32. Box Animal Safari (Part 2) – KidsART A

by | Apr 23, 2025 | Lessons > Grades 1 & 2 | 0 comments

OVERVIEW

Students finish their Box Animal Safari sculptures by painting them in either realistic or expressive patterns and colors.

 

Grades 1 – 2

Week of April 28 – May 2

1 Hour & 30 Minutes

Student Work

Lesson At A Glance

Here’s a brief overview of the complete lesson. It’s also on your prep page in the Ready, Set, Go! section (below the lesson).

Colored buttons jump to each section in the full lesson plan below.

1. Warm UP

10 Minutes – Artist’s Choice and discuss box animals

2. SetUp

5 min – Set up for painting

3. Paint

30 min -Begin painting animal patterns on boxes

4. Finish

10 min – Finish painting details on box animal

5. Artists Choice

32 min – Artists’ choice

6. Clean Up

3 min – Everyone helps

READY, SET, GO!

Use this button to jump down to the preparation section.

 

SCROLL & TEACH

LESSONPLAN

Each section is a different color. Read over once and then you can SCROLL & TEACH using any device you like. It’s designed to work well with your phone.

STEP 1. Warm Up

Students begin with Artists’ Choice and discuss painting their boxes.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students learn to express themselves through creating from their imagination.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11″ x 17″ Copy Paper
  • 4B pencil
  • Eraser
  • Markers and/or oil pastels
  • Blenders (stumps)
  • Paper Towels
All materials are suggestions and may be modified as you see fit. We have tried many items, and these seem to allow the most versatility for the cost.

1.1 greet

Greet students as they come in and help them choose a chair.

Kneel down so that you are on their level. Bending over emphasizes the differences in your height, while kneeling makes them feel more important. Have tape and marker ready so you can stick some tape on the table by each student and write their name on it as they sit down.

1.2 choice

Encourage students to work with one piece of paper for a while. If someone uses the phrase, “free draw”, explain that artists’ choice is something only artists can do, while free-draw is something anyone can do. You want to use the phrase to elevate the students’ expectations of their work.

Everyone should take their time with the work and make a finished piece of art. Limiting the paper can also help kids focus on the work. If someone finishes in super-fast time, ask them what more they can do to the existing paper. Ask again several times – unless they appear overly frustrated; then you can allow them to move on to a new work.

1.3 talk

Review the Project

Talk about the box animal safari project to get them thinking about painting. Explain that they can be realistic in color and pattern, or they can be expressive with either of these. think about a purple and green plaid giraffe and how cool that would be. But a realistic giraffe is also very cool.

READY, SET, GO!

Use this button to jump down to the preparation section.

STEP 2. Set Up

Students get ready to paint on their animals.
5 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to set up their work area for painting 

M A T E R I A L S

  • Paper towels
  • Tempra paints
  • Disposable trays for mixing paints
  • Water containers for cleaning brushes
  • Brushes – all sizes
  • Smocks

Brushes should be nylon for springiness and durability. Round brushes are the most versatile.

Paint pigment list:

  • Napthol or Pyrrol Red
  • Hansa or Light Yellow
  • Pthalo Green (blue shade)
  • Cyan or Cerulean Blue
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Dioxazine Purple
  • Magenta
  • Burnt Umber
  • Raw Sienna
  • Titanium White (professional grade only)

2.1 setup

Students get ready

Students get ready to paint their animals using tempera paints.

2.2 setup

Teacher puts out paints

You have several choices for paints. All students should have their own palette, or Mixing-Plate.

  1. Teacher and helper should have ready, or quickly make Getting-Plates with an assortment of colors for students to use to mix their own. Each student has their own getting-plate.
  2. Have 2 or 3 bowls of each color to use and pass around for Getting-Plates.
  3. Mix colors for students as they need them. You should be ready to help them with colors for the first two options too.
READY, SET, GO!

Use this button to jump down to the preparation section.

STEP 3.Paint

Students use references for patterns and begin to paint their boxes.
30 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to paint with tempera

M A T E R I A L S

  • Paper towels
  • Tempra paints
  • Disposable rays for mixing paints
  • Water containers for brushes
  • Brushes – all sizes
  • Smock

 

3.1 Print

Reference

Animal Patterns

Cut images apart and print enough for each student to choose from several.

Hand out reference prints. Set all of the images out on a table or counter, and let groups of students come choose what they want..

PRINT

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Open PDF

3.2 paint

Make choices

Students choose how they want to proceed:

  • Natural color or expressive crazy color
  • Natural pattern or expressive unusual pattern

3.3 help

Help students paint

READY, SET, GO!

