Whether you are a teacher, parent, or guardian, drawing is a fun pastime for kids that can give you a little breather. Rather than have them ask you over and over what they should try drawing, you can provide them with an array of drawing prompts designed for kids. From simple to funny drawing ideas, you can find them all in this comprehensive list. You can also try out the 30-day drawing challenge for kids below.
30-Day Drawing Prompt Printable
Drawing can be an excellent way for kids to express their feelings or just wind down. Try a 30-day drawing challenge printable with your littles. These challenges offer a lot of different variety and creativity. For assistance with the printable, check out this help guide.
Drawing Prompts for Beginners
If you are looking for some fun drawing prompts for your kids, it's always best to start at the beginning. If you have a new little artist, try out a few of these drawing prompts to keep them interested.
- Draw a happy animal
- Draw an airplane
- Draw a simple sunset
- Create an insect
- Draw a character
- Illustrate a simple flower singing
- Draw a doll dancing
- Draw a castle
- Capture an image in the sky
- Draw a bridge
Simple Drawing Prompts for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
Preschoolers and kindergarteners love to get creative; but they always want your input on what they should draw. Well, these prompts can keep them entertained for a bit.
- Draw something you love
- Draw your best friend
- Draw something you don't like
- Draw your family
- Draw your pet
- Draw your teacher
- Draