Below you’ll find an easy kindergarten graduation art project: a cap-and-gown self-portrait with sunglasses templates. Perfect for end-of-year!

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Finished kindergarten graduation project sample: self-portrait in cap, gown, and sunglasses.

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Kindergarten Graduation Project Art Lesson

This Kindergarten Graduation Art Project is a sweet way to celebrate the end of the year and all the growth that has happened along the way. The template gives young artists just enough structure to feel successful, with a graduation cap and sunglasses already in place, while still leaving plenty of room for creativity.

Students draw their own head, hair, face, and expression, so every portrait turns out different. It’s a nice confidence booster for kinders who may still feel unsure about drawing, because the trickier shapes are already started for them.

The best part is what students add inside the sunglasses. They can draw something they imagine for their future, which turns this from a simple graduation portrait into a little keepsake about dreams, goals, and identity.

Some might draw a job they want to have one day, a place they hope to visit, or something they simply love. Teachers can also turn this into a quick speaking or writing extension by having students share what they drew in their glasses, using a prompt like, “When I grow up…”

With simple supplies like pencils, crayons, or markers, this print-and-go project is easy to use during a busy graduation week and makes a colorful, cohesive hallway display too.

Self-Portraits in Art: Showing Identity and Dreams

A self-portrait is simply an artwork of you—your face, features, expression, and sometimes even a little piece of your story. Artists have made self-portraits forever because they’re a powerful way to show identity, feelings, and big moments… and graduation is definitely one of those.

This lesson also reinforces the Elements of Art in a super natural way. Students use line (curved cheeks and smiles, straight cap edges and tassel), shape (an oval head, rectangle-ish cap top, big sunglasses), and color to show mood and personality.

My favorite part is the symbolism in the sunglasses. They become a “window” into hopes and dreams as students draw what they want their future to look like—jobs, places, hobbies, or ways they want to help others. To wrap it up, I like asking one quick reflection question first: “What do you want to learn next year?” or “What dream do you want to keep growing?”