What to teach at children art class? (Help!)

[Hennaha]

I’ll be holding a small week long drawing course at 28.07-1.08.2008. These kids are 10-12 year old piano playing prodigy’s from Russia and other Baltic countries. Their piano playing teacher (who is really sweet) heard I’m studying art in Florence, Angel Academy of Art (http://www.angelartschool.com/), and thought this might be a fine way for me to earn some money for my studies.

I’ll be “teaching” around 1 -1½ hours every day for about 10 people for one week. The school I go to is rather rigorous and I doubt the children would like it too much if I tried to teach them anything too technical. I got the impression they are just after some fun way to spend their lunch hour while waiting their piano lessons to start. Still I somehow wouldn’t like it to be all kindergarten.

Any tips you could give me with scheluding my days? What should I teach? And eventually what should I charge? I don't have to worry about material costs. Those are all paid by the piano teacher.

All help is very much appreciated!

Henna

[Storyboard Dave]

Go for simple exercises like drawing simple shapes. Get a variety of cones, spheres, cubes, etc. and see if the kids can draw through them. Set them up in a simple still life and see how they do.

Maybe even a simple one point perspective could work. Or the other very basic assignment I've seen work is to split a photographic head shot (easy to find in any fashion magazine), tape it to their paper and see if the kids can finish the other half.

And what really helps is if you do lots of demos too. I've noticed that children look at what skills we do have as magical. Entertain, enthrall and educate is the way I look at teaching any level.

Good luck.