TEACHING OBJECTIVE/BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

When you take the time to do a drawing with your preschool child you have the opportunity to enjoy working together to make something beautiful that both of you can take pride in. As you work talk about what you see being made. Name each color as you use it. Describe the shapes that evolve as you add lines one after another. If some of the shapes are truly recognizable as squares, triangles, rectangles or circles be sure to use those names, trace them with your finger, count the corners, and check out the long and short lines. If you sit opposite one another while doing this drawing the picture will take on a different look than if you sit next to each other. This is an excellent activity to help your child gain more control while using markers. When he helps color in the shapes he will want to be careful not to color outside the lines you have drawn together as that might spoil the picture.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

A large sheet of drawing paper
Markers or crayons

ACTIVITY STEPS

1. Sit down with your child and explain that you want to do a work of art with him.

2. Start by drawing a straight line or a curved line using the color of your choice.

3. Ask your preschooler to choose his color and continue drawing starting at the beginning or the end of the line you drew.

4. Take turns using different colors each time drawing straight or curved lines always connecting them by starting where the other person left off.

5. Continue taking turns until the paper is full of designs.

6. Color in the spaces your lines have made on the paper using lots of different colors until you have a beautiful picture.

7. Carefully sign your joint picture at the bottom of it with your names printed in small letters so that they won't detract from the design.

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