Group Drawing Activities for Teens

Grab a sketchbook or newsprint pad and a wide variety of drawing utensils to explore fun group drawing activities with your teen and their friends or a group of teens gathered for camp, classroom, counseling or other group activity. Group drawing activities help break the ice, teach cooperation and encourage teamwork.

People "Pictionary"

People "Pictionary" works best with a group of teens who are friends or acquaintances. Create two groups. Try to keep best friends on opposite teams to create a more excitement during the game. Give everyone a 3-by-5-inch index card and ask them to write down three fun facts about themselves. These facts can include such things as a favorite food, activity or vacation spot, or most prized possession. One at a time, a team member selects a card then draws a picture to represent each fun fact. Their team tries to guess who it is. Set a time limit for guessing, such as one minute. Repeat the process until all cards have been drawn. The team with the most correct answers wins.

Right Hand, Left Hand

Introduce an interesting group drawing challenge by asking each teen to draw with the non-dominant hand. This particular drawing activity forces each teen to slow down and concentrate. A different part of the brain is used when the non-dominant hand is forced to write and create. This particular activity is good for loosening up prior to an art/drawing session or to help release stress. The drawings look more childlike and crude than those drawn using the dominant hand. Make a game out of the activity by asking the teens to draw a flower, tree, spiral, stick man or other simple objects. Instruct the teens next to draw the same object with their dominant hand. Compare the two drawings and discuss the differences.

Paper Ghost

Set the scene for your "Paper Ghost" teen drawing activity by telling the teens there is something beautiful in everything, even in a wrinkled piece of paper. The very wrinkled piece of paper holds a ghost that only they can find. Ask your teens to wad a piece of paper up, crunch it tightly and then smooth it flat. Next, ask the teens to look at the wrinkle lines. Some wrinkle lines will create objects like a face, flower, boat, airplane, house and so on. Ask the teens to draw over the lines with a pencil. Share their findings after 10 minutes.

Blind Drawing

"Blind Drawing" builds teamwork and problem solving by having groups cooperate in drawing a pre-drawn shape or object 2. Divide your teens into groups of three. Assign one member of the group to be a Drawer, a Talker and a Viewer. The Drawer draws what they hear. Their back is to the Viewer, and they may not talk. The Talker describes what the Viewer is saying to the Drawer. The Viewer is the only one who sees the pre-drawn shape or object, and she describes the drawing to the Talker using only non-verbal communication. Give the groups 15 minutes to complete their drawings. Compare the drawings, then talk about the teamwork it took to complete.