A study investigated why children's drawing becomes less flexible and less exploratory as the children age. Subjects, 92 students in two kindergarten and two first grade classrooms in two different public schools in Queens, New York, were interviewed about their feelings concerning drawing and writing. Each classroom was visited for 1 week each. Results indicated that: (1) all children had crayons and pencils available at home, but most had only lined paper available; (2) parents often gave positive comments about their children's drawing, but not about their children's writing; (3) 87% of the kindergarteners and 80% of the first graders said drawing was more fun than writing; (4) 72% of the kindergarteners and 77% of the first graders felt drawing was easier than writing; (5) 77% of the first graders and 54% of the kindergarteners agreed that drawing is faster than writing; and (6) 84% of the kindergarteners and 86% of the first graders selected writing as more important than drawing. Findings suggest that adults need to supply more of the "messy" materials to encourage experimentation in drawing; parents need to draw more in front of their children; parents must communicate that they care about writing in positive ways; and teachers must value drawing and convince parents of its importance. Children see drawing as a "baby" skill, which helps explain the loss of freshness and spontaneity in their art when they learn to write. (RS)