Age Level: Any
Materials: White paper (any size), markers, crayons
Procedure:
1. Give each student one marker. Without lifting their marker, have the students draw a long doodle line. It can angular or curvy, but advise the students to try and use the whole piece of paper. With younger students, it helps to give a time limit (like 30 seconds) for this doodle.
2. Have the students exchange the paper with another student. It helps to have a set rotation--everyone handing to the left, or across the table, etc.
3. Using the doodle they were given, tell the student to create a picture from the line. This should be done in crayon, so the original marker line still shows through.
4. Have students finish their picture by coloring it all in, encouraging them to fill the entire paper.
Notes on Teaching:
With younger children (ages 3-9) it's important to let them know before they begin the project that they will be switching doodle papers with someone else to finish. I learned this the hard way when I had a first grader VERY attached to his doodle and not willing to give it up. This also creates social pressure for those students less interested to concentrate and do a good job because someone else will get their paper. It can be a fun twist to give the doodles a "theme". My personal favorite is "Monster Doodles"--having the students try to find and create monsters from their doodle. Other good themes are "Animals", "Plants" and "Faces".
For very Small Groups:
This project can actually be successfully done with just one child. Simply do a doodle yourself and trade. It also adjusts well to a "quiet" activity for situations where long periods of quiet sitting are needed. --Who says you shouldn't doodle in church?!
