150 Art Idea Task Cards - Sketchbook Drawing Prompts for Boosting Creativity

In my elementary art room, if I had a quarter for every time I heard students whine “I don’t know what to draaaaaaaaw!”… well, I’d be pretty well-off! To help combat this lack of ideas and imagination, I designed this set of cards that had plenty of humorous, inspiring, engaging art starter ideas ready to go. Now, whenever I hear that familiar “I don’t know what to dr….”, I just point at the box, and the students chime in “Go pick a card!”

There are so many ways these art idea task cards can be used! Try using them:

• In a free-choice or free-drawing area for early finishers
• For daily warm-ups/bell-ringers
• As an end-of-class cool-down
• As a creativity challenge; see how different artists interpret the same idea
• As a weekly sketchbook drawing assignment
• To break writer’s (artist’s) block
• In a box, where students can choose their card OR in a sealed bag, where students have to pick one blindly

Here's what you get:

The PDF contains 25 pages of drawing prompt cards (6 per page), PLUS a blank page to allow you to add your own ideas. This means you get 150 different cards, plus the potential for more! The document is in full color, but can also be printed grayscale, and has .5 inch margins around, to be compatible on most printers. After printing, the cards can easily be cut quickly with a paper trimmer. Consider laminating or printing them on cardstock to help them last longer!

These drawing prompts/art ideas are short, in large text, and easy to read. While I teach elementary (through 6th grade), you could always throw these in for some light-hearted assignments for older students as well.

Hope you and your students enjoy!

Lovingly created by Art and Daisies, 2023.