Cooperative Drawing

• Divide children into small groups and give each student a piece of drawing paper and some drawing utensils. Either have students write their name in the corner, or write it there for them if they are too young to do so themselves. Give students 30 seconds to draw whatever they would like on their paper. At 30 seconds, call out for them to pass their paper to the next student and time another 30 seconds for the next student to continue with the drawing. When the students' papers end up back with the original owners, examine the drawing and talk about what group work can accomplish.
  
  

Mixing Colors

• Use painting to examine the properties of colors. Give each student a large piece of paper to paint on and a small palette with only primary colors of paint on it. Show students that they can make more colors by mixing these three, but do not tell them exactly how to make each color. Let them experiment with mixing paints on their page, and when they find a way of making a new color, write on the board the "recipe" for creating it.
  
  

Chalk Drawings

• Give children the opportunity to draw with materials other than crayons and pencils by taking the class to a place where there is a large open area of concrete. Have each student lie down on the pavement and trace around his whole body with sidewalk chalk. Ask the children to fill in their outline by drawing in a face and coloring in clothes with the sidewalk chalk. If the students would like to try, allow them to trace around each other to practice their motor skills.
  
  

"The Same, Yet Different" Drawings

• Prepare a list of instructions that can be easily followed on a regular piece of drawing paper, such as "draw three circles," "draw one long line," and "draw two connected triangles." Give each child in the class a piece of drawing paper and let children use the utensil of their choice to complete the instructions as you call them out. Ask them not to look at their neighbors' drawing during the activity. At the end of the list of instructions, compare how different each child's drawing is and discuss how different results can come from the same instructions, and how each child's style is unique.