearch and recreate a geometric pattern from a chosen cultural tradition, then reflect on its meaning.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — appreciation of cultural diversity; understanding others’ perspectives

📋 VAPAVA:Cr2.3.4 · VA:Cn11.1.4 · VA:Re8.1.5

📝 Vocabgeometric, motif, symmetry, heritage, tessellation

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Show 2–3 reference images: “Aztec geometric pattern,” “Hmong story cloth,” “Islamic tile art,” or “Kente cloth Ghana.”
Say: “These patterns carry meaning — they tell stories and show identity. Today you’ll study one and recreate it.”
Students study their reference image for 1–2 minutes — what shapes repeat? What’s the color scheme?
Divide the backpack into a light grid — 3×3 or 4×4.
Draw ONE unit of the pattern carefully in one square.
Repeat the pattern unit across the other squares — keep shapes and sizes consistent.
Add colors matching the tradition — or a personal remix. Both are valid artistic choices.
In the corner, write the culture name and one sentence about what the pattern means.

💬 Discuss: What does this pattern mean in its culture? How does art pass down cultural knowledge? What patterns exist in YOUR family’s heritage?

✏️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Manga-Style Self-Portrait

🎯 GoalDraw a manga-style self-portrait using stylized proportions, then compare to realistic portraiture.

💚 CASELSelf-Awareness — exploring identity and self-expression through artistic style

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.4 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cn10.1.5

📝 Vocabproportion, stylized, manga, contour, exaggeration

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Search “manga face tutorial” and show one example image to the class.
Say: “Manga is a Japanese art style with giant eyes, tiny noses, big expressive hair. Draw YOURSELF in manga style — let go of perfect.”
Draw a rounded face shape — slightly pointed at the chin.
Draw a horizontal line halfway down the face for eye placement.
Draw large oval eyes with a thick upper eyelid. Add a highlight dot inside each eye.
Add a tiny nose — two small dots or a simple curved line.
Draw a small simple mouth.
Draw hair in large chunks or spikes — not individual strands.
Add one accessory: headphones, a hat, earrings, or a hoodie collar.
Color with bold flat colors.

💬 Discuss: How does manga style exaggerate features — and why? How does your drawing show who you are? What’s the difference between realistic and stylized art?

⚙️

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Inventor’s Blueprint

🎯 GoalDesign and label an imaginary invention using technical drawing elements: labels, arrows, and a cross-section view.

💚 CASELResponsible Decision-Making — identifying a problem and designing a creative solution

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.1.5 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Cn10.1.5

📝 Vocabblueprint, label, cross-section, schematic, prototype

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Ask: “What’s a problem at school or in your neighborhood that bugs you?” That’s your invention challenge.
Optional: color the whole backpack lightly with blue chalk for the blueprint effect.
Draw the OUTSIDE of the invention in the center — what does it look like?
In one corner, draw a cross-section — the inside view, like slicing it in half.
Add arrows pointing to parts with labels — what each part is called and does.
Draw a small stick figure next to the invention to show its scale.
Write the invention name at the top and “Inventor: [name]” at the bottom.

💬 Discuss: What problem does your invention solve? Who would benefit from it? What materials could you actually use to build a prototype?

💬

Grades 4–5 · 40–45 min

Wordless Graphic Novel Panel

🎯 GoalTell a complete story using only sequential images across 4–6 comic panels — no words allowed.

💚 CASELSocial Awareness — perspective-taking; empathy through visual storytelling

📋 VAPAVA:Cr1.2.5 · VA:Cr2.3.5 · VA:Re8.1.5

📝 Vocabpanel, sequence, graphic novel, visual narrative, composition

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “A wordless graphic novel tells an entire story with ZERO words — only pictures. That’s the challenge today.”
Plan your story FIRST — beginning, problem, action, resolution. Do this BEFORE drawing.
Divide the backpack into 4–6 panels using straight lines.
Panel 1: Introduce your character and setting — images only, no words!
Panels 2–4: Show the problem, the action, the challenge — use expressions and movement.
Panels 5–6: Show the resolution and how the character feels at the end.
Add motion lines and visual sound effects as shapes only — no letters!
Check: can someone understand the full story just from looking?

💬 Discuss: How did you show emotion without words? What was hardest to communicate visually? How are graphic novels different from chapter books?

ChalkWild — 15 New Drawing Lesson Plans (PreK–Grade 3)

15 New Drawing Lesson Plans

PreK–Grade 3 · California VAPA Standards (2019) · CASEL-Connected · No-Prep Facilitator Instructions

🟠 8 Lessons — PreK–Grade 1 🟢 7 Lessons — Grades 2–3

PreK–Grade 1

8 New Lessons · 20–30 min each

🌧️

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Weather Feelings

🎯 Draw a weather scene that matches a feeling and explain the connection. 💚 CASEL: Self-Awareness — connecting emotions to imagery and metaphor 📋 VA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cn10.1.K 📝 weather, mood, stormy, sunny, calm, connection

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Weather is like feelings — sometimes sunny, sometimes stormy. Let’s draw the weather that matches how we feel today.”
Ask students to close eyes and think: “Am I sunny? Cloudy? Rainy? Windy?”
Draw the sky first — fill the whole top of the backpack with sky colors.
Add weather: sun rays, raindrops, clouds, lightning, snowflakes, or a rainbow.
Draw the ground below — puddles, flowers, dry grass, or snow.
Add a small stick figure of YOU standing in the weather.
Write or dictate the feeling word at the top: “happy,” “worried,” “excited,” “calm.”

💡 Pro Tip: Normalize all weather — “Stormy feelings aren’t bad! Even the earth needs rain to grow.” No feeling is wrong.

🚀 Extension: Draw yesterday’s weather feeling next to today’s — show that feelings change, just like the sky.

💬 Discuss: Why did you pick that weather? Can you feel two weathers at once? What helps when you feel stormy?

🏠

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Dream House

🎯 Design a dream house using basic shapes and describe what makes it special. 💚 CASEL: Self-Awareness — expressing personal identity and imagination 📋 VA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.1 · VA:Cn10.1.K 📝 rectangle, triangle, window, roof, design, imagination

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “If you could live ANYWHERE in ANY kind of house — what would it look like?”
Draw a big rectangle for the house body — fill most of the backpack.
Add a triangle on top for the roof.
Draw a door — any shape! Round, square, huge, tiny.
Add windows — circles, stars, hearts — they don’t have to be regular squares.
Draw ONE wild feature: a slide instead of stairs, a pool on the roof, a candy chimney.
Add something OUTSIDE — a garden, a pet, a tree, a rocketship garage.
Color the house in your favorite colors.

💡 Pro Tip: A treehouse, an underwater dome, and a cloud castle are all correct answers. The wilder the better.

🚀 Extension: Draw who lives in the house with you — family, pets, imaginary friends.

💬 Discuss: What’s the most special thing about your house? Who lives there with you? What shapes did you use the most?

🐛

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Caterpillar to Butterfly

🎯 Draw three stages of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly to show change over time. 💚 CASEL: Self-Management — understanding that growth takes time and patience 📋 VA:Cr1.1.1 · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cn10.1.1 📝 caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly, change, stages, growth

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “A caterpillar doesn’t stay a caterpillar forever — it CHANGES. Let’s draw the whole story.”
Divide the backpack into THREE sections with light lines — left, center, right.
LEFT: Draw a caterpillar — a row of connected circles with legs and antennae.
CENTER: Draw the cocoon — an oval hanging from a branch.
RIGHT: Draw a butterfly — big wings, a thin body, antennae.
Add an arrow (→) between each stage.
Color the caterpillar green, the cocoon brown, the butterfly in BRIGHT colors.
Add a leaf for the caterpillar and flowers for the butterfly.

💡 Pro Tip: Cross-curricular gold — pairs with any life cycle science unit. Two standards, one lesson.

