We’ve partnered with some of our favorite art teacher influencers on Instagram to bring you the best 3rd grade art projects! They use a variety of media, from paint and pastels to clay and collage, and teach kids about both art concepts and famous artists.
“I believe the art room is a joyful place where every child’s imagination can bloom and grow, with the right amount of nurturing!” says elementary art teacher Caroline, known on Instagram as @scs.artteacher. “I love creating mixed‑media projects with my students, especially those that celebrate nature and the world around us.”
Caroline encourages art teachers to embrace a wide array of materials and supplies to encourage creativity at home and school: “In my art room, students explore a variety of materials that invite experimentation: We love using tempera paint, paint sticks, oil pastels, pan and liquid watercolors, Crayola Model Magic, and so much more. (Even basic black Sharpies provide endless creative possibilities!) My goal is to provide an environment that supports curiosity, celebrates process over perfection, and is ultimately a welcoming space where every student’s creative voice and spirit will grow and flourish.”
Explore some of Caroline’s favorite 3rd grade art projects below, along with ideas from Lauralee Chambers (@2art.chambers), another Instagram favorite. Visit their pages for more details and photos of each project!
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Art Portfolio Templates Bundle
The bundle contains art portfolio cover sheets for preschool to grade 5, as well as a template that works for any grade. The bundle also includes an art project planning sheet and an artist study worksheet.
These snow-covered branches are the perfect project for the colder months. Try this 3rd grade art project in the days leading up to winter break, or to welcome students back in January.
Speaking of winter art projects, your students are going to love this one! Each of these snowmen can reflect the personality of the student who paints it.
The crisp clean lines of Charley Harper’s wildlife art is always a hit with kids. Take a look at his work, them personalize some of your own cardinals using this project idea from Lauralee Chambers.
Kwik Stix paint sticks and Posca Markers are the secret to these incredibly colorful dinos. Students will love dreaming up the craziest possible designs!
“This was a really engaging and successful lesson for all 7 third grade classes!” Lauralee says. “I had my husband drill holes in stacks of 10 plates with a circle drill.” Students used tempera paint the donut and frosting, then had a blast adding toppings of their choice from a variety of craft supplies.
Lauralee notes that this project is all about repetition and variety in size and color. “We use Black crayon to draw our circles tightly, and then fill in any spaces. Liquid watercolor paints the rest.”
This is the kind of project that will be a hit with students year after year. It’s an easy project, too, when you start with Roylco carp windsocks, then add personalization with ink daubers and construction paper eyes.
Make bird eggs from Crayola Model Magic or another kind of air dry clay. Then, source a variety of materials like paper shreds, unraveled twine, and others so kids can build the perfect nest.
“I always love guiding young learners to see the potential beyond their preconceptions,” Lauralee notes. These turkeys are instantly recognizable as turkeys due to their shape, regardless of the kooky patterns students create with metallic markers and Kwik Stix Wonderstix.
There is something so whimsical and sweet about these eight-petal paper flowers. Have a variety of paper available in different colors and patterns so students can really get into personalizing them.
These look more complicated than they are, though they will take some strong fine motor skills to make. Kids won’t believe the incredible results of this papercraft art project for 3rd graders!
This is the perfect art project to do during those long winter months. Supplies are minimal since all you need are pipe cleaners, some string, and a large assortment of beads.
Teach your students about the rich history of mosaic art, which dates back to ancient times. Then, supply your students with a variety of beads and let them create their very own mosaics.
Embroidering on burlap is a fun way to introduce sewing skills to kids. They can create any design they want, adding beads or other embellishments too.
By 3rd grade, students have probably made the traditional God’s-eye craft before. But they’ve probably never made one quite this big! These make for an impressive display once they’re finished.
Weaving can be very personal and has long been used to tell stories through art. In this 3rd grade art project, kids choose colors to represent things that are important to them, making each weaving unique.
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