Lesson Plan
Spooky Scrawls: Halloween Art Contest!
Students will be able to express their creativity by drawing a Halloween-themed picture and understand the basic concept of an art contest.
This lesson encourages artistic expression, develops fine motor skills, and allows students to engage with a festive theme in a fun, low-pressure environment. It builds confidence and introduces friendly competition.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through guided instructions, a story, and creative drawing time.
Materials
- Halloween Drawing Contest Slide Deck, - Teacher Script, - Drawing paper, - Crayons, markers, or colored pencils, - Pencils with erasers, and - Optional: Drawing Contest Rubric for judging
Prep
Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Halloween Drawing Contest Slide Deck and Teacher Script.
- Gather drawing paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, and pencils with erasers.
- Decide on 2-3 categories for judging (e.g., "Spookiest," "Silliest," "Most Colorful") or simply choose 1st, 2nd, 3rd place overall.
- Prepare a small prize or certificate for winners (optional).
- Familiarize yourself with the Drawing Contest Rubric if using for judging.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What's Your Favorite Spooky Sight?
5 minutes
- Begin with the Warm-Up: Spooky Sight Survey activity. Ask students to think about their favorite spooky or silly Halloween things.
- Have students share their ideas briefly, encouraging imagination and enthusiasm.
Step 2
Introduction & Brainstorm (Slide Deck & Script)
5 minutes
- Use the Halloween Drawing Contest Slide Deck and follow the Teacher Script to introduce the Halloween Drawing Contest.
- Engage students in a short discussion about different Halloween themes (pumpkins, ghosts, witches, friendly monsters, etc.).
- Explain the rules of the contest simply: draw a Halloween picture, use your imagination, and do your best!
Step 3
Drawing Activity: Spooky Scrawls!
15 minutes
- Distribute drawing paper and art supplies.
- Remind students of the theme: Halloween.
- Encourage them to draw whatever comes to their mind when they think of Halloween (friendly ghosts, smiling pumpkins, trick-or-treaters, etc.).
- Circulate the room, offering encouragement and assistance as needed.
- Play some gentle, non-distracting Halloween-themed music (optional).
Step 4
Sharing & Cool Down: Gallery Walk & Reflection
5 minutes
- When time is up, have students stop drawing.
- Facilitate a quick "gallery walk" where students can briefly look at each other's artwork.
- Conclude with the Cool-Down: One Word Wonder activity, asking students to share one word about how they feel after drawing their Halloween masterpieces.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Welcome, Artists!
Get ready for a super fun Halloween Drawing Contest!
Welcome students and get them excited for the lesson. Introduce the idea of a drawing contest.
What is Halloween?
Ghosts, pumpkins, witches, candy!
What do you think of when you hear 'Halloween'?
Explain what Halloween is and ask students what comes to their minds.
Our Drawing Contest!
Today, you get to draw your very own Halloween picture!
Use your imagination!
Do your very best work!
Introduce the idea of drawing contest rules.
Ideas for Your Drawing!
Friendly ghosts? 👻
Silly pumpkins? 🎃
Happy trick-or-treaters? 🍬
What will YOU draw?
Prompt students to think about ideas for their drawing.
Time to Draw!
You'll get a piece of paper.
You can use crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
Make your drawing super colorful and fun!
Explain the materials they will use.
Be Creative! Be YOU!
There are no wrong answers!
Just have fun and draw what you love about Halloween.
Reinforce the idea of being creative and doing their best.
Show Off Your Art!
When you're done, we'll look at everyone's amazing drawings.
Get ready to see some spooky (and silly!) masterpieces!
Explain the sharing process.
Script
Teacher Script: Spooky Scrawls Halloween Art Contest!
Warm-Up: What's Your Favorite Spooky Sight? (5 minutes)
"Good morning/afternoon, amazing artists! Before we dive into our fun activity today, let's get our brains thinking about Halloween!"
"Close your eyes for a moment, or just look at the ceiling. Think about Halloween. What's one spooky or silly thing you love about Halloween? Is it a big orange pumpkin? A friendly ghost? Delicious candy?"
"Okay, open your eyes! Who would like to share their favorite spooky or silly Halloween thing?" (Call on a few students. Encourage descriptive words.)
"Those are fantastic ideas! It sounds like we have a lot of Halloween excitement in here!"
