diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 49e88ce..5595d1c 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
         <div>
           <div class="eyebrow">Family science-project showcase</div>
           <h1 id="title">A tiny universe where patterns wake up.</h1>
-          <p class="lede">Click cells to build a creature, press play, and watch simple rules turn into crawlers, fireworks, traffic jams, and quiet little islands.</p>
+          <p class="lede">Click or drag cells to build a creature, press play, and watch simple rules turn into crawlers, fireworks, traffic jams, and quiet little islands.</p>
         </div>
         <ul class="rules" aria-label="Game of Life rules">
           <li><b>2-3</b><span><strong>Living cells stay alive</strong> when they have two or three neighbors nearby.</span></li>
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@
       <section class="lab-card" aria-label="Interactive Game of Life board">
         <div class="board-shell">
           <div class="board-header">
-            <p class="board-title">LIVE CELL GRID - TAP OR CLICK TO DRAW</p>
+            <p class="board-title">LIVE CELL GRID - TAP, CLICK, OR DRAG TO DRAW</p>
             <button class="button primary" id="randomBtn" type="button">Seed a tiny universe</button>
           </div>
           <div class="canvas-wrap">
             <canvas id="lifeCanvas" width="960" height="720" aria-label="Conway's Game of Life cell board"></canvas>
           </div>
-          <p class="caption">Tip: pause the universe, draw a few cells, then press play. The board wraps around at the edges like a donut-shaped planet.</p>
+          <p class="caption">Tip: pause the universe, drag across the grid to draw a shape, then press play. The board wraps around at the edges like a donut-shaped planet.</p>
         </div>
       </section>
     </section>
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
           <button class="button primary" id="playBtn" type="button">Play</button>
           <button class="button" id="stepBtn" type="button">Step once</button>
           <button class="button" id="clearBtn" type="button">Clear board</button>
-          <button class="button" id="sparkBtn" type="button">Make sparkles</button>
+          <button class="button" id="sparkBtn" type="button">Make fireworks</button>
         </div>
 
         <div class="slider-row">
diff --git a/script.js b/script.js
index a46711a..ab72ae8 100644
--- a/script.js
+++ b/script.js
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ let births = 0;
 let deaths = 0;
 let timer = null;
 let speed = 8;
+let drawing = false;
+let drawValue = 1;
+let lastPaintedCell = null;
 
 const themeTokens = {
   sprout: ['oklch(58% 0.16 145)', 'oklch(72% 0.14 170)'],
@@ -31,20 +34,43 @@ function randomize(chance = 0.28) {
   draw();
 }
 
-function sparkles() {
+function fireworks() {
   grid = makeGrid();
   const centerX = Math.floor(cols / 2);
   const centerY = Math.floor(rows / 2);
-  const points = [[0,0], [1,0], [-1,0], [0,1], [0,-1], [2,1], [-2,-1], [4,0], [4,1], [4,-1], [-4,0], [-4,1], [-4,-1], [7,2], [8,2], [7,3], [8,3]];
-  points.forEach(([x, y]) => { grid[centerY + y][centerX + x] = 1; });
+  const gliderGun = [
+    [0,4], [1,4], [0,5], [1,5],
+    [10,4], [10,5], [10,6], [11,3], [11,7], [12,2], [12,8], [13,2], [13,8], [14,5], [15,3], [15,7], [16,4], [16,5], [16,6], [17,5],
+    [20,2], [20,3], [20,4], [21,2], [21,3], [21,4], [22,1], [22,5], [24,0], [24,1], [24,5], [24,6],
+    [34,2], [35,2], [34,3], [35,3]
+  ];
+  const pulsar = [
+    [2,0], [3,0], [4,0], [8,0], [9,0], [10,0], [0,2], [5,2], [7,2], [12,2], [0,3], [5,3], [7,3], [12,3], [0,4], [5,4], [7,4], [12,4], [2,5], [3,5], [4,5], [8,5], [9,5], [10,5],
+    [2,7], [3,7], [4,7], [8,7], [9,7], [10,7], [0,8], [5,8], [7,8], [12,8], [0,9], [5,9], [7,9], [12,9], [0,10], [5,10], [7,10], [12,10], [2,12], [3,12], [4,12], [8,12], [9,12], [10,12]
+  ];
+  const blinkers = [[0,0], [1,0], [2,0]];
+  addPattern(gliderGun, centerX - 18, centerY - 22);
+  addPattern(pulsar, centerX - 6, centerY + 8);
+  addPattern(blinkers, centerX - 28, centerY + 16);
+  addPattern(blinkers, centerX + 24, centerY + 16);
   generation = 0;
   births = 0;
   deaths = 0;
-  updateLesson('Sparkles loaded. Step slowly and look for parts that blink while other parts float away.');
+  updateLesson('Fireworks loaded. Press Play and watch the launcher keep sending tiny spaceships across the board.');
   updateStats();
   draw();
 }
 
+function addPattern(points, originX, originY) {
+  points.forEach(([x, y]) => {
+    const gridX = originX + x;
+    const gridY = originY + y;
+    if (gridX >= 0 && gridX < cols && gridY >= 0 && gridY < rows) {
+      grid[gridY][gridX] = 1;
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 function neighbors(x, y) {
   let total = 0;
   for (let dy = -1; dy <= 1; dy++) {
@@ -167,28 +193,68 @@ function setTheme(name) {
   draw();
 }
 
-canvas.addEventListener('pointerdown', event => {
-  pause();
+function cellFromPointer(event) {
   const rect = canvas.getBoundingClientRect();
   const scaleX = canvas.width / rect.width;
   const scaleY = canvas.height / rect.height;
   const x = Math.floor((event.clientX - rect.left) * scaleX / cellSize);
   const y = Math.floor((event.clientY - rect.top) * scaleY / cellSize);
-  if (x >= 0 && x < cols && y >= 0 && y < rows) {
-    grid[y][x] = grid[y][x] ? 0 : 1;
-    births = 0;
-    deaths = 0;
-    updateLesson('You drew on the board. Press Step once to test your prediction before running it fast.');
-    updateStats();
-    draw();
-  }
+  if (x < 0 || x >= cols || y < 0 || y >= rows) return null;
+  return { x, y };
+}
+
+function paintCell(event) {
+  const cell = cellFromPointer(event);
+  if (!cell) return;
+  const key = `${cell.x},${cell.y}`;
+  if (key === lastPaintedCell || grid[cell.y][cell.x] === drawValue) return;
+  lastPaintedCell = key;
+  grid[cell.y][cell.x] = drawValue;
+  births = 0;
+  deaths = 0;
+  updateLesson(drawValue ? 'You are painting a shape. Release, then press Step once to test your prediction.' : 'You are erasing cells. Release, then redraw any shape you want to test.');
+  updateStats();
+  draw();
+}
+
+function stopDrawing() {
+  drawing = false;
+  lastPaintedCell = null;
+}
+
+canvas.addEventListener('pointerdown', event => {
+  event.preventDefault();
+  pause();
+  const cell = cellFromPointer(event);
+  if (!cell) return;
+  drawing = true;
+  drawValue = grid[cell.y][cell.x] ? 0 : 1;
+  lastPaintedCell = null;
+  canvas.setPointerCapture(event.pointerId);
+  paintCell(event);
 });
 
+canvas.addEventListener('pointermove', event => {
+  if (!drawing) return;
+  event.preventDefault();
+  paintCell(event);
+});
+
+canvas.addEventListener('pointerup', event => {
+  if (canvas.hasPointerCapture(event.pointerId)) {
+    canvas.releasePointerCapture(event.pointerId);
+  }
+  stopDrawing();
+});
+
+canvas.addEventListener('pointercancel', stopDrawing);
+canvas.addEventListener('pointerleave', stopDrawing);
+
 document.getElementById('playBtn').addEventListener('click', () => running ? pause() : play());
 document.getElementById('stepBtn').addEventListener('click', () => { pause(); step(); updateLesson('One generation advanced. Did the population go up, down, or stay balanced?'); });
 document.getElementById('clearBtn').addEventListener('click', () => { pause(); grid = makeGrid(); generation = 0; births = 0; deaths = 0; updateLesson('The board is clear. Draw a creature, then test if it survives.'); updateStats(); draw(); });
 document.getElementById('randomBtn').addEventListener('click', () => randomize(0.28));
-document.getElementById('sparkBtn').addEventListener('click', sparkles);
+document.getElementById('sparkBtn').addEventListener('click', fireworks);
 document.getElementById('speed').addEventListener('input', event => {
   speed = Number(event.target.value);
   document.getElementById('speedLabel').textContent = speed;
diff --git a/styles.css b/styles.css
index 74ceba1..da90be6 100644
--- a/styles.css
+++ b/styles.css
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ canvas {
   border-radius: 14px;
   background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--surface), var(--bg) 26%);
   cursor: crosshair;
-  touch-action: manipulation;
+  touch-action: none;
 }
 
 .caption {