Welcome to AccessArt: Warm Ups
Warm ups help make a clear transition, for example between the rest of the school day and a creative activity. They can be used to introduce new materials, planting the seeds for new ideas or ways of working, or set the scene for new projects.
They provide a way to enable the children to explore through a guided activity, helping them follow instructions and providing opportunity for repeated practise, boosting confidence.
Warm ups are also beneficial to the teacher or facilitator; by thinking through which warm up will be most appropriate for your session, you will be forced to clarify and dissect the aims of your drawing session.
![Jan Miller coat-hanger shells - 3 pencil drawing A drawing made with 3 coloured pencils simultaneously.](https://www.accessart.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_6468-2-scaled-e1658925518100-1024x638-500x400.jpg)
Inventing Your Own Warm Ups
![Year 1, Rode Heath Primary School Year 1, Rode Heath Primary School](https://www.accessart.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/342623840_250743194195869_7305782628951049164_n.jpg)
After a while, you will want to invent your own warm ups to serve your own needs. Consider the following:
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The outcome of the warm up should help create a bridge to the beginning of the main drawing session. Think about where you want to take the children to in the main session (i.e. is it about a material, a technique, a concept…?) and work backwards from there.
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Consider potential stumbling blocks both in the main session and in the warm up. Can you split the activities up into smaller stages to help overcome these?
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Think about where the children are at NOW in terms of experience. What new experiences or foci would you like them to have?
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Keep it simple, small, short – do not overload a warm up exercise.
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Do it yourself: what is it really like to do what you’re asking them to do?
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Leave time at the end for reflection as a group to share experiences.