Introduction & Brainstorm (Slide Deck & Script) (5 minutes)
"(Advance to Slide 1: Welcome, Artists!) Welcome, everyone! Today we are going to have a super fun Halloween Drawing Contest!"
"(Advance to Slide 2: What is Halloween?) When you hear the word 'Halloween', what comes to mind? Ghosts? Pumpkins? Witches? Candy? There are so many fun things to think about!"
"(Advance to Slide 3: Our Drawing Contest!) Today, you get to draw your very own Halloween picture for our contest! We're going to use our imaginations and do our very best work."
"(Advance to Slide 4: Ideas for Your Drawing!) What kinds of things could we draw for Halloween? Maybe a friendly ghost? (make a spooky sound) Or a silly pumpkin with a funny face? (make a silly face) What about happy trick-or-treaters going to get candy? Hmmm, what will you draw?"
"Remember, your drawing can be spooky, silly, cute, or anything in between, as long as it's about Halloween!"
Drawing Activity: Spooky Scrawls! (15 minutes)
"(Advance to Slide 5: Time to Draw!) Alright, my little artists! It's time to create! I'm going to give each of you a piece of drawing paper. You can use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to make your drawing super colorful and fun!"
"I want you to draw a picture of your favorite Halloween idea. Take your time, think about all the details, and fill your paper with your amazing art."
(Distribute paper and art supplies. Circulate the room, providing encouragement and asking questions like, "Tell me about your drawing!" or "What colors are you using for that pumpkin?")
"(Advance to Slide 6: Be Creative! Be YOU!) Remember, there are no wrong answers in art! Just have fun and draw what you love about Halloween. Let your creativity shine!"
(Optional: Play some gentle Halloween-themed music in the background.)
Sharing & Cool Down: Gallery Walk & Reflection (5 minutes)
"(Give a 1-minute warning) Artists, one more minute to finish up your masterpieces!"
"Okay, everyone, put your art supplies down. Great job! Now, we're going to do a quick 'Gallery Walk'. I want everyone to carefully walk around the room and look at all the incredible Halloween drawings your friends made. No touching, just looking with your eyes and seeing all the wonderful ideas!"
(Facilitate the gallery walk. After a minute or two, bring students back to their spots.)
"Wow! Didn't everyone do an amazing job? I saw so many creative and colorful Halloween pictures!"
"(Advance to Slide 7: Show Off Your Art!) Now, for our cool-down, let's do a 'One Word Wonder'. I want each of you to think of just one word that describes how you feel after drawing your Halloween picture today. It could be 'happy,' 'proud,' 'creative,' 'fun' – any one word that fits. I'll go first: I feel inspired!"
(Go around the room and have each student share one word.)
"Fantastic job today, artists! You all made wonderful art! Give yourselves a big pat on the back!"
Warm Up
Warm-Up: Spooky Sight Survey
Instructions: Close your eyes or look quietly at the ceiling. Think about Halloween. What is one spooky or silly thing you love about Halloween?
Draw a quick sketch of your idea below, or just think about it.
Share your idea with the class!
Cool Down
Cool-Down: One Word Wonder
Instructions: Think about the Halloween picture you just drew. How do you feel after creating your art? Choose just ONE word to describe your feeling!
My word is:
Share your word with the class!
Rubric
Halloween Drawing Contest Rubric (Kindergarten)
This rubric can be used by the teacher (or a small group of student judges) to evaluate the Halloween drawings.
Criteria for Judging
| Category | 1 Point (Developing) | 2 Points (Good Effort) | 3 Points (Excellent!) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halloween Theme | Drawing is hard to recognize as Halloween-themed. | Drawing shows some Halloween ideas. | Drawing clearly shows a Halloween theme. |
| Creativity | Drawing is very simple or copies an idea directly. | Drawing shows some original ideas. | Drawing is very imaginative and unique! |
| Effort & Detail | Drawing looks rushed or has very few details. | Drawing shows some care and a few details. | Drawing shows great effort and lots of fun details. |
| Use of Color | Few colors used, or colors are messy. | Some colors used neatly. | Many bright colors used neatly and thoughtfully. |
Total Score:
-
9-12 Points: Spooktacular Masterpiece! 🏆
-
5-8 Points: Awesome Art! ✨
-
1-4 Points: Great Start! 👍
### Optional: Award Categories -
Spookiest Drawing:
-
Silliest Drawing:
-
Most Colorful Drawing:
-
Most Creative Story (Teacher/Student Discretion):