Exploring Our Connection with Places Through Art: Creative Geography for Kids

Connecting to Place Through Art
During the CoVid-19 pandemic, our homes often became our entire world. With movement restricted, we became more aware of the spaces we inhabit—how our homes look, feel, and function. This increased connection to “place” can offer a sense of sanctuary, though for some it also created tension. Yet many families used this time to reimagine and reshape their homes, evaluate where they live, or move closer to loved ones.

So, where do your children feel most safe and happy? Chances are, they’ll say home—where they’re surrounded by family. A strong connection to place often starts with home, and children use drawing to express these emotional bonds. Let’s explore how art can deepen their understanding of place and geography—both real and imagined.

1. Geography Through Art: What Does My Place Look Like?

In education, geography for kids explores both the physical features of a location and the human stories behind it. Why do we live where we do? Is it because of family, work, culture, or climate? Whether it's a beachside home, a high-rise in the city, or a remote rural property, every place has a story—and that’s where drawing landscapes and homes becomes a powerful tool for connection.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Drawing landscapes: Uluru, local parks, or your neighbourhood

• Painting your street or rural settings

• Designing nature play areas or gardens

• Creating landform diagrams or contour maps
  → Search “geography” on Artventure for kids art and geography lessons.

2. Architecture and Design: How Is My Home Built?

If your child loves drawing houses, architecture is a natural next step. Many children begin with cardboard box cubbies, LEGO towns, or sketching dream homes. These interests can evolve into more technical design work using pencil, rulers, or even 3D modelling tools.

Artventure offers lessons for drawing houses, and Art Eye Deer supports older students who want to explore cultural homes and abstract architecture.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Painting houses of people you know

• Drawing a street of diverse homes

• Designing a cubby house or treehouse

• Drafting plans for your dream home

3. Comparing Places: What Makes My Place Unique?

Young children often focus on their home, but as they grow, they begin to explore community spaces and cultural differences. By comparing their local environments to others—especially First Nations Country and communities abroad—children learn empathy and global awareness.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Drawing houses from other countries or cultures

• Designing eco-friendly or sustainable homes

• Researching and illustrating houses from different time periods

4. Holiday Destinations: Where Do I Like to Visit?

Holidays are a chance to explore places different from home: cabins in the bush, tents by the beach, hotels in the city. These experiences enrich a child’s sense of place, especially when they’re invited to draw their favourite holiday memories.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Creating maps from your home to a holiday destination

• Painting your dream destination

• Drawing a family holiday house

• Sketching nature or activities (swimming, hiking, skiing)

5. Resource Centres and Workplaces: Where Do I Go for What I Need?

Our lives are shaped by the places we go for school, food, healthcare, or work. Kids learn a lot by drawing and exploring these locations. From supermarkets to offices, workplaces can be reimagined through art.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Drawing local businesses or community hubs

• Painting people at work (doctors, hairdressers, teachers)

• Designing a classroom, hospital, or town square

6. Borders and Boundaries: Where Can’t I Go?

Children begin to understand boundaries through fences, rooms, and locked doors. During lockdowns, boundaries became more serious—with signs like “Keep Out” and “No Entry”. Drawing about personal space and safety can be both empowering and healing.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Investigating the purpose and types of fences

• Drawing imaginative or historical door designs

• Planning themed rooms that represent community spaces

• Sketching backyard wildlife or garden scenes

7. Virtual Places: Where Can I Go Without Leaving?

Thanks to technology, we can travel the world from home. Video calls and virtual tours connect children to faraway family, museums, or classrooms. Artventure itself is a virtual portal to creativity—bringing art lessons to every home.

Art Activity Ideas:

• Drawing a “Zoom visit” with a distant relative

• Illustrating what you see on a virtual museum tour

• Competing in art challenges with friends via video call

• Exploring Artventure lessons themed around “Place”

Bringing It Together: Drawing Our Connection to Place

Whether it’s drawing their home, illustrating a far-off holiday, or imagining a dream community, art gives children a way to process the world around them. In times of change or restriction, drawing becomes a way to reflect, connect, and create.

At Artventure, we help kids explore these ideas through step-by-step online art lessons that nurture creativity while connecting to curriculum topics like geography, design, sustainability, and culture.

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