Jessica Apple

Amelia, Foodles-inspired drawing.

Imagine a classroom where students are not only taught to create art, but are also challenged to unleash their wildest creativity while gaining confidence in their drawing abilities. I was looking for a way to achieve exactly that for my elementary art room when I discovered an exciting game that ultimately inspired my classroom drawing challenges.

In this article, weʼll explore the idea of integrating wacky drawing challenges as a daily activity to motivate students to push their creative boundaries. “Foodles,” or food doodles, are not your typical drawing activity; they are inspired by the drawing game Foodles from the Imagineering Company. By integrating foodles into the art curriculum, I provided students with a playful way to challenge themselves creatively.

Basic Concepts
When they enter the art room, students are greeted with a quirky prompt that serves as their early finisher project. Although the Foodle game inspired this activity, the daily prompts originate from the creative minds of the teacher and any students interested in contributing ideas. These prompts range from “flying bacon” to “an apple at the beach”; the only requirement is that they incorporate food in some way.

This lighthearted activity provides a creative playground where young learners are free to draw and imagine without worrying about being “right” or “wrong.” The idea is simple: students use small 4 x 5" (10 x 12.5 cm) pieces of paper to draw their own interpretations of the daily prompt.

Artistic Inspiration and Principles
During the introduction of this idea, I connect this concept with surrealism, an artistic movement based on fantasy and dreams. Surrealism, led by André Breton, emphasizes freedom of thought and expression by encouraging artists to express themselves through unconventional forms.

By integrating foodles into the art curriculum, I provided students with a playful way to challenge themselves.

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