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Art apart

Can you follow your partner’s instructions to recreate their work of art without peeking?

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You’ll need

  • A4 paper
  • Coloured pens or pencils
  1. Split into pairs, and give each pair two pens and four pieces of paper.
  2. Each pair should sit back to back.
  3. Everyone should draw a simple picture, keeping it a secret from their partner.
  4. Each pair should choose one person to be the first communicator — the other will be the artist.
  1. The artist should get their other (blank) sheet of paper, and their pen.
  2. The communicator should describe the picture they drew in small chunks. They can’t say what they’ve drawn; they should only describe how to draw it.
  1. The artist should follow the communicator's instructions, and draw a copy of the communicator’s picture.
  2. The artist can ask up to three questions, to check that they have understood the communicator’s instructions.
  3. Once the artist has finished following the communicator’s instructions, they should swap roles and play again.
  4. Once the pairs have completed both drawings, they should compare the original drawings to the artists’ copies. How similar are the pictures?

Reflection

This game needed you to communicate. Did you find it easier to be the communicator or the artist? How did you communicate clearly? What information did the artist need to know? How did the artist decide which questions to ask? Was it tricky to ask questions that got you the information you needed to know? Would you have liked to have asked more questions?

This game also needed you to be a team player. What was your shared team goal? Did each role have different responsibilities to play in the game? Was it difficult to listen to the communicator’s instructions and artist’s questions? How did you avoid getting frustrated with each other? Can you think of anything that would’ve helped you work better as a team?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

  • Use more than one coloured pen, to make it more challenging.
  • Increase or decrease the number of questions the artist can ask.

Adapt this activity to suit the methods of communication players normally use. You may need to sit differently if anyone uses sign language or lip reads, for example.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers My Skills Challenge Award
Cubs Communicator Activity Badge

Young people choose what they draw, as well as how to describe it.