Pixel Art Activity Using Canva Code: Is It Better Than Google Sheets?

Canva’s new AI code generator just made creating interactive pixel art activities way easier. In this post, we’re diving deep into Canva Code vs Google Sheets for pixel art — breaking down how each works, which is better for your classroom or content, and which one saves you the most time.

🧩 What Is a Pixel Art Activity?

A pixel art activity is an educational game where students solve problems (usually math or logic) to reveal a hidden image on a grid. Each correct answer unlocks part of the picture — turning ordinary practice into a mini visual reward.

📊 Google Sheets: The Classic Pixel Art Method

Traditionally, these activities were built in Google Sheets using conditional formatting and hidden formulas.

🎬Click here to watch: How to Create a Pixel Art Maths Activity using Google Sheets

With Google Sheets, you’re doing things manually:

• Designing your pixel grid by coloring cells
• Creating question/answer pairs
• Writing formulas to reveal image parts
• Troubleshooting cell logic 😅

It’s powerful — but time-consuming.

👾 Canva Code AI generator

Using Canva AI, simply put in a prompt to create your pixel art game.

🎬 Click here to watch the full Canva Code Pixel Art Activity tutorial

For my prompt, I followed the E.A.S.Y. prompt method:

• Explain the resource,
• Assign the subject/topic and year level,
• Specify content (question types),
• Your style (appearance, formatting).

Prompt example:

Create an interactive pixel art game for Year 7 students learning algebra.

The activity should contain 3 levels of difficulty:
Level 1: like terms
Level 2: simple equations
Level 3: 2 step equations Each level should have 15 questions.

Questions should be numeric input. When students get the right answer, it should automatically move to the next question. If students answer incorrectly, they can try again.

Include a ‘Hint’ button for difficult questions. Make the game fun, colourful, and easy to follow.

Every correct answer reveals part of a mystery pixel image. Students should randomly receive one of the following 5 pixel art designs: a cat face, smiling robot, wizard, calculator, or a ramen bowl. There should be no mention of what the pixel art will be.

🥊 Canva Code vs Google Sheets

Feature	Google Sheets	Canva Code
Time to Create	Slow	Quick
Learning Curve	Medium – learn conditional formatting	Easy – just prompt
Question creation	Manual	Autogenerated, or you can specify your list of questions
Image Design	Manual & fully custom	Auto-generated & random

💡The Takeaway

Canva Code is a game-changer for busy educators who want fast results. Google Sheets is still powerful, and you should use it if:

• You want to have a custom pixel image, or
• You want offline access or file exports.

Otherwise, Canva enables you to create your activity quickly and allows you to repurpose it with ease. It is more versatile!