Gather the children in a circle, each with their notebook and a writing utensil in hand. Show them an example of a drawing done by yourself or something from a book. Place a box of colored pencils or crayons in the center of the circle and tell the children to each take two colors. Give the class a ten-minute intermission to draw whatever they'd like before reconvening in the circle. Let the children share and explain their drawings to the rest of the class.
This variation on the classic telephone game will keep students engaged throughout. Tell the children to circle up then whisper a simple word into the ear of one student and have him share it with the person to his left. Continue in this manner through each student in the circle. After it has made it all the way around the circle, have the children write down the word they heard. You could also have them draw whatever it is they've been told if you prefer art to basic language. Allow the students to compare and contrast their answers aloud.
Once the group is in a circle, go to the whiteboard and start by writing a short article like "the." Go around the group one at a time and let each child add a word of her choice while everybody keeps track of the sentence in their notebook. Depending on class size, you may want to have multiple sentences. First time through, let the children respond with whatever they want regardless of whether it makes sense. Read the sentence aloud and let the class react. Go back through a second time and direct them with appropriate suggestions or tips to make a coherent sentence.
Show the class an example of a short sentence you've constructed using a subject verb and some articles as in, "The cat went home." Create a word bank on the board using simple words that a preschooler could comprehend. For example, include the, an, a, and several simple verbs and nouns. Assign the students to create their own version or to create one in conjunction with a small group of two or three depending on class size. Let the students read their sentences aloud and let the class decide whether each makes sense.