youthspeakoutint.orgTandem Drawing: Who Knows What It Is?
If you’ve ever heard of tandem stories (where two or more people take turns adding paragraphs to a story), this is a similar activity, but instead of writing words, it involves drawing shapes. Like a tandem story, you never know how it’s going to end. What will your family draw if you take turns adding to the page? This is a chance to get creative, keep an open mind, and connect through shared imagination. In this activity, drawing is about the journey, not the destination.
What You Will Need
- Blank paper
- Colored pens or pencils
- At least three family members
- Your imagination
Activity
- For each round, one family member will start by drawing a random shape on a piece of paper.
- That person will pass the paper to the next family member. The next person will add his/her imagination to the first shape by adding another random shape or lines.
- The group will continue to pass the paper until it reaches the final person.
- Try another round and notice how things are different.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about after you play this game:
- How does it feel to draw a picture together instead of drawing a picture all by yourself?
- Did you want the drawing to turn out a certain way?
- Did drawing together give you new ideas that you might never have by yourself?
What You Will Need
- Blank paper
- Colored pens or pencils
- At least three family members
- Your imagination
Activity
- For each round, one family member will start by drawing a random shape on a piece of paper.
- That person will pass the paper to the next family member. The next person will add his/her imagination to the first shape by adding another random shape or lines.
- The group will continue to pass the paper until it reaches the final person.
- Each person in the group will discuss their interpretation of the collaboratively drawn image.
- Try another round and notice how things are different.
Talk About It
- Did your family draw something specific, like an object or scene? Or was your drawing abstract?
- Did you enjoy this more than drawing alone? Why or why not?
- How did it feel when someone else added to your drawing?
What You Will Need
- Blank paper
- Colored pens or pencils
- At least three family members
- Your imagination
Activity
- For each round, one family member will start by drawing a random shape on a piece of paper.
- That person will pass the paper to the next family member. The next person will add his/her imagination to the first shape by adding another random shape or lines.
- The group will continue to pass the paper until it reaches the final person.
- Each person in the group will discuss their interpretation of the collaboratively drawn image.
- Try another round and notice how the process changes.
Talk About It
- How did you come up with the shapes or lines to add to the drawing? Did you have a particular image in mind?
- When another person added to your drawing, how did you feel? If you expected the group to create a particular image, did you feel annoyed or confused? Did you enjoy the creative uncertainty?
- During the second or third round, did the group drawing become more simple or more complex?
Share Your Family’s Drawing
Would you like to share your family’s drawing? We may select your drawing to post in the Unplug to Connect website. Click the button below to share your drawing:
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