There’s no doubt that drawing is good for people of all ages. For children especially, sketching offers a way to learn things that you just can't grasp from swiping or tapping on a screen.
There are many benefits for kids as they begin to draw. One advantage is building fine motor skills; learning how to hold a pencil helps a child develop specialized movements with their hands, fingers, and wrists. In addition, drawing improves hand-eye coordination that demonstrates to a kid that what they see has a connection to what they do. Hand-eye coordination is important in many aspects of life, including playing sports.
Drawing is also an activity that teaches concentration and patience. As a child observes an object for still-life drawing, they must study its characteristics including texture, size, and relationship to other objects. They must record what they see on paper, which is easier said than done and takes perseverance to get just right. But in doing this, they will gain confidence as they can say “Look what I made!”
If you’re looking for ways to encourage your kids to draw, we’re here to help. Check out our list below of drawing ideas for kids of all ages. But don’t think we forgot adults! We created a comprehensive list of drawing ideas that will get grown-ups sketching right now.
Want to get your child on a path to sketching? Check out these easy drawing ideas for kids!
Creative drawing ideas inspired by real life:
- One-point perspective drawing of a field
- Flowers in the style of a famous artist like Vincent van Gogh
- Self-portrait
- Their pet (or a dog or cat they love)
- Still life featuring fruit in a bowl
- Their least favorite food
- The exterior of their home
- The view outside of their window
- A day in the park
- The biggest tree they've ever seen
- Skyscrapers in a city (try to have them imagine they’re looking up)
- Their favorite teacher
- Leaf line art
- Their hands or feet
- A collection of small objects (this might be better for older kids or more experienced young artists)
- Colorful peacock feather
- Sketching in a coffee shop—what's on the table?
- Drawing a portrait “in reverse” by sketching on black paper
- A shiny object like a glass or a metal spoon (again, good for older kids)
- Copy a work of art from a museum
- Fruits and vegetables cut in half
- Their favorite animal at the zoo
