Kindergarten Van Gogh Moon Art Project Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night Art Lesson

In this Van Gogh Moon Art Project, students create a moon and stars artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh using oil pastels on dark blue construction paper. The finished piece has a large crescent moon, glowing stars, swirling circles and layered marks that give it an expressive van Gogh feel.

It is a good fit for kindergarten, first grade and second grade art and artist study, and it is made for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. Students explore line, color, shape and artist-inspired mark making, and the process is simple enough for young learners while the result looks bright and special.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “I used this plan for my Kindergartners and 1st graders. I have also used it for my 2nd graders when I needed something last minute. This was a great lesson plan that was organized and easy to use as a first-year teacher!” Hannah P.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 About the Resource Page
• 1 Critical Thinking Questions Page
• 3 Lesson Plan Pages
• 1 Vincent van Gogh Poem Hook Page
• 1 Student Reading Page about Vincent van Gogh
• 1 Rubric Page
• 1 How-to Draw: a Moon and Stars Page
• 1 KWL Chart Page
• 1 The Message Reflection Page
• 1 Questions and Wonders Page
• 1 Artwork Reflection Page
• 1 Peer Feedback Page
• 1 3 Stars and a Wish Page
• Artist’s Statement Pages
• 1 Full-Page Example Artwork Page
• Step-by-Step Tutorial Pages for drawing the moon, stars and circles, layering color and adding van Gogh-inspired marks

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Students start with a big crescent moon, add stars and circles, then build the artwork with repeated lines and layered oil pastel color. The swirling lines around the moon and circles help them practice movement, repetition and creative line work, so the process stays manageable while the finished piece looks rich and expressive.

The poem hook and student reading introduce van Gogh as an artist known for The Starry Night, Sunflowers, bold color and emotional brushstrokes, which gives the lesson an age-appropriate artist study connection. The finished moons, with their dark blue backgrounds, white stars and yellow circles, stand out on a night sky display or an artist study wall.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers looking for a kindergarten art project, a primary night sky art lesson or a Vincent van Gogh art activity.

How long will it take?

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

What materials are used?

Oil pastels and dark blue construction paper.

Does it include reflection or assessment pages?

Yes. It includes a rubric, KWL chart, reflection pages, peer feedback, 3 Stars and a Wish, artist statement pages and more.

Is it editable?

No. It is non-editable.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “This was such a fun activity. It was easy for my grade ones and they turned out great!” kira H.

★★★★ “Students work turned out amazing! Can't wait to do this one again” Made in Canada

★★★★ “This was a great lesson and instructions for using the oil pastels to create the Van Gogh style moon! It was a great way to learn Van Gogh's style. The students really enjoyed the lesson/activity.” The R.

★★★★ “Super fun and engaging art lesson. My students loved this creative lesson.” Sara B.

★★★★ “A fun, easy to use and different art activity for stuents.” Tracy R.

★★★★ “This was great fun for an after break project. Thank you!” Gloria M.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

TERMS OF USE

This resource is for single educator use only.

YOU MAY: use it 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 it in any form.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic