More cool drawing ideas here:
15 Incredibly Easy Drawing Ideas for Kids
With so many unique and elaborate art projects and drawing ideas on the internet, parents can feel overwhelmed, especially if they have kids who are not naturally drawn to artistic pursuits. That’s why it’s essential to have simple and easy drawing ideas for kids. When life feels particularly hectic your kids can reach for a sketchbook or journal and calm down with simple, meditative and creative drawing ideas.
Learning how to draw and find enjoyment in sketching has so many benefits, too! It helps kids develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, builds the imagination and nourishes creativity. Not every child will grow up to be a fine artist, but they will all benefit from putting crayon to paper every day!
The following simple drawing ideas suggestions are so versatile that most of them can be done by beginners and no need for complicated step-by-step instructions. Simple guidelines are all that is required.
I’ve put the easy drawing ideas into two categories, below. In the first set all you’ll need is paper and drawing implement of your choice. The second group of art projects includes ideas that require one or two common household items.
Easy Drawing Ideas with Just Pen and Paper:
Crayons, colored pencils, charcoal, oil pastels, markers. Use whatever drawing medium you have on hand! Add paper and a kid and voilá, you have art in the making. Note: the underlined, orange text is a link to learn more about the art idea.
Tracing the hand. My son loved the sensory experience of outlining his hand with a pencil! Because the art activity put all the focus on him and his own body, it enticed him into further art exploration. That’s proof that when you follow the child’s interest, you’ll have a better chance of success!
Zentangle inspired art journal page. This easy art project is perfect for relaxing. It is one of my favorite drawing projects ever and we’ve dedicated dozens of art journal and sketchbook pages to zentangles. Our version emphasizes an almost total lack of rules and my child loved it!
Single color drawing. Sometimes kids can feel overwhelmed by all the media and instructions that come with complicated art project. Creating art with just a single color is great for beginners and experts, alike! For us, confining an art project to a single color took off a lot of the pressure to create a finished project and instead and helped keep the focus on the artistic process. I have a few more ideas with different media, not just markers or crayons, so click on that link to learn more.
Draw from a new perspective. You don’t always need to sit upright in a chair at a table to start drawing! Switching things up perspective-wise and drawing from different angles can help keep things interesting and prompt artistic exploration.
Body tracing. Like the hand tracing, this art project was further proof of something every parent knows: kids love to focus on themselves! Plus, this art idea might even lead to a self-portrait!
Tandem Drawing. This two person drawing game could not be easier! And it is wonderful for connecting with your child in a relaxed atmosphere. There is zero expectation to draw something representational and all you need is a sheet of paper and two willing participants. Be sure to watch our video for a simple tutorial.
Changing Bodies. Changing bodies is a drawing game that will send any artist into a fit of giggles! You might know it in it’s original form as “exquisite corpse,” but our version is perfect for beginners.
More ideas from other websites I love:
Mystery drawing game. This easy drawing idea is perfect for when kids have to hang around in waiting rooms! (Mama Smiles)
Shadow tracing (The Artful Parent) This project finishes up with watercolors, but that is optional.
Draw around a hole (The Artful Parent). I love the creativity and problem-solving involved in this project. Jean has lots of helpful and easy tips to getting your kid to draw more and try out different techniques.
Simple Drawing Ideas with a Easy-to-Find Item
Sometimes the introduction of a non-traditional art item can stimulate the creative imagination and convince reluctant artists to try something new, even though they might not naturally be drawn to artistic pursuits. Here are some of my favorite ideas that we have tried at home and enjoyed.
Colored dot prompt (JDaniel4’s Mom). This is so fun and is an extension project for the picture book, An Orange in January. Essentially, kids paste a large colored circle onto a paper and use it as a drawing prompt.
Drawing prompt with blocks (Learn with Play at Home). You can use blocks in different ways. As traceable objects, landscapes to be copied or as shape prompts.
Drawing with bunches (Learn with Play at Home) Bundle up a collection of same or differently colored markers with a rubber band! This is a great idea for kids (like mine) who like to “go against the rules.
Drawing prompt with LEGO (Kids Steam Lab). Everyone has LEGO and a pile of bricks is an excellent source of inspiration!
Draw on a map! (PickleBums) I absolutely love this idea. Get some old maps and let the kids go to town. Maybe it will inspire them to draw their own map from scratch!
More fun art projects:
- Math art projects for kids
- Active art projects for kids
- Easy rainy day crafts for kids
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100 Crazy Cool Drawing Ideas for Kids
It’s fairly obvious that kids like to draw, but sometimes plopping a stack of blank paper and some markers in front of them doesn’t cut it.
