We got snow! - Drawing with the kids

Finally it's here

Here in Denmark we are supposed to have snow during winter time but with recent years it's been very scarce.. Maybe it's global warming, maybe it's just the way it is, one thing is for sure though, those of us who can be a little childish at times definitely miss it (and those who work outside surely don't!). The past week most of Denmark has been covered in snow however, that is, except Copenhagen where I live of course.. But we did get one evening of snow and I was out trying to build a snowman, unfortunately the snow didn't agree on my master plan and it was all rubbish! Instead I found this drawing I made with the kids while I was working in a kindergarten and wanted to share it with you together with my wasted snow dreams. I ended up throwing in some color in photoshop to spice it up a little but I included the original below.

Meet Gustavo - the cool snowman

When drawing with kids it can kinda go both ways, either they are totally into it and you end up with a great but crazy creation or they'll need guidance all through the process and you typically ends up with a product that is mostly your own.
I was lucky to have some kids that absolutely knew what they wanted.. I was going towards a Olaf from the Frozen animated movie but the kids quickly threw that idea away because "it had to look like the one they could make at home". So we had a quick brainstorm (some of the smallest kids didn't really know how one look and obviously it had to come armed with nuclear missiles and and wings, so we had a little figure out), and then we started drawing, which means I was drawing and they told me what to drawn and where to draw it.

In the end Gustavo the cool snowman was born to great delight of all present, specially yours truly who had been camped by 50 kids the past half hour, shouting and pointing as kids do best. We took copies so they each could color their own snowman and everyone went to work trying to make the best snowman in the whole universe.

the initial drawing

Some good pointers on working creatively with kids:

• Set boundaries before you begin, be very clear in informing the kids what the purpose and limits with the drawings are.
• Make sure everyone is included, often the best ideas hides behind the most silent lips.
• Within the stated boundaries be open to everything, don't shoot down ideas, rather adopt them in various degreesor interpret them in ways that could work.
• Bask in the glory that is their admiration as you create wonders for them but let them feel it's their work.

That's all for my Sunday thoughts, enjoy the snowy view of my street last evening and have a great next week!

The Wandering Danish