Let the drawing be theirs
The best thing an adult can do during drawing time is stay curious. Instead of "What is it?", try "Tell me about your picture." Instead of fixing a wobbly line, ask what happens next in the scene. Children who feel judged often stop drawing around the age they start comparing their work to others, so keep the focus on ideas and fun.
Each slate shows the age range chalked in on a ruler from 2 to 12, plus energy and mess on a scale of one to three marks. Ages are a rough guide; you know your child best.
Indoorsabout 10 min
Squiggle game
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- low
You need: Chalkboard or paper, chalk or pencils
One player draws a squiggle. The other turns it into a picture.
Indoorsabout 20 min
Four-box story
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- medium
You need: Chalkboard divided into four boxes
Draw a short story in four pictures: start, problem, try, ending.
In or outabout 20 min
Look and draw
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- low
You need: Paper or a board, a pencil, three objects
Set out a shoe, a cup and a fruit. Draw only what you see, not what you expect.
Indoorsabout 15 min
Draw and guess
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- medium
You need: Chalkboard and chalk
One player draws a secret word. The rest guess before the picture is done.
More like thisThe squiggle game
This game works for nearly any age. One person draws a quick, random squiggle. The other turns it into a picture: a snail, a cloud with a face, a car going over a hill. Then swap. It is a great way to start when a child says "I don't know what to draw", because the first line is already there.
Four-box stories
Divide a board or a sheet into four boxes. Explain the pattern: in box one, introduce a character. In box two, give them a problem. In box three, they try to fix it. In box four, show how it ends. Kids from about six can draw these on their own, and younger kids can draw while an adult writes their words underneath.
Stick figures are fine. The point is telling a story in pictures, and many well-loved comic strips use very simple drawings.
Look and draw
For older kids who want their drawings to look more real, set three objects on a table: a shoe, a mug and a piece of fruit, for example. Ask them to look at the objects more than at the paper. Try these short exercises:
- Draw only the outside edge of one object, slowly, without lifting the pencil.
- Draw the same object in thirty seconds, then in two minutes, and compare.
- Draw the shadow under the object before you draw the object itself.
- Draw the object from a different side of the table.
Prompts to get started
| Age | Prompt ideas |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Your family as animals. A big, big sun. What lives under your bed. Your favorite food with a face. |
| 6 to 8 | A house for a dragon. A new kind of vehicle. The view from a bird's back. A monster who is afraid of something silly. |
| 9 to 12 | A map of an invented island. A comic about the dog's day. A room in the year 2200. A shoe drawn from three angles. |
Drawing together
Drawing alongside your child, rather than watching, can make the time feel shared. Take turns adding one thing to the same picture, or both draw the same prompt and compare. Kids enjoy seeing that adults draw wobbly lines too.
Want something with more movement? Try chalkboard games or take the chalk outside for sidewalk drawings.
Should I teach my child to draw "correctly"?
For young children, free drawing matters more than technique. Older kids who ask for help often enjoy simple exercises like look and draw. Follow their interest, and avoid correcting a picture they are proud of.