🚀 Extension: Draw YOUR own “change story” — what could you do last year vs. this year? Show your own growth!

💬 Discuss: How did the caterpillar change? What’s something YOU have gotten better at? Does growing feel fast or slow?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

My Family Portrait

🎯 Draw the people (or pets!) in your family and share one thing you love about your family. 💚 CASEL: Relationship Skills — appreciating family bonds and diversity of family structures 📋 VA:Cr1.1.K · VA:Cr2.3.1 · VA:Cn11.1.1 📝 family, portrait, together, special, belong

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Families come in all shapes and sizes. Draw YOUR family — everyone who matters to you.”
Draw yourself in the CENTER first — head, body, arms, legs.
Add each family member beside you — make them taller or shorter to show size.
Give each person their own hair style, clothing, or favorite color.
Don’t forget pets! Dogs, cats, fish, hermit crabs — they count.
Add a background — are you at home? At a park? At the dinner table?
Write each person’s name (or first letter) above them.

💡 Pro Tip: Be inclusive — “family” means grandparents, foster parents, two moms, a big brother, an auntie. Let kids define it.

🚀 Extension: Draw your family doing your favorite activity together.

💬 Discuss: Who is in your family? What do you love doing together? How does your family take care of each other?

🌻

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Garden of Shapes

🎯 Build a garden scene using only basic shapes (circles, triangles, rectangles) and name each shape used. 💚 CASEL: Self-Management — following instructions and making choices within structure 📋 VA:Cr1.2.K · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Re7.1.K 📝 circle, triangle, rectangle, shape, petal, stem

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Everything in a garden is made of shapes — let’s prove it!”
Draw a green rectangle at the bottom for the ground.
Draw flowers: circles for centers, ovals or triangles for petals, rectangles for stems.
Draw a sun — one big circle with triangle rays around it.
Add a butterfly — two big ovals for wings, a small rectangle body.
Draw clouds — groups of overlapping circles.
Challenge: can you hide a SQUARE, a DIAMOND, and an OVAL somewhere in the garden?
Color everything in — use lots of bright colors.

💡 Pro Tip: Math crossover! Have students count how many of each shape they used. Instant data activity.

🚀 Extension: Draw a garden where everything is made of ONLY triangles — how creative can you get?

💬 Discuss: What shapes did you use the most? Can you find shapes in the real world around us right now? What shape is hardest to draw?

🪄

PreK–Grade 1 · 25–30 min

If I Had a Superpower

🎯 Draw yourself with a superpower and show what you would do with it. 💚 CASEL: Responsible Decision-Making — thinking about how actions affect others 📋 VA:Cr1.1.1 · VA:Cr2.3.K · VA:Cn10.1.1 📝 superpower, hero, flying, invisible, imagination, helper

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Ask: “If you could have ONE superpower — flying, invisibility, super speed, talking to animals — what would it be?”
Draw YOURSELF big and bold in the center — this is YOUR superpower.
Show the power: add wings, speed lines, glow marks, sparkles, or energy waves.
Draw what you’re DOING with the power — helping someone? Exploring? Rescuing a kitten?
Add a background showing WHERE you are — a city, the sky, underwater, outer space.
Add one detail that makes it YOU — your favorite color, your hairstyle, your shoes.
Write your superpower name at the top.

💡 Pro Tip: Gently steer toward prosocial uses — “What would you DO with that power to help?” builds empathy naturally.

🚀 Extension: Draw a friend with a DIFFERENT superpower — now you’re a team!

💬 Discuss: Why did you pick that power? Who would you help? Do you need superpowers to be a helper in real life?

🍕

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

My Favorite Meal

🎯 Draw your favorite meal on a plate, including at least three items, and describe it to a partner. 💚 CASEL: Social Awareness — sharing personal culture and appreciating others’ traditions 📋 VA:Cr1.2.1 · VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cn11.1.K 📝 plate, meal, favorite, ingredient, culture, tradition

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Think about your absolute FAVORITE meal — the one that makes your mouth water. We’re drawing it!”
Draw a big circle for the plate — almost fills the backpack.
Draw your main food in the center — pizza, tacos, pho, mac and cheese, tamales, rice, anything!
Add at least TWO side items — a drink, fruit, bread, salad, beans.
Color everything to look delicious — make it bright and appetizing.
Add one detail: a fork, chopsticks, a napkin, or your hand reaching for it.
Tell your neighbor what you drew and WHERE your family eats this meal.