That blank white paper can be enough to shut your imagination down completely. Luckily, I’ll be acting as your drawing ideas for kids’ superhero today.
Behold the epic list of 100 kids drawing ideas and you can thank me profusely in the comments. Or just pin or bookmark this post to come back to later…
Looking for some more low-key sketchbook ideas? I got you covered for those, too.
Why I’m Obsessed With Kid’s Drawing Ideas
Drawing is the backbone of art-making. Really. And I know there are plenty of people in art-related fields who don’t draw. But let’s see how many ways I can beat this point to death:
- Practicing drawing helps train the eye to see what is really there and not what you presume to be there.
- Drawing helps train the hand to be comfortable with using, um, drawing utensils.
- Drawing is easy to start and stop- it can be done anywhere, at any time. You don’t need a big space or fancy setup to draw; you just need to be willing to do it.
- Making quick drawings is an excellent way to warm up your brain and hands for any type of art-making. Or anything, really. Make a few doodles before a test, before bedtime, during dinner…. tap into the subconscious creative brain pockets. (I’m not a doctor, but I’m sure that’s the medical term.)
- Establishing a drawing practice when you’re a child can lay the foundation for a lifelong drawing habit. Here are some health benefits of drawing.
Since I’m tired of coming up with benefits of drawing for kids, and since you probably are already a fan of drawing, or you wouldn’t have clicked through to read this post, I will now delight you with 100 tantalizing drawing ideas for children to try.
P.S. I’m not focusing solely on traditional drawing here- we’ve got a little bit of everything, from drawing from observation to doodling on photos.
Drawing for Kids
I have the projects loosely based on age group, but feel free to try the drawings with any age kid – you can modify them according to their interest and ability. Click on an image to see more or scroll below each gallery to read a short synopsis and you can click through from there.
Easy Drawing Ideas For Very Young Kids (0-5ish)
- This is like reverse finger painting – and no mess! Little kids can draw on these paint bags and also see what happens to colors when they mix.
- When little kids draw live animals from observation, wonderful things happen.
- Kids love blocks. Kids love drawing. It just makes sense to combine the two.
- Mini fashionistas will ADORE drawing on their shoes and wearing their creations.
- Such a cool way to get kids to interact with maps and explore all the cool lines.
- So much good messiness when kids explore chalk pastels in this mixed media project for preschoolers.
- These mixed-up Hand Turkeys can be made any time of year and drawn all over for silly fun.
- Yes, toilet roll scribblers look like maybe the most fun way to draw, ever.
- Babies can get in on the action of drawing with this DIY (edible) finger paint.
- Love the idea of kids using these cool tools to draw on their paper with paint.
- Foil scribbling is absolutely a magical experience for young children.
- It doesn’t get much better than being plopped inside a big cardboard box with a pile of markers.
- I had to. I had to include this, even though the pin link goes nowhere. If any of you tries helmet drawings with kids, I absolutely need photos.
- Scribbly stenciled hearts are a fun way to explore drawing with tools, and then painting.
Easy Drawing Ideas for Young Elementary Kids
15. Crayon transfer drawing is such a cool twist to using a classic drawing medium.
16. Drawing with yarn! Yep, true story. This project is inspired by Harold and the Purple Crayon.
17. This is a really cool way to introduce perspective to younger elementary kids! Falling Back in Space Portraits.
18. A hilarious way to make drawing fun for any kid – surprise folded drawing creatures.
19. This is more of a general idea, but it’s cool to see what pops into kids’ minds to draw when they’re listening to a book.
22. We love easy overlapping tracing projects like this popsicle stick art.
23. Household objects prompt some great drawing ideas.
25. Double doodling is a totally cool way to really focus on what you are drawing in a fun way.
26. Skyscraper drawings. There isn’t much here in the way of instruction, so here’s my guess: Draw the buildings and watercolor paint them in. Mount on black paper and draw the background with pastels. What do you think?
27. I love this project so much. SO MUCH. Drawing words over a bird drawing based on a poem. Sweet.
28. These hand shadow monster drawings are just loads of fun times.
29. Every kid needs to try their hand at Van Gogh’s sunflower drawings.
30. This finish the leaf drawing idea is a great observational study.
31. This post is really a bunch of tips and best practices for when young kids start to draw portraits.
32. Mirror symmetry drawing is a great drawing game and fun practice.
33. What kid wouldn’t want to join in when the end result is a page of temporary tattoos drawn by them?
34. Road trip drawing prompts are an amazing way to get kids drawing instead of staring at the iPad in the car.
37. Gridline drawings that you can color in or leave plain.
38. Monkey portraits are such a great way to round out learning about primates.
39. DIY dry erase-book. I love this idea for a no-stress drawing session.
Cool Drawing Ideas for Older Elementary Kids
41. Contour line shoe drawings – these are given an added twist when the mini stick figure people come in!
42. I like the combo of color study and line drawing in these cool and warm hand drawings.
43. Kids can ease into drawing the human form with these cool little wooden figures.
44. Thumbprint self-portraits use the lines of your thumbprint to write about yourself. I love those drawing/writing art projects.
45. We’re big fans of tracing. Lots and lots of tracing is a great way to learn composition and warm up the drawing skills.
46. Sharpies and Converse are a match made in heaven for creative kids who want to fancy up their kicks.
47. These Picasso Self Portraits are a pretty cool way to get a cubist look to your drawings.
48. Drawing goes 3-dimensional with these very cool doodle cubes.
49. This whole post is full of fun ideas for using large rolls of paper, but I particularly love the amazing Circulatory System going on in this one!
50. This is a fun way to liven up a regular still-life drawing.
51. Feather drawing is just an all-around good idea.
52. One of my favorite drawing activities ever is this abstract shadow drawing project.
53. This is the single best math art project there ever was.
55. Okay, this is the second-best math drawing project of all time.
56. Looking up Cityscapes make me a little dizzy, but they’re so good.
57. Speed Drawing – what a fun way to sneak in a bunch of drawings.
58. Name Doodles. Arting up your name is always a big hit.
59. Through the keyhole drawings. This project was done by Middle School age, but I bet 4th/5th grade would have fun with this.
60. These Geometries couldn’t be easier to draw, and the result is awesome. We love easy kid drawing ideas.
61. Grid drawing is such an effective way to facilitate kids really looking at what they are drawing.
62. Leaf doodling, because sometimes there are so many leaves that fall down, and you just need to draw all over them.
63. Micrography is a big name for a snappy drawing project that includes words.
64. Super fun Andy Warhol drawing projects.
65. Double Cursive tangling so you can see if the kids have been practicing their cursive writing.
66. A friendly alien makes a guest appearance in this perspective drawing project.
67. Exploring Paul Klee and different media with these Paul Klee Castles.
68. Banner drawing practice is fun to do instead of homework.
Cool Drawing Ideas for Teens
69. I love the idea of honing in on part of a face to draw.
70. Josef Albers would teach his students to draw the negative space they saw inside/between objects.
71. Erasing part of your face seems like a fine drawing for kids’ idea. Maybe a little painful.
72. So cool! Metamorphosis art is the best idea ever.
73. I like playing card self-portraits as a nice detail-oriented drawing project.
75. This Mandala project blows me away, and she provides amazing, detailed steps.
77. This easy-tangle drawing idea chases away all anxiety and fears of not being a good artist.
78. I love this drawing project for deeply diving into using crosshatching.
79. Blind contour drawings get really cool with the addition of highlighters.
81. This is inspiring as a way to get students to draw landscapes really loosely and almost scribbly.
82. Looping Letters to practice hand lettering. She’s got some great lettering tutorials here.
83. This is for inspiration. All teenagers should make a giant drawing at some point.
84. Here’s a really cool twist on blackout poetry with the addition of drawings.
85. Maybe not in the grocery store, but I would love to see the big tape drawings a whole gaggle of teenagers comes up with.
86. This is a meditative line design technique that looks like it would be pretty fun to color in.
87. I like the idea of a whole collection of doodled mandala rocks.
88. Tangling in a grid portrait is a great way to practice value.
89. Restaurant sketches could translate into lunchroom sketches for high school students, or maybe dinnertime sketches.
90. Another great way to practice detailed drawing is to copy half of a spider or another, less creepy creature.
91. If you’re tired of drawing your own face, you can always cut out some magazine facial features to practice drawing.
92. Here’s a nice juicy drawing project to focus on for a while: Extended Linear Line Drawing.
93. This example from a ‘Wreck This Journal’ book is a fun reminder that doodling circles are a great way to fill up a page.
95. No doubt you’ve seen this sort of thing before, but it’s a good example of making that lined paperwork for you in art.
96. Ahhhh it’s so fun the first time you use white pencil or pastel on black paper. Isn’t this a great look?
98. Teens can experiment with oil pastels with a close-up fruit drawing.
99. Explore a series of small landscape drawings as a great sketchbook practice.
100. Another really well-explained drawing project! This one is all about drawing tessellations. So cool.
The teens will also most definitely dig my 50 sketchbook ideas to use as warm-ups or more drawing ideas.
More cool drawing ideas here:
- Sketchbook Prompts
- Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids Book
- Easy Tangle Drawing
- Drawing Using Household Objects
Inspired by these drawing ideas? Check out my Drawing Games for Kids post, too. You’ll love it!
