This was a project I did with first and second graders. They did a really great job! The big trick in working with this age group is to get them to use the whole paper and to use color consistently.

Using a step by step method, the first thing I have the kids do is fold their papers in half lengthwise. Then I have them draw a rainbow by making dots on both sides of the fold. We add another dot up higher where the bow is going to arch through. The the rainbow is drawn from dot to dot. We close up the bottom with a straight horizontal line. I think the rest of these visual steps are pretty self explanatory.

From here the kids can color with marker or crayon or a combination of both. The clown does look a little bolder if it is outlined first. Adding a hat and backgrounds are also a nice touch as well. When coloring I encourage the kids to work in small circles as opposed to broad lines. The color tends to be more even and consistent that way, especially with marker. With older kids, you could also work on shading techniques. A shadow effect can be produced by using the same color marker or crayon in a second layer. I also added some highlight to my sample with some white oil pastel.

Here are some student examples. There are a few in here that I really love that look like clowns on stilts. Who knew first and second graders could draw with foreshortening?(I'm still working on it my own self!)