Waking up sick is difficult enough. For an elementary art teacher, it can also mean figuring out what a substitute will do with several very different grade levels. A day might include kindergarten in the morning and fourth or fifth grade in the afternoon—and paint, clay, glue, and other art media can create extra setup and cleanup challenges for a substitute.
One simple solution is directed drawing.
What Is Directed Drawing?
Directed drawing is a step-by-step art activity in which students build a picture by adding one part at a time. The teacher or substitute can model each step on the board while students follow along.
What Is a Simple Approach for Teaching Directed Drawing?
For younger students, try this approach:
Watch → Draw → Wait
Model one step, give everyone time to complete it, and then move on. Even children who are not yet independent readers can participate when clear visual examples are provided.
If possible, introduce directed drawing with your students before you ever need to leave it for a substitute. Completing one activity together gives students a chance to learn the Watch → Draw → Wait routine while you are there to guide them. When an unexpected absence comes, the format is already familiar and much easier for a substitute to lead.
An Emergency Art Tip: One Copy May Be Enough
Here is something worth adding to an emergency substitute teacher's folder: one copy of a directed drawing activity.
Print worksheets for the class when you have time. But if you wake up sick and there isn't time to prepare copies, the substitute can use the single sheet as a guide. She can model the drawing step by step on the whiteboard while students draw on plain white paper.
Here is another trick: use a light colored 12 x 18 sheet of construction paper and label the top, "Substitute Teacher Plan." Staple it to a bulletin board inside your classroom then use a thumbtack to attach a one-page directed drawing guide. No more searching for the emergency art plan—it stays posted and ready to use. Replace the drawing guide whenever you want to change the activity.
All the students really need are pencils and paper. Pencils are especially useful because young artists can erase, adjust, and try again. Color can be added later if supplies and time permit.
For a K-5 art schedule, it also helps to keep drawings at more than one difficulty level. Simple drawings with larger shapes and fewer details can work well for younger students, while older students can tackle drawings with more complex shapes and details.
Add an Art and Literature Connection
A related picture book can turn a directed drawing into an integrated art and children's literature activity. Leo Lionni has three books that pair especially well with animal drawings:
- Fish: Swimmy
- Frog: It's Mine!
- Snail: The Biggest House in the World
As an optional extension, spend a few minutes looking at Lionni's illustrations and ask students what they notice about his use on color, shape, line, texture, and pattern. Then complete the directed drawing activity as planned. When the drawings are finished, students can use some of those artistic ideas as inspiration when they add color, patterns, details, or a background to their own animal.
What Can Students Do When They Finish?
Instead of introducing another art medium, students can extend the same drawing. They might create the animal's habitat, add patterns and details, experiment with different line thickness, or invent a funny name for their animal.
Need a Ready-to-Use Option?
I created a set of 10 six-step Animal Directed Drawings. There are five Easy and five Challenge choices. They are designed for those days when time, materials, and preparation are limited. The worksheets can be printed for students or used by a substitute as a modeling guide with plain paper. Click or tap the image below to view this resource in my shop.
© 2026 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly
