The best early finisher activities are quiet, independent, meaningful and easy to stop when the class is ready to move on. Drawing activities fit perfectly: grid drawing pages, tracing pages, draw-and-write prompts and character challenges keep fast workers busy without extra prep or noise.
What makes a good early finisher activity
- Independent. No teacher help needed.
- Quiet. Doesn’t disturb students still working.
- Easy to stop. Can be paused mid-way and picked up later.
- Worth doing. Builds a skill, not just fills time.
15 drawing early finisher ideas
- Grid drawing pages. One square at a time; easy to pause. See what is grid drawing?
- Trace then color pages. Great for K to 1.
- Draw and write. Draw a character, write two sentences about it. See draw then write prompts.
- Finish the picture. Half a drawing to complete.
- Character challenge cards. “Draw a robot that ___.”
- Directed drawing replay. Redraw today’s lesson character in a new setting.
- Feelings faces. Draw a face for each feeling on a card. See cartoon expressions.
- Pixel art on graph paper. See pixel art for kids.
- Comic strip templates. Four boxes, one story.
- Shape monsters. Turn a shape card into a creature.
- Alphabet monsters. Draw the letter of the week as a monster. See alphabet drawing activities.
- Vocabulary pictures. Illustrate this week’s spelling words.
- Math art. Draw a picture using exactly 10 circles.
- Design a book cover for a book you’re reading.
- Kindness cards. Draw a card for a classmate or another class.
Set up an early finisher shelf
- A labeled tub or folder of grid and tracing pages.
- A few activity books students can borrow.
- Colored pencils in a caddy.
- A finished work tray.
- Challenge cards on a ring.
Laminating grid pages and using dry-erase markers makes them reusable.
Keep it fair
Make early finisher work a choice, not “extra work” for being fast. And make sure students who finish early have checked their main work first.
More classroom ideas
See indoor recess activities, art center ideas and the teacher resources, including art center cards.
The book that helps
Grid and tracing books are perfect early finisher work: quiet, independent, absorbing, and easy to pick up and put down.
Draw by Grid: Cartoon Robots
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Robots
Draw by Grid: Cute Cartoon MonstersAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
What should early finishers do in class?
Quiet, independent, meaningful tasks such as grid drawing pages, draw-and-write prompts, tracing pages or challenge cards.
How do you set up an early finisher station?
A tub of ready pages, a few activity books, supplies in a caddy, challenge cards and a finished work tray.
Are drawing activities good for early finishers?
Yes. They are quiet and independent and build fine motor, focus and creativity.