Workshop overview

ABOD conducted 2 exploratory learning workshops at Eklavya School with small groups of children in a hands-on, collaborative setting. The sessions were designed to help children understand space, structure, and perspective through play and making rather than formal instruction.

Using block-building and one-point perspective drawing, the workshops encouraged children to move between imagination and execution. Learning emerged through doing, observing, discussing, and reflecting together, allowing concepts to be experienced before being explained.

Session 1: Let’s Build Magical Cities

Explore Building Blocks (15 minutes)
The session began with free exploration. Children were introduced to a variety of block shapes and encouraged to combine them freely. As they built, they identified familiar forms and shared what their structures reminded them of. There were no right or wrong outcomes; the focus was on noticing forms, patterns, and possibilities.

Imagine and Build (45 minutes)
Children were given an open-ended prompt: “Build a city that is…”
They shared ideas and built their cities together. Some focused on landmarks, others on homes or pathways. The cities evolved through conversation and shared decisions, with each group creating a city shaped by their collective imagination.

Session 2 : Let’s Build Magical Cities

Understanding Perspective (15 minutes)
The session opened with a short visual presentation using photographs and simple drawings from everyday scenes. Children were introduced to one-point perspective through basic ideas of lines, distance, and viewpoint.

Draw, Build, and Colour (40 minutes)
Participants began drawing using guided perspective sheets before moving to blank paper. They chose familiar environments and translated them into drawings that showed depth and distance. Once complete, the drawings were coloured, allowing imagined spaces to take visual form. The session balanced structure with freedom, supporting both learning and experimentation.

What we observed

Across both sessions, children engaged more deeply when concepts were introduced through making rather than explanation.
Collaboration emerged naturally during the city-building exercise, while the perspective session showed a clear shift from guided tools to independent work. We observed increased focus, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment, even when outcomes were uncertain.