What matters to you? Creative activity for 4-11 year olds

Developed by Place2Be‘s Art Room team for 4-11 year olds, this activity encourages children to think about, and share, what matters to them.

In this activity, children are encouraged to draw a swirl and write, draw or stick what matters to them within it. 

What you'll need

• plain paper, roughly the size of a postcard
• something to draw with - pens, pencils, crayons or paint
• glue (optional)
• scissors (optional)
• scrap paper for collaging (optional).

What matters to you?

Watch this video with British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation

Notes for grown-ups

Whether doing this activity at home or in school, consider how you'll ensure that children know their voices matter.

After they create their art, talk to children about what you have understood them to be saying. Ask them more about what they have drawn:

• Why does this matter to them?
• What matters most to them?
• Does anything that matters to them, also matter to you? Do you both connect in any way?

Consider making a display of children’s artwork to showcase what matters to them.

Based on what children have drawn or told you, what key messages might you as a grown-up take away? Will things change in light of what children have told you?