I am designing an introductory level programming class to be taught using Processing this summer. I have only four weeks and 90 minutes a day with students. Given my student demographic (middle schoolers), I am not anticipating getting much beyond the basics of the coordinate system, basic color options (stroke, fill, RGB values), variables, and loops. Since it will have more of a summer camp feel (i.e. fun, no homework), I want the approach to be engaging and hands-on. Rather than try to introduce a lot of programming concepts, I want students to have a portfolio of cool designs they have made by the time the class ends.
Here's the current list of projects I have slated for our four weeks:
Use three ellipses to make a Mickey Mouse silhouette (simple, but will require much iteration to perfect coordinate placement)
Create a basic sketch of a house (imagine those elementary school simple triangle-topped rectangles with square windows and a chimney...something like that)
Design a Lego family (based on this UW assignment)
Explore logo design through both redesigning an existing logo and creating an original logo (based on this UW assignment)
These four will probably culminate in some sort of original creative project as a synthesis of all the concepts we will study.
As I'm wrapping up my design of this course, I'd like to get input on these and any other simple, engaging assignments in Processing. What other beginner-level assignments in Processing would interest a student new to programming?