These lessons are aimed towards students at the Stage 1 (Years 1-2) level of education.

In each of the lessons below, you will find links to download each PDF lesson plan with its associated resources as a complete pack (click on ‘Download Full Lesson Plan’), or just the individual resources themselves (under ‘Lesson Resources’).

Lesson Overview

Throughout this lesson, students will create an artwork that doubles as a sensory tool. Students will produce a “Squishy Ball” that can be used to hold, fidget with, smell and manipulate. This sensory tool is great to help with focus, calming, grounding and distraction.

» Download Full Lesson Plan

Lesson Outcomes

A student will learn to:

  • think about how they can work in similar ways to artists in their making of artworks 
  • explore different kinds of subject matter and concepts in their making of artwork
  • take into account various factors when talking about art (eg details within an artwork, what the work is about and what the artist has done)
  • practice strategies they can use to support their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing
  • identify and participate in opportunities that promote healthy decisions
  • describe feelings, reactions and warning signs that can help them recognise safe or unsafe situations, e.g. excitement, feeling anxious, fear. 

A student will learn about:

  • how artists make artwork for different reasons
  • the diversity of kinds of things that are made as art (eg paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs).

Lesson Resources

  1. Stage-1-Squishy-Ball-Teacher-Guide.pdf
  2. Stage-1-Learning-Intentions.pdf
  3. Senses-Memory-Game.pdf
  4. Stage-1-Sensory-Tools-Toolkit.pdf
  5. Stage-1-Sensory-Session-Toolkit-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  6. Stage-1-An-Artist.pdf
  7. Stage-1-Squishy-Ball-Planning-Sheet.pdf
  8. Stage-1-Squishy-Ball-Instructions.pdf
  9. Stage-1-Squishy-Ball-Reflection-Sheet.pdf
  10. Differentiated-Stage-1-Squishy-Ball-Reflection-Sheet.pdf

Lesson Overview

Throughout this lesson, students will create an artwork that doubles as a sensory tool. Students will produce a “Desk Fidget Tool” that can be used to hold, fidget with, and refocus attention to create calm. This sensory tool is great for focus, calming, grounding and distraction.

» Download Full Lesson Plan

Lesson Outcomes

A student will learn to:

● think about how they can work in similar ways to artists in their making of artworks
● explore different kinds of subject matter and concepts in their making of artworks
● take into account various factors when talking about art (e.g. details within an artwork, what the work is about and what the artist has done)
● practise strategies they can use to support their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing
● identify and participate in opportunities that promote healthy decisions
● describe feelings, reactions and warning signs that can help them recognise safe or unsafe situations, e.g. excitement, feeling anxious, fear.

Lesson Resources

  1. Stage-1-Learning-Intentions.pdf
  2. Senses-Memory-Game-1.pdf
  3. Stage-1-Sensory-Tools-Toolkit.pdf
  4. Stage-1-Sensory-Session-Toolkit-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  5. Stage-1-An-Artist.pdf
  6. Stage-1-Desk-Fidget-Tool-Planning-Sheet.pdf
  7. Stage-1-Desk-Fidget-Tool-Instructions.pdf
  8. Stage-1-Desk-Fidget-Tool-Reflection-Sheet.pdf
  9. Stage-1-Desk-Fidget-Tool-Teacher-Guide.pdf
  10. Stage-1-Differentiated-Desk-Fidget-Tool-Reflection-Sheet.pdf