In a classroom at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School, first-grader Madison Mottley is coloring an African mask to cut out and paste on construction paper.

In the next room, more students are making piñatas out of paper lunch bags as they study Mexico.

It’s “Day Without a Desk” at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School. Principal Keith Hubbard instituted the lecture- and worksheet-free days this year to help students develop creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

“It came from when I was a classroom teacher,” Hubbard said. “I used to do it with my students.”

The point, Hubbard said, is to make the students connect what they learn through lectures, books and worksheets to something that relates to them. It takes their learning to a higher level, he said.

Nansemond Parkway, like all schools in Suffolk this year, has full accreditation from the state of Virginia based on its SOL scores. However, it missed the federal designation of Adequate Yearly Progress this year, after making it the past two years.

The students have been doing desk-free Fridays for three months now, and teachers at the school said it’s working.

“The one thing it really does is gets them excited,” said Sarah Perrel, a first-grade teacher at the school. “It gives them a chance to do more interactive things.”

This Friday, the first-graders were connecting skills in geography and art by going from room to room with “passports.” Upon entering each room, they had their passports stamped, found the appropriate country on the map, and created an art project related to that country.

“We get to play a lot and do a lot of activities,” Madison Mottley said. She and her classmates colored masks with South African music playing in the background.

Students in other rooms were making piñatas as they studied Mexico, and paper lanterns with a map of China on the wall.

“We get to do lots of crafts,” said Ann Collick, who was sitting beside Madison.

So far this year, students at Nansemond Parkway have built motorized racecars using Legos, created salt maps showing the regions of Virginia, and more.

“It definitely helps,” said Lindsay Fisher, another first-grade teacher. “It’s a great day for reinforcing the things we taught throughout the week.”

In addition to doing activities, the students switch among all the teachers in their grade, which benefit both sides.

“It’s nice, because it gives us a change, and we get to know the whole grade,” Perrel said. “We all have different styles.”

Students sometimes can benefit from seeing the teaching styles of different teachers, she said. Switching teachers scored high on a straw poll of first-graders.

“I love to switch,” said Devonte Saunders.

Then there’s the best thing about No-Desk Fridays: Friday.

“It’s the last day of school,” Madison said.