It is important for art teachers to understand how children develop artistically. This kind of knowledge is essential for choosing age-appropriate teaching strategies and content for the units and lessons that the art teacher develops. Beginning art teachers study developmental theory in educational psychology classes, but it seems that this is often a textbook, lecture, and exam approach that does not "stick" or, in any case, does not seem practically relevant to many pre-service teachers. Over the last few years in the art education programs at Central Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia, the authors of this paper have collaborated to develop an action research activity that seems to make developmental theory more meaningful to their students by connecting it concretely to children's artmaking. This article presents an outline of the students' research assignment, a brief overview of some basic issues in the field of children's development, and a discussion of the effect of culture and social context on children's development. (Contains 1 note and 2 figures.)