Creative Food Packaging

Lesson Overview

Subject: Art and Design
Year Group: Year 5
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 30 students
Curriculum Links:

• KS2 National Curriculum for Art and Design
  • "To improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting, and sculpture with a range of materials."
  • "To evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft, and design."
• KS2 Design and Technology
  • "To understand how to appeal to a specific audience through design."

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

1. Analyse different types of packaging and discuss what makes them effective.
2. Sketch their own packaging design for a savoury or sweet tart.
3. Include key packaging features such as branding, dietary information, and design appeal.

Resources

• A variety of food packaging examples (cereal boxes, chocolate wrappers, bakery packaging, etc.)
• Pencils, rubbers, and rulers
• A3 sketching paper or sketchbooks
• Coloured pencils and fine liners

Lesson Breakdown

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – Exploring Packaging

1. Discussion: Place different food packaging on each table. Ask pupils:
   • What stands out about this packaging?
   • Why do you think the company designed it this way?
   • What information is included, and why is it important?
2. Class Sharing: Pupils share observations. Teacher highlights key elements: branding, colour schemes, fonts, logos, product descriptions, and legally required information (e.g., ingredients, allergens).

Main Activity (25 minutes) – Designing Their Own Packaging

Step 1: Initial Sketch (10 minutes)

• Pupils choose whether they are designing for a sweet or savoury tart.
• They sketch the overall shape and form of their packaging. Will it be a box? A sleeve? A window display?
• Encourage thinking about store displays – will it be eye-catching?

Step 2: Adding Detail (10 minutes)

• Pupils add:
  • A brand name (Encourage creativity!)
  • A tagline
  • Small print for ingredients and dietary info
  • A colour scheme that suits their product (e.g., warm tones for sweet, rustic for savoury)

Step 3: Peer Feedback (5 minutes)

• In pairs, pupils swap designs and provide one positive comment and one suggestion for improvement.

Plenary (10 minutes) – Reflect and Share

• Invite volunteers to showcase their designs.
• Discuss which packaging designs would stand out in a shop and why.
• Recap: What were the most important things we learned about packaging today?

Differentiation

• Support: Provide template outlines for pupils who need guidance in structuring their design.
• Challenge: Ask higher-ability pupils to create a sustainable packaging concept.

Assessment for Learning

• Observation of engagement and participation in discussions.
• Quality and creativity of sketch designs.
• Responses in pair feedback – can pupils explain their design choices?

Extension Activity

• Pupils refine their sketches at home and create a mini prototype using card and paper.

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This lesson develops both artistic skills (sketching, layout planning) and real-world application (branding and marketing). It builds confidence in evaluating design work—a key component of both Art & Design and Design & Technology.