💡 Pro Tip: This is a beautiful cultural sharing moment. Celebrate every cuisine — pozole, lumpia, samosas, cornbread. Every meal tells a story.

🚀 Extension: Draw a friend’s favorite meal on the other side of the backpack — now you’ve tried something new!

💬 Discuss: What makes this meal special to you? Who cooks it? Did you learn about a food you’ve never tried?

🌙

PreK–Grade 1 · 20–25 min

Nighttime Sky

🎯 Create a nighttime scene using dark and light contrast, drawing stars, a moon, and one thing on the ground. 💚 CASEL: Self-Management — calming focus through slow, careful art-making 📋 VA:Cr2.1.K · VA:Cr2.3.K · VA:Re7.1.1 📝 contrast, dark, light, glow, moon, stars, nighttime

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Optional: dim lights slightly to set the mood. Play soft music.
Say: “We’re drawing the nighttime — when everything gets quiet and the stars come out.”
Color the whole background DARK — dark blue, dark purple, or black.
Draw a moon — full circle, half circle, or crescent. Color it bright yellow or white.
Add stars — dots, plus signs, or tiny star shapes scattered everywhere.
Draw ONE thing on the ground — a house with a glowing window, a tree, a tent, or a sleeping animal.
Add something that GLOWS — fireflies, a streetlamp, a campfire.
Step back and look — notice how the bright parts “pop” against the dark.

💡 Pro Tip: This is a great calming lesson for the end of the day or for students who need a quiet, focused activity.

🚀 Extension: Draw a daytime version on the other side — compare how the SAME scene looks in light vs. dark.

💬 Discuss: What do you notice about bright colors on a dark background? What sounds do you hear at night? What makes nighttime feel peaceful or scary?

Grades 2–3

7 New Lessons · 30–35 min each

🗺️

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Map of My Neighborhood

🎯 Draw a bird’s-eye-view map of your neighborhood including at least five landmarks, using a simple key. 💚 CASEL: Social Awareness — understanding community and the places that connect us 📋 VA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn11.1.2 📝 bird’s-eye view, map, landmark, key, symbol, route

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Imagine you’re a bird flying ABOVE your neighborhood looking straight down. That’s how we’re drawing today.”
Draw two or three roads — straight or curved — across the backpack.
Add your HOME as a small square or rectangle. Label it.
Add at least FOUR more places — your school, a park, a store, a friend’s house, a church, a library.
Use simple shapes for each building — viewed from above, not from the side.
Draw a small KEY in the corner with symbols: ★ = school, ● = my house, etc.
Add trees, a playground, or a parking lot to fill in spaces.
Draw a dotted line showing your route from home to school.

💡 Pro Tip: Cross-curricular with social studies and geography. Double-dip on standards!

🚀 Extension: Add a compass rose (N/S/E/W) and challenge a partner to follow directions on your map.

💬 Discuss: What’s the most important place on your map and why? How is a map different from a picture? What would a visitor need to know about your neighborhood?

🎭

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Two-Face Mask: Two Feelings

🎯 Design a split mask showing two different emotions — one on each half — and explain when you feel each one. 💚 CASEL: Self-Awareness — recognizing that we can feel multiple emotions at the same time 📋 VA:Cr1.1.2 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.2 📝 mask, expression, contrast, emotion, split, dual

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Have you ever felt happy AND nervous at the same time? Like the first day of school? Today we’ll draw BOTH feelings on one face.”
Draw a large oval face shape — fills most of the backpack.
Draw a vertical line straight down the CENTER of the face.
LEFT side: draw features showing ONE emotion — eyebrow, eye, half-mouth.
RIGHT side: draw features showing a DIFFERENT emotion — mirror the features but change them.
Color each side with colors that match the mood — warm vs. cool, bright vs. muted.
Add decorative details — patterns, symbols, or textures on each side.
Write one emotion word under each half.

