May Art Activities for Grades 3 to 7

Hello, I’m Diane. Thanks for popping by! In this blog post, let’s explore some fun May art activities for Grades 3-7. May offers exciting celebrations and global events that provide your students with numerous cultural and creative learning opportunities.

Read on for some low-prep, high-interest art activities to keep the creativity flowing in your classroom throughout May! Regularly encourage students to step away from screens and engage in some art. They can enjoy building inspiring classroom displays, making gifts, decorating cards, and more while learning about the world around them. Have fun!

🍎 Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week 2025, May 5-9th, is the perfect time to recognize our outstanding teachers who play a crucial role in shaping our kids’ futures! It’s a time for students to express gratitude and appreciation for their teachers’ dedication and hard work.

🌷International Mother’s Day

Sunday May 11th, 2025. Do you need help getting older kids to create Mother’s Day gifts in the classroom or at home? It’s essential to make the activity fun, engaging, relatable, and relaxed for this tween age group. Consider their current interests and build them into the project. Perhaps your students are interested in crafting, sports, music, or technology. I love finding ways to incorporate these passions into art activities that kids will enjoy!

Your students will absolutely adore this craft idea for Mother’s Day. With this art activity, they will have the opportunity to construct an adorable keepsake gift box and create handmade mini surprises to put inside. This is a low-prep, enjoyable craft that allows students to unwind, be imaginative, and leave with a distinctive gift for their special someone to cherish.

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Milka says,
“I used the resource to make Mother’s Day gifts with my students. We have been learning about volume of rectangular prisms so it fit in perfectly with our math lessons as well. The students were engaged and enjoyed making and decorating the boxes.“

Create an ‘All About My Mom Cell Phone’ Mother’s Day keepsake card – kids love anything phone related! Students cut out and make their own fold-out booklet-style cell phone and then complete the image-making on the front cover and the written elements inside – fun facts and doodles all about their special person ❤️

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leslie says,
“Love, love, love! My students had to interview their dads to answer some of the questions. They loved doing this. I invited the dads to the school one morning for doughnuts and interviews. It was fun! My students made body scrub for a gift to go along with the card. Thank you.”

🧠 Mental Health Awareness Week

During Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, from May 12 to 18, open up discussions around self-care and wellbeing. Encouraging upper elementary and middle school students to discuss positive mental health ideas involves creating a safe and supportive environment.
• Discussing scenarios from books, movies, or social media can help break the ice, as kids often relate to stories about overcoming challenges.
• Encourage them to express their feelings through creative outlets, such as journaling, art, or music.
• Stress the importance of self-care, including regular physical activity, a balanced diet, and a good night’s sleep, and reducing screen time!
• Group discussions about resilience, empathy, and kindness can also help normalize conversations about mental health, demonstrating that it’s okay to seek support when needed.

🐝 World Bee Day

May 20th. Celebrate World Bee Day in your classroom and help raise awareness about the vital role bees play in our ecosystem and food production. Hands-on projects, such as building bee hotels, planting bee-friendly gardens, or creating bee-themed art, help students appreciate how hardworking and clever bees really are. Promote a sense of responsibility and connection to the natural world, showing students that even small actions can contribute to a healthier planet.

a bee all about me printable back to school art activity

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jaclyn says,
“As a supplement to our study of honeybees, this All About Me Bee is a great display item for our Open House! The students loved the guidance of the labeled bee, but also the freedom to personalize the bee as they saw fit. Thank you for this!”

Learn More

🌊 World Turtle Day

May 23rd.Let’s celebrate World Turtle Day! Did you know that sea turtles have been around for over 100 million years, but their populations are rapidly declining due to human activities? These majestic creatures face numerous challenges, including ocean plastic pollution, coastal development, and poaching. We must take action and consciously preserve their habitats, promoting conservation efforts.

sea turtle illustration with sea background

Students love this ‘Save the Sea Turtles’ art activity. Learn more about endangered species and ocean pollution. Students can explore and express their views on key global and environmental issues through art and lively discussion. Create an impactful World Sea Turtle Day art display this May with this fun-packed resource!

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Morgan says,
“My students were obsessed with these last year!! I printed them as poster size (4 pages) and backed with them black construction paper. I can’t wait to do them again this year for Earth Day. By far, my favorite project of all times.“

🎖️ Memorial Day

May 26th. Use this gentle art activity to help students reflect on the sacrifice of those who have given their lives in military service.

Commemorate Memorial Day colorfully and creatively. Use these abstract, eye-catching poppy templates and posters to create stunning artwork and Memorial Day displays for the classroom.

Learn More

Shop my resources securely at The Imagination Box Teachers Pay Teachers Store

If you enjoyed reading this blog post or found it helpful, why not join my Creative Newsletter for weekly inspiration, exclusive offers, and freebies?

Hope to see you again soon,

Diane 🙂

Happy coloring!
If you try any of these May art activities, I would love to see your students’ artwork – tag me on Instagram or drop me an email, at [email protected], I always reply 🙂

You might also like to explore the posts below?
Thanks for visiting!