Fostering creativity in little ones or reawakening it in older children, has been an education/parental goal of mine. Open ended activities that have unlimited possibilities is one way to develop this skill. It gives the child the opportunity to think flexibly, develop new ideas, and to practice elaboration- all important creative thinking skills.
A simple and fun way to expand on these skills is with a line drawing activity. Give your child a template like the example pictured below. Instruct them to create something new that incorporates all 3 lines. The paper can be in any direction.
Look at the lines above. Now look at what these lines CAN become…..
a cute puppy going for a walk
The above student samples are from children ages 8 and above. This can be used with younger children as well, just remember that their drawings may not be as detailed. It depends on where they are developmentally with their art skills. It’s the process that is important with this activity- stretching the imagination.
Do this fun activity as a family and compare your drawings. What do you imagine the 3 squiggles to be?
Written by Jen
Jen
Thursday 12th of April 2012
That sounds like a fun idea, Gabrielle!
Jen
Gabrielle
Wednesday 11th of April 2012
What a simple but fun art activity. Have you tried doing the same thing with holes? I saw the idea over at The Artful Parent. The premise is the same, you just cut holes in the paper instead of drawing lines. Great way to get the creative juices flowing.