Familiar faces
Aim:
To appreciate that we are all different and special.
You will need:
At least 2 people, paper, drawing materials (e.g. pencils, charcoal, crayons).
Duration:
45 minutes
You probably already know the other members of your group quite well, but have you really spent time looking at them? This activity is to give you a chance to study the faces of your friends - every eyelash, freckle or wrinkle! Every single person looks different - even twins have differences between them. Use this activity to notice the diversity of everyone in your group, and what makes each individual special.
Work in pairs, and take it in turns for one to be the artist and the other to be the model. Draw a picture of your partner's face, making it fill the whole page (it can be in pencil, crayon, charcoal - whatever you have available). Spend time observing every detail, to make your picture as accurate as possible. Don't worry if you think you are not good at drawing - everyone can draw, it just takes patience and confidence.
Remember the point of this activity is to get to know what your friends look like, to feel closer to everyone and to appreciate diversity in appearances. You should not say anything mean or hurtful while drawing your picture - make your model feel good by telling them 'you've got a really nice smile' or 'you have lovely shiny eyes' etc. Remember some people may be very sensitive about their appearance, so be supportive and reassuring to them.
At the end of the activity you can create a gallery of the group's faces, by sticking them up on a wall. Notice how unique you all are. You could invite people to see your art exhibition.