The main purpose of this research was to examine the difference in visual perception development in children of the same age of which one group only had regular curricular arts classes and the other group was enrolled in extracurricular creativitiy arts programme. The process highlighted the importance of fine arts programmes in the emotional and phychological development of school children through artistic expression. Child's artistic expression represents the means of communication between them and their surroundings. Drawings are used as a diagnostic tool in the assesment of children's fine motor skills, intellectual and cognitive development and of their overall maturity. They can also be used to detect emotinal distress and in personality assesment tests. Through better understanding of subtle signs in children's artwork, their arts teachers could recognize potential developmental problems. The research was carried out using a qualitative method in three different groups of fifth grade elementary school students and in a group of students of the same age that, in addition to their regular school fine arts programme, attended extracurricular creativity arts programme. The study used the creativity test "Creative Thinking Test“ (K. Urban and H. Jelle) and "House - Tree - Person" test (J. Buck). The expected result of the research was confirmed, which showed there is a higher degree of creativity in children who express themselves artistically more often and also, in addition to regular school fine arts programme, also attend additional creativity arts programmes through art workshops that focused on drawing. The House-Tree-Person test also proved to be a very effective method for personality assesment. Different personality traits can be seen and analyzed through certain drawing elements in sketches with different motives. Children's artwork also comfirmed that drawing, as a form of expression, can be more intense and indicative than verbal expression and at the same time can be used as a bridge between a child's real world surroundings and their inner experience of it.