5 Ready-to-Go Art Activities for KS2 — Because Every Teacher Needs a Plan B

Your lesson plan fell through. The cover teacher just walked in. It’s the last week of term and the class is climbing the walls. Sound familiar? This bundle has you covered. Five fully planned art activities that you can hand to anyone — a class teacher, a cover teacher, a TA — and they will work. Every single time.

No specialist art knowledge needed. No expensive materials. No prep. Just great art and a very engaged class.

The 5 activities (30–45 minutes each):

1 — Zentangle Tile — Fill a divided square with different repeated patterns. Meditative, absorbing and always beautiful. Zero prep, zero mess.
2 — One-Line Drawing — Draw without lifting the pen. The ‘wrong’ lines are part of the charm. Hilarious, expressive and surprisingly impressive.
3 — Colour Mixing Wheel — Mix every colour from red, yellow and blue. A classic colour theory activity that produces vivid, satisfying results with paint or coloured pencils.
4 — Blind Contour Portrait — Draw a partner’s face without looking at the paper. Always makes the class laugh. Always teaches them something real about observation.
5 — Torn-Paper Collage — No scissors needed. Build bold compositions from torn magazine pages and coloured paper. Tactile, accessible and instantly displayable.

What’s included:

• Cover teacher quick-glance guide — all 5 activities summarised on one page
• Full step-by-step teacher instructions for every activity (5 guided steps each)
• Art techniques guide covering pattern, line, colour theory and collage
• SEN differentiation for every activity (6 adaptations each)
• 5 extension tasks per activity for early finishers
• Pupil self-assessment sheet with star ratings and reflection prompts
• Teacher assessment record for up to 30 pupils across all 5 activities

Perfect for:

Filler lessons · Cover lessons · End of term · Golden time · Wet play · Art weeks · Supply teachers

Instant download — Word (.docx), fully editable

Compatible with Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Apple Pages. Print as many copies as you need.