The Directed Drawing Calendar: Parent Gift You Need
Does this sound familiar? It’s November (or April!) and you’re suddenly staring down the barrel of the holiday gift or Mother’s Day gift project. You want something meaningful, something homemade, but honestly, the thought of coordinating 25 tiny, glitter-covered masterpieces makes your eye twitch a little. Personalized gifts are the best, but they shouldn’t totally derail your entire teaching schedule!
You’re a busy teacher. I get it. You need an easy classroom craft that actually results in a high-quality parent keepsake, not just another piece of paper to eventually toss. That’s where this amazing idea—the Monthly Directed Drawing Calendar—comes in!
Let’s be real. While you love seeing your students’ unique creativity, sometimes a totally open-ended art project can lead to… well, chaos. Or worse, the dreaded “I don’t know what to draw!” freeze. Trying to guide a whole class through a complex drawing can eat up a lot of valuable instructional time. You need a structured approach that still allows for personality.
🤫 The Secret Sauce: Directed Drawing for Every Student (On a Budget)
This Monthly Directed Drawing Calendar resource is the perfect fix for that tricky holiday or end-of-year craft dilemma. It takes the stress out of creating an impressive, unique parent gift that seriously becomes a treasured item. Think of it—a whole year of your students’ artwork displayed proudly!
Here’s why this resource is a total game-changer for your elementary classroom activities:
- ✨ Three Levels of Support for Differentiation: This is really the best part! You can easily adjust based on your students’ needs or how much time you actually have.
- Option 1: The Blank Canvas Challenge. Your students follow the step-by-step drawing instructions and then design their own background. This is fantastic for boosting visual-spatial skills and letting their creativity truly shine.
- Option 2: Structured Success. This option comes with a pre-designed background. Students still get the benefit of the step-by-step drawing, but the background is ready to go. Great for saving time!
- Option 3: No-Fuss Coloring. Skip the drawing entirely! This is perfect for your youngest learners, students needing extra support, or when you’re really pressed for time. They just grab their crayons and make it pop with color. Zero drawing required!
- ✏️ Time-Saving Layouts: The resource even helps you with your paper consumption! You can choose between two- or three-drawings-per-page layouts for the instructions. Saving paper and saving budget? Yes, please!
- ⭐ Totally Un-Holiday-Specific: Here’s a huge bonus—the images aren’t tied to any specific holiday. That means this directed drawing activity works perfectly for a Parent’s Holiday Gift, a unique Mother’s Day gift, or even a fantastic end-of-year activity for any caregiver. You don’t have to worry about accidentally excluding anyone!
🤩 Want to take their work tot he next level?
Once the drawings are complete, spend about 10 minutes having students outline their work with a black marker (like a thin Sharpie). This simple step elevates the finished product from “kid drawing” to truly professional-looking DIY art project. It’s totally worth the extra time! To assemble, you can use a binding machine, staple the pages together or use a hole punch and ribbon.
🎁 Wrap-Up: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
You’ll feel great knowing you’ve created a genuinely meaningful keepsake that parents will actually use and cherish, and your students will be so proud to hand over their custom calendar. The simplicity of the directed drawing method ensures that every student can achieve success, which is exactly what we want in the classroom!
Remember, this resource is updated annually so it’s a gift-giving solution you can rely on year after year.
Directed Drawing Dos and Don’ts
| Do | Don’t |
| Do model the drawing process on the board with a mistake and show how to fix it. This normalizes imperfection. | Don’t expect every drawing to look exactly like the model. Encourage uniqueness—that’s what makes it an authentic gift! |
| Do use the calendar pages as a mini-lesson on calendar skills, months, and dates. Sneaky math integration! | Don’t use up your class time with just coloring. Send the pages home to be finished or use them for morning work. |
| Do encourage students to sign the bottom of their artwork. It adds a powerful, personal touch. | Don’t limit the gift to a holiday. It works perfectly for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or an end-of-year memory book. |