💡 Pro Tip: Connects beautifully to theatre arts — talk about how actors use masks across cultures (Greek, Japanese Noh, Mexican luchador).

🚀 Extension: Write a two-sentence story: “On the left side I feel ___ because ___. On the right side I feel ___ because ___.”

💬 Discuss: Can you feel two things at once? When does that happen to you? How do the colors on each side make you FEEL differently?

🦎

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Camouflage Creature

🎯 Design an animal that blends into a drawn background using matching colors, patterns, and textures. 💚 CASEL: Self-Management — planning ahead and problem-solving through design 📋 VA:Cr1.2.2 · VA:Cr2.3.3 · VA:Re7.1.2 📝 camouflage, blend, pattern, texture, habitat, adapt

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Some animals hide by looking EXACTLY like their surroundings. Your job: make an animal that’s almost impossible to find.”
Choose a habitat: forest, ocean, desert, snow, or a garden.
Draw and fully COLOR the background FIRST — this is key!
Now design an animal that MATCHES the background — same colors, same patterns.
Draw the animal right ON TOP of the background — it should nearly disappear.
Add tiny details so someone CAN find it — outline, one different-colored eye, a shadow.
Challenge a partner: “Can you find my creature?”

💡 Pro Tip: Science integration — pairs perfectly with adaptation and habitats units. Ask “WHY do animals camouflage?”

🚀 Extension: Draw the SAME animal in a DIFFERENT habitat — does it still blend in? What would it need to change?

💬 Discuss: Why do animals use camouflage? What would happen if your creature was in a different habitat? Do people ever try to “blend in”? When and why?

🎶

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Draw the Music

🎯 Listen to music and draw the sounds using lines, shapes, and colors — no objects, just abstract expression. 💚 CASEL: Self-Awareness — connecting sensory experience to emotional expression 📋 VA:Cr1.1.3 · VA:Cr2.1.2 · VA:Re7.2.2 📝 abstract, rhythm, tempo, bold, flow, expression

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “Today we’re NOT drawing things. We’re drawing SOUNDS. No animals, no people — just lines, shapes, and colors.”
Play a 2-minute clip of music with a clear mood (classical, jazz, drums, soft piano).
While listening, students draw: fast music = jagged, sharp lines. Slow music = smooth, wavy curves.
Loud = BIG bold marks. Quiet = small, gentle marks.
Use colors that FEEL like the music — warm? Cool? Dark? Bright?
Play a SECOND clip with a different mood. Draw on the other half of the backpack.
Compare the two halves — how are they different?

💡 Pro Tip: Use culturally diverse music — mariachi, Hmong qeej, African drums, Bollywood strings. Every sound looks different.

🚀 Extension: Swap backpacks with a partner — can they GUESS what the music sounded like just from the drawing?

💬 Discuss: How did the two songs feel different? What colors did you use for fast vs. slow? Can art and music “say” the same thing?

🧱

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

Pattern Block Quilt

🎯 Design a repeating pattern quilt using at least two shapes and three colors in a grid format. 💚 CASEL: Self-Management — sustained focus and precision through repetitive patterning 📋 VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cr3.1.2 · VA:Re7.1.3 📝 pattern, quilt, grid, repeat, alternating, design

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Show a photo of a patchwork quilt or pattern block design.
Say: “Quilts tell stories through patterns. Every family, every culture has quilts. Let’s design ours.”
Draw a grid on the backpack — at least 3×3 (9 squares). 4×4 for a challenge.
Design ONE square block — pick 2–3 shapes (triangle, diamond, circle, square) and 3 colors.
Now REPEAT that exact block in every square — same shapes, same colors, same positions.
Try alternating: every other block gets rotated or uses a different color combo.
Fill in ALL colors carefully — neatness is part of the challenge.
Step back and look at the whole thing together — see the pattern emerge!

💡 Pro Tip: Math integration — use this with multiplication or fractions lessons (each square is 1/9 of the whole quilt).

🚀 Extension: Research quilt patterns from different cultures — Gee’s Bend, Hmong story quilts, Hawaiian quilts — and try one.

💬 Discuss: What makes a pattern a pattern? How did you decide on your design? Why do many cultures make quilts?

🕰️

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

My Day in Four Panels

🎯 Draw four comic-style panels showing morning, school, afternoon, and bedtime, demonstrating visual sequencing. 💚 CASEL: Self-Awareness — reflecting on daily routines and personal habits 📋 VA:Cr1.2.3 · VA:Cr2.3.2 · VA:Cn10.1.3 📝 panel, sequence, routine, comic strip, scene, daily

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “We’re making a 4-panel comic strip about YOUR real day — morning, school, afternoon, night.”
Divide the backpack into FOUR equal boxes — two on top, two on bottom.
Panel 1 (top-left): MORNING — waking up, eating breakfast, getting ready.
Panel 2 (top-right): SCHOOL — your favorite part of the school day.
Panel 3 (bottom-left): AFTERNOON — afterschool activity, playing, homework, snacks.
Panel 4 (bottom-right): NIGHT — dinner, bath, reading, bedtime.
Draw yourself in EACH panel — show how your expression changes throughout the day.
Add one speech bubble or thought bubble in any panel.

💡 Pro Tip: ELA connection — this IS narrative sequencing! Beginning, middle, end — told visually.

🚀 Extension: Draw your DREAM day in four panels — what would the perfect day look like?

💬 Discuss: What’s your favorite part of the day and why? How did your face change from morning to night? What makes a good routine?

🌎

Grades 2–3 · 30–35 min

If I Could Go Anywhere

🎯 Draw a real or imaginary place you’d love to visit, including at least three specific details about that place. 💚 CASEL: Social Awareness — curiosity about the world and respect for other cultures and environments 📋 VA:Cr1.1.3 · VA:Cr2.3.3 · VA:Cn11.1.3 📝 destination, landscape, culture, travel, detail, imagine

📣 Facilitator Steps ▼

Say: “If you could go ANYWHERE — real or made up — where would you go? The moon? Japan? A chocolate island? Draw it!”
Fill the background first — what does the sky and land look like in this place?
Add at least THREE details that show WHERE this is — a famous building, unique plants, animals, food, or signs.
Draw yourself in the scene — what are you wearing? What are you doing?
Add one person from that place welcoming you or showing you around.
Add a sign or label with the name of the place.
Color the whole scene — make it feel like you’re THERE.

💡 Pro Tip: Great lead-in to geography or social studies research. “What REAL things are in the place you drew?”

🚀 Extension: Write a 3-sentence postcard from your destination: “Dear ___, I’m in ___ and I see ___. Wish you were here!”

💬 Discuss: Why did you pick that place? What would you want to learn about it? What’s one thing that place has that our neighborhood doesn’t?

Evidence-Based

Art Therapy Prompts for Mental Well-Being

Research-backed prompts to promote emotional expression, resilience, and self-awareness — perfect for backpack drawing time.

Self-Portrait

Draw a self-portrait using colors, symbols, or images that represent your emotions and personal characteristics. Helps explore and communicate self-perception.

Gussak & Rosal, 2013

Stress Relief Mandala

Create a symmetrical, circular design using repetitive patterns and colors. Reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation, and enhances focus.

Curry & Kasser, 2011

Visual Gratitude Journal

Draw or write about things you are grateful for. Expressing gratitude through art increases positive emotions and improves overall well-being.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Mindfulness Doodle

Focus on your breath and draw continuous lines or shapes. Mindfulness-based art activities decrease stress and improve mood.

Monti et al., 2006

Emotional Color Wheel

Create a color wheel with each color representing a specific emotion. Enhances emotional awareness and facilitates emotional processing.

