Looking for a fun and budget-friendly activity you can do right now? Try Variable Drawing! The kids will love drawing something unique and learning about variables in math and coding at the same time. There’s a free printable filled with drawing prompt cards, too!
What is a Variable?
You can find variables all over the place! In mathematics, variables are a letter or term that stands for an unknown quantity or number. For example in the equation x = 7, x is the variable.
In coding, variables are a pointer to memory that allows computers to label and store information that can be used in a program. Each variable has a specific data type that may be unique to the programming language used. For example, a program may use text type variables for name or city and numerical type variables for the price of a product in an online store. Each variable is given a name that describes the information stored. Variables help both computers and humans understand the data in a program.
Variable Drawing Supplies Needed
We love this activity because it’s super budget-friendly and uses supplies you have on hand. You’ll need:
- Paper
- Printable Variable Drawing Prompt Cards
- For the paper art version:
- Pencil with eraser
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- For the digital art version:
- Tablet and stylus
- Drawing app like Procreate
To have the printable drawing prompts emailed to you, simply fill out the form below.
FREE! VARIABLE DRAWING
PRINTABLE PROMPTS
AND INSTRUCTIONS
How to Do Variable Drawing with Prompts
In this fun drawing activity, you’ll use prompts that are variable, or subject to change. By drawing a prompt card for 4 different variables (subject, setting, action, and descriptor), you’ll have the main characteristics of your drawing defined, just waiting for your creative interpretation. Pick a new set of variable drawing prompts and you have a whole new drawing idea!
- Print out the Variable Drawing prompt cards and cut out along the dotted lines. Separate the cards into piles for each variable: subject, action, setting, and descriptor.
- Flip the cards to the blank side and pick one card from each variable pile to define the subject, action, setting, and descriptor of your drawing.
- Draw! Use your imagination to define what your drawing looks like and to add other details to the scene. Color the drawing if desired as well.
More Math, Coding, and Drawing Fun
This fun activity teaches kids about variables, a building block of both math and coding. To keep going with the fun, try one of these other activities.
STEAM-Filled Drawing Activities for Kids
Math = Fun Hands-On Math Activities for Kids
Even More STEAM Fun for Kids
Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that you can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out STEAM Explorers!! The coolest creative experience for kids is here! It's a digital book of the month club filled with tons of fun stuff for the kids to do and learn. All engineer, teacher, and mom-approved. And most definitely KID APPROVED!
What’s included?
- A monthly digital magazine with cool themes that are fun to read
- Hands-on, exciting projects the kids will love.
- Science, tech, engineering, art, and math learning YOU’LL love.
- Delicious recipes the kids can make.
- Fun printables and games
Join us as we explore water in all its forms and uses in the month of June! The kids will love building a working submarine, recreating the ocean deep with art, lighting up an angler fish with circuits, making and eating delicious water-themed snacks, and so much more. You’ll love the helpful standards-based learning, printables, and tools that make STEAM exploration easy!
We’ve split the issue into four weekly themes:
- WEEK 1: FISH FUN
- WEEK 2: WATER WORLD
- WEEK 3: DEEP BLUE SEA
- WEEK 4: WATER CREATIVITY
FREE! VARIABLE DRAWING
PRINTABLE PROMPTS
AND INSTRUCTIONS