Children throughout the world enjoy producing works of art. They scribble, draw, and do craft work. Designs are created in the snow as well as in the sand. Structures are built for themselves, their friends and family, their pets, and their toys. Objects are created to float on the water and fly in the air. Children create works of art which are models of their ideas, hopes, and dreams. Their motifs reflect the physical as well as cultural environment in which they live. Designs produced by generations before them are often learned, duplicated by the young, and then passed on again. The works of art reflect relationships children have with themselves, others, and their environment.

A study of children's art can be combined with the study of many different topics in social studies. Examine work at different stages of development. Look for unique as well as common interests. Trade works of art with youngsters of other areas or trade video tapes of children creating items. Investigate what tools and materials are available to children. What types of training do they receive in formal as well as informal settings. What natural surroundings affect their creations and who are their role models? Examine ways in which art work is incorporated into their games. Reprints of children's art work can be collected from magazines, greeting cards, and calendars. These can be used on bulletin boards and charts or placed in booklets or learning packets. Children of one culture can communicate with those of another through art.