The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of applying small group art therapy to school maladjusted children on improving school life adaptation. The subjects of this study were 2 elementary school students, 2nd and 3rd graders enrolled in B elementary school in A city, once a week, and a total of 8 sessions were conducted with 80 minutes per session. In order to find out the effect of small group art therapy on the improvement of school life adaptation of school maladjusted children, the process of each session was analyzed qualitatively. In addition, the school life adaptation scale and the Kinetic School Drawing (KSD) were conducted before and after the program to compare the difference in scores. The results of the research are as follows. First, it was found that in the process of each session, small group art therapy promoted the interaction between group members, thereby improving school life adaptation of school maladjusted children. Second, as a result of the school life adaptation scale, small group art therapy was effective in improving school life adaptation of school maladjusted children. Third, small group art therapy was effective in improving school life adjustment of children who did not adapt to school on the KSD. In conclusion, small group art therapy for school maladjusted children was effective in adjusting to school life by reducing the burden and fear of the majority group and promoting interaction among group members.