Wayne Thiebaud Ice Cream Art Project Summer Art Lesson Art History Art Activity

In this Wayne Thiebaud Happy Ice Cream Art Project, students create two smiling ice cream characters inspired by Wayne Thiebaud using oil pastels and watercolor paint. The finished artwork is bright and playful, with tall upside-down cones, colorful stripes, rosy noses, happy faces and a background that makes the whole piece pop.

It is a strong fit for grade 3, 4 and 5 art, elementary art and artist study. The subject is playful, and students still get solid practice with color, composition, layering and expressive marks. The finished pieces look great on bulletin boards, hallway displays and classroom walls.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This was a very thorough lesson with LOTS of resources to go along with it...highly recommend it!” Sara R.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 About the Resource page
• 1 Critical Thinking Questions page
• 3 lesson plan pages
• 1 Wayne Thiebaud poem hook page
• 1 student reading page, "Discovering Wayne Thiebaud: The Sweet Art of Everyday Things"
• 1 rubric page
• 1 How-to Draw: Happy Ice Cream page
• 1 KWL chart page
• The Message reflection pages
• 1 Analyze: Elements and Principles reflection page
• 1 Compare and Contrast page
• 1 Questions and Wonders page
• 1 Goal Setting page
• 2 Artwork Reflection pages
• 1 Peer Feedback page
• Artist's Statement pages
• 1 full-page example artwork page
• Step-by-step tutorial pages for drawing the cones, building the scoops, adding faces, creating colorful cone stripes, and finishing with a watercolor background and details

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

The poem and student reading introduce Wayne Thiebaud, who painted desserts, everyday objects and bright, colorful scenes, and was known for thick paint and turning simple things into exciting art. The language is clear and age-appropriate for elementary students.

In the artwork, students divide the cones into sections for bold stripes, give the scoops bright noses and expressive faces, and add an energetic background. The reflection pages then help them analyze the elements and principles, compare and contrast, set goals and give peer feedback.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers who want a Wayne Thiebaud art project or ice cream art lesson for elementary students.

How long will it take?

Most classes finish in about 2 to 3 art classes, depending on student age and skill, class behavior, teaching style and class length.

Does it include information about Wayne Thiebaud?

Yes. It includes a poem hook and a student reading page about Wayne Thiebaud.

What materials are used?

Oil pastels, card stock or thicker paper, watercolor paint, paint brushes and water, with tempera paint listed as an option.

Does it include reflection or assessment pages?

Yes. It includes a rubric, KWL chart, reflection pages, compare and contrast, peer feedback, goal setting, artist statement pages and more.

Is it editable?

No. It is non-editable.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and art educator who designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. She was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine for October 2025 and has been featured on NBC LX News. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products. This resource is for single educator use only.

YOU MAY: use this resource with your own students. Please purchase additional licenses if more than one teacher will be using it.

YOU MAY NOT: share, copy, upload, post online, distribute or resell this resource in any form.

Thank you for respecting the time, creativity and care that go into creating original art lessons and resources.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic