FREE Mindful Art Moments Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Art Activity Lesson

Mindful Art Moments (MAMs) are low-prep SEL (Social Emotional Learning) art activities you can use at any time of the day. Students silently sketch for 10 to 15 minutes, becoming aware of the moment while they draw. All you ask is that they get "something to draw with" and "something to draw on".

You set up a calm, safe, quiet and peaceful classroom, then let students create, draw, make or build without talking. No prompts and no instructions beyond "silently sketch or make art". It is simple, and it gives anyone of any age a chance to sit and draw. Drawing naturally pulls students into their imagination, so their thoughts, feelings and ideas start to flow as they work.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This resource was exactly what my 5th grade class needed! The activities were engaging, easy to follow, and aligned perfectly with our standards. My students were excited to participate and showed improved understanding of the concepts. I especially appreciated the differentiation options that helped support all learners. It saved me time in planning and added so much value to our lessons. Highly recommend for any upper elementary classroom!” Doreen N.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (FREE RESOURCE)

• Mindful Art Moments (MAMs) SEL art activity for silent sketching

HOW TO USE IT

Use a Mindful Art Moment at any time of the day. You can direct students to a particular art medium or give them full choice: wax crayons, colored pencils, felt markers, watercolor paints, soft pastels, oil pastels or tempera paint.

There is lots of room for student choice, experimentation and flexibility, which also makes it a good fit for Back to School art lessons.

FAQ

How long does a Mindful Art Moment take?

10 to 15 minutes of silent sketching or art making.

What do students need?

Something to draw with and something to draw on. Any of the mediums above will work.

Who is it for?

Any age. Students simply sit and draw.

Is it free?

Yes. This resource is free.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (12)

★★★★ “This is just what I was looking for. Thank you for the time-saver!” Suzie W.

★★★★ “Good resource. The students really enjoyed it! Great to practice mindfulness” Brianna J.

★★★★ “Great for calm corner or early finishers. I appreciate that it’s free.” Katie P.

★★★★ “My students loved this for an end of the year activity!” Torri W.

★★★★ “I was able to incorporate this into my mindfulness lessons.” carla R.

★★★★ “So many of my students are good artists adding in this mindful art activity was the cherry on top.” Christie S.

★★★★ “this was an excellent resource to leave in my emergency sub plans! thank you !” Stephanie R.

★★★★ “We love this! This was a great, calming activity to refocus my students after a long morning!” Cassie F.

★★★★ “They loved this soooooo much!!!! What started out as a time filler has become part of our weekly schedule with students always asking for a "mindful art moment"” Sarah B.

★★★★ “I was skeptical about this working, but I tried it on the day we came back from holiday break for all 5th and 6th grade art students. It was AMAZING!!!!! The 5th grade particularly got into it. They wanted it to go on longer. We did end up doing it a second time around spring break because they were so enthusiastic. I also give them the choice to share with the class afterwards and most did it!” Christina M.

★★★★ “Great way to start the afternoon and settle the class. Thank you very much.” Adrienne L.

★★★★ “Loved this for my Advisory class!” Carol H.

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 designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. 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.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. Any clip art may be used as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic