24+ Steam Art Activities for Elementary
Explore 24+ STEAM art activities for elementary kids—drawing, painting, and hands-on projects that connect art with science, math, nature, and more.
STEAM art activities for elementary art class
STEAM art activities are one of the easiest ways to keep your art room creative and curriculum-connected—without adding more planning to your plate. Instead of hunting for “the perfect” integrated lesson, you can choose from this list of 24+ projects and know you’re giving students a meaningful, hands-on experience that blends making art with real-world thinking.
Each of these elementary STEAM art projects combines drawing, painting, and creative building with topics kids naturally love, like weather, animals, plants, landforms, symmetry, perspective, structures, architecture, and space. The best part is that the learning happens through the art-making process: students observe, experiment, design, and revise as they create—so they’re practicing science and engineering habits while building confidence as artists.
Whether you need a quick one-day project, a sub plan, a mini-unit, or an engaging way to connect with classroom themes, these STEAM art activities give you flexible, ready-to-teach options that work with a variety of schedules and supplies. You’ll spend less time planning and more time doing what you do best—helping your students feel successful, creative, and excited to come to art class.
Science Art Projects (Click on Title or Image)
1. Clouds
Weather science: condensation, water vapor, rain, and the water cycle.
2. Water Cycle Mural
Earth science: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, cycling of water. The integrated art lesson page references the NGSS water cycle standard.
3. Soil Layers Mural
Earth science: humus, topsoil, subsoil, parent material, bedrock.
4. Volcano
Earth science: volcano structure, lava, smoke, landforms, eruption vocabulary.
5. Solar Eclipse Art
Astronomy: a clear art/science overlap about what happens during an eclipse.
6. Solar System Mural
Space science: planets, scale, order, and relationships in the solar system.
7. Terrarium
Plant science: roots, plant structure, enclosed environments.
8. Dolphin
Animal science: habitat, body parts, fins, tail, curved body, observation skills.
9. Ant
Insect anatomy: head, thorax, abdomen; could become a labeled science drawing.
10. Grasshopper
Insect anatomy: head, thorax, wing, abdomen.
11. Spider
Animal science plus a watercolor/salt science connection about absorption and texture effects.
12. Sixteen Winter Animals
Animal adaptations, winter habitats, seasonal science.
13. Pasta Skeleton
Life science/anatomy: bones, spine, ribs, hips, arms, legs, body structure.
14. Endangered Animals Mural
Ecology, habitats, conservation, biodiversity. Strong for Earth Day or animal research.
Math Art Projects
15. City with One Point Perspective
Geometry, vanishing point, parallel lines, spatial reasoning.
16. Perspective for Beginners
Perspective, depth, parallel lines meeting at a vanishing point.
17. Landscape in Perspective
Horizon line, scale, depth, distance, size changes.
18. One Point Perspective Room
Interior space, parallel lines, vanishing point.
19. Cityscape: Draw like Stephen Wiltshire
Architecture, visual memory, grid support, line control, spatial observation.
20. Op Art Cubes
Geometry, 3D form, optical illusion, pattern, visual perception.
21. 3D Letters
Form, dimension, angles, spatial reasoning.
22. 3D Numbers
Form, dimension, angles, spatial reasoning.
23. Grid Tree
Grid systems, pattern, repetition, planning, checkerboard design.
24. Dahlia Flower
Radial symmetry, repeated shapes, nature/math connection.
25. Kandinsky Circles / Concentric Circles
Geometry, concentric shapes, pattern, color systems.
Engineering & Architecture Art Projects
26. Golden Gate Bridge
Engineering, bridge structure, cables, supports, symmetry, repeated verticals.
27. Draw a Bridge
Structural design: towers, arches, vertical and diagonal supports.
28. London Tower Bridge
Architecture and engineering: towers, support lines, walkway, bridge structure.
29. Mayan Temple
Architecture, stepped structure, grid paper, cultural engineering.
30. Pyramids
Ancient engineering, 3D form, geometry, architecture.
31. Buildings
Architecture, structure, windows, perspective, city planning.
32. Mission
Architecture, history, structure, arches, symmetry, layout.
33. Popsicle Stick Easel
Simple engineering/design challenge: build a support structure that holds artwork.
