Gifted Endorsement: Research Action

I have read that being creative helps conquer the act of being bored, or maybe it’s being bored promotes creativity? Either way, I decided during this time of remote learning, with so many students expressing how bored they are to be stuck in their houses, I thought I would try a Squiggle activity. On Friday at recess, I told the kids I needed them to bring a few things on Monday. These items included paper, something to color with, and their creativity!

After everyone was in the meeting, I noticed they had all come prepared. Students were organizing their materials and one had even decided to move from her normal Zoom meeting location to her craft room. I began by asking them to pick one of the squiggles I had drawn and draw it on their paper.

Next, I told them I would give them a few minutes to use their squiggle to create a picture. Everyone shared their pictures, and of course, thought they were all hilarious! I asked them to flip their paper and draw their own squiggle. Some completed more quickly, but continued to create new ones throughout our hour together.

Here are some of their fantastic and creative squiggle pictures in a Quik Video!

I asked them how this activity made them feel? They felt happy! It was great to draw and share with your friends. Did they enjoy it? Absolutely! It was the fastest hour all day. Would it be fun in a class to exchange squiggle pictures and build on them? They thought it would be so much fun to switch pictures and try to continue creating a different and more unique picture. At one point, someone expressed they had messed up their bunny trying to draw mountains behind it. She had put a line through her bunny. Another student told her turn them into spots! Bunnies have spots! 

On a super funny side story, one student invited her 1st grade sister to participate. It’s pretty exciting when someone else draws your squiggle. She gives her sister a squiggle and the sister announces, “I’m going to draw something only boys can grow!” Everyone’s eyes sort of get big, then we hear the dad’s voice, then big sister whispers to her, and she whispers back. “Oh, girls can grow those too!” She finishes up and proudly shows us her picture. A beard!