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Clean up

If splitting your lesson into two parts, have everyone use the last couple of minutes to clean up the work space. 

  • Wash hands
  • Super-wash brushes if used
  • Put art supplies away
  • Wipe tables & toss trash
  • Remove any smocks (last)
  • Check for items on floors and tables
Begin here at your next class time if you are teaching the lesson in two 45-minute sessions instead of all at one time. (The full lesson takes an hour and 30 minutes.)

STEP 4. Finish

Students finish adding details and sign their work.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to paint a 3d sculpture

M A T E R I A L S

  • Paper towels
  • Tempra paints
  • Disposable rays for mixing paints
  • Water containers for brushes
  • Brushes – all sizes
  • Smocks

4.1 paint

Continue Painting

 Continue painting and adding details until the work is finished.

Students set up their work area. Ask several people to go get water tubs filled, and others to find smocks. That way you have two or three groups in different areas so you don’t get backed up with lines.

TIP
Adding a small dot of white on the dark pupil of the eye for a highlight, makes the animal look more alive and have personality

4.2 sign

Sign Name

Paint or write a name on the belly of the beast, or on a leg.

READY, SET, GO!

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STEP 5. Artists Choice

Students use paints or other materials for Artists’ Choice.
32 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to paint

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11″ x 17″ copy paper
  • 4B pencil
  • Eraser
  • Markers and/or oil pastels
  • Blenders (stumps)
  • Paper towels
  • Tempra paints
  • Brushes
  • Water containers
  • Disposable trays to mix paints

5.1 paint

Freedom to Express!

Students can use the paints to have full artists’ choice. Have still life objects and various photos available for them to choose reference if they want it.

READY, SET, GO!

Use this button to jump down to the preparation section.

STEP 6. Cleanup

Everyone helps
3 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know the importance of cleaning up.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Paper Towels
  • Cleaning wipes
  • Sink
  • Waste baskets
  • Well-lit spot for photos
  • Camera or phone-camera

6.1 CLEAN

Students set up their work area.

  • Wash hands
  • Super-wash brushes if used
  • Put art supplies away
  • Wipe tables & toss trash
  • Remove any smocks (last)
  • Check for items on floors and tables

6.2 PHOTO

Try to get photos of your student’s artwork. Find a good spot for quick lighting without highlights or shadows from your hands and device. Ideally in-between two strong lights on each side.

OBJECTIVES

  • Practice and improvementin visualizing in 2D and 3D, and making creative decisions. Also in painting.
  • Understanding the different viewpoints of sculptures
  • Accomplishment in finishing a really fun sculptural project
  • Fulfillmentfrom making it the way they want

TROUBLESPOTS

Too much paint – If the paints are blobby on the surface, the colors get mixed up and this can be very frustrating. Watch for this problem and help students use less paint, clean up in-between colors, and use smaller brushes for details. If needed, you can wipe some paint off around problem areas with a paper towel, but ask if it will be ok to do so.

It’s always good to ask before you make ANY suggestions: “I have some ideas, do you want me to help you with that part?”. Make sure to let students do your suggestions themselves, but if they seem really frustrated, sometimes it’s just good to get past that part and move on to the next part. You’ll know what to do if you are looking at their reactions and ask a lot of questions.

ART WORDS

• Pattern – Any design that has repeating parts.

• Expressive – When you make artistic decisions that are not realistic, you are expressing yourself in your work. You can be a little bit expressive, and do things that are slightly less realistic, such as bright orange and yellows instead of brownish colors on a giraffe, or you can be extremely expressive and make a pink and blue polka dot giraffe.

CLASSROOM

PREP

Have a bunch of amazing supplies ready, and cut a few things apart before-hand in a way that make you look amazing.

Print all of your PDFs from the lesson plan and cut any references apart as needed.

What your room needs

Here are your printable lists and room prep instructions.

PRINT

Opens in new window

Open PDF

CLASSROOM

MATERIALS

  • 11×17” Copy Paper
  • 8.5 x 11” Copy paper
  • 4B pencils
  • Erasers
  • Markers
  • Oil pastels
  • Blender sticks (stumps)
  • Clipboards
  • Paper towels
  • Tempra paints
  • Disposable trays for mixing paints
  • Water containers
  • Smocks
  • Camera or pone camera
  • Waste baskets

PREVIEW

Week 35: Artists’ Choice

Students get a fun day of making their own things. Several stations are set up to facilitate lots of creativity!

Week 36: More Art Games

Students get to try their hand at several really fun games that also teach or create artwork.