Collier, 2011

Positive Affirmation Banner

Write or draw positive affirmations or self-compassion statements. Increases self-esteem and resilience through self-compassionate art activities.

Herrington, 2014

Coping Toolbox

Draw images of your favorite coping skills or relaxation techniques. Visual representations reinforce coping strategies during times of stress.

Hinz, 2020

Collaborative Art Project

Work with a partner to create a combined artwork, fostering social connectedness and mutual support.

Collie et al., 2006

Stress Relief Scribbles

Make continuous lines without lifting your chalk, then color in the spaces. Releases tension, expresses emotions, and stimulates creativity.

Betts, 2005

Visual Goal-Setting

Draw or write about personal goals or aspirations, reinforcing motivation and clarifying priorities.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Emotional Landscape

Create a landscape using colors and imagery that represent your emotions, promoting self-expression and emotional processing.

Collier, 2011

Mind-Body Connection

Visualize and draw physical sensations or body awareness experiences. Enhances self-awareness and promotes relaxation.

Rogers, 1993

Artistic Problem-Solving

Create a visual representation of a problem and potential solutions, supporting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Gussak & Rosal, 2013

Role Model Portrait

Draw a portrait of a role model or someone who has positively influenced your life, fostering inspiration and aspiration.

Van der Vennet & Serice, 2012

Mood Color Chart

Create a chart with various colors and label each with an associated mood or feeling. Promotes emotional awareness and understanding.

Collier, 2011

Drawing Lessons

Fun & EngagingArt Enrichment& Cultural Art Lessons

How-to-Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

Culturally Relevant & Trauma-Informed Art Activities

Black History Art Activities

Asian American History

Hispanic Heritage Month Art Activity

Native American Art Activity

Coloring My Heart Art Activity

Tic Tac Toe Art Game

Mandala Art for Mindfulness

Visual Goal Setting Art Activity

ChalkWild Drawing Lesson Plans

My Feelings Face

Rainbow Fish

My Community Helper

Silly Fruit Friends

My Calm Place

Desert & Valley Life

Symmetry Butterfly

Story Scene

Zoomed-In Nature

Emotion Superhero

One-Point Perspective Street

Cultural Pattern Tile

Manga-Style Self-Portrait

Inventor’s Blueprint

Wordless Graphic Novel Panel

Art Therapy Prompts for Mental Well-Being

Self-Portrait

Stress Relief Mandala

Visual Gratitude Journal

Mindfulness Doodle

Emotional Color Wheel

Positive Affirmation Banner

Coping Toolbox

Collaborative Art Project

Stress Relief Scribbles

Visual Goal-Setting

Emotional Landscape

Mind-Body Connection

Artistic Problem-Solving

Role Model Portrait

Mood Color Chart

Ready to Put These Lessons Into Action?

Fun & EngagingArt Enrichment& Cultural Art Lessons

How-to-Draw on Your ChalkWild Backpack

Culturally Relevant & Trauma-Informed Art Activities

Black History Art Activities

Asian American History

Hispanic Heritage Month Art Activity

Native American Art Activity

Coloring My Heart Art Activity

Tic Tac Toe Art Game

Mandala Art for Mindfulness

Visual Goal Setting Art Activity

ChalkWild Drawing Lesson Plans

My Feelings Face

Rainbow Fish

My Community Helper

Silly Fruit Friends

My Calm Place

Desert & Valley Life

Symmetry Butterfly

Story Scene

Zoomed-In Nature

Emotion Superhero

One-Point Perspective Street

Cultural Pattern Tile

Manga-Style Self-Portrait

Inventor’s Blueprint

Wordless Graphic Novel Panel

PreK–Grade 1

Weather Feelings

My Dream House

Caterpillar to Butterfly

My Family Portrait

Garden of Shapes

If I Had a Superpower

My Favorite Meal

Fun & Engaging
Art Enrichment
& Cultural Art Lessons

Fun & Engaging
Art Enrichment
& Cultural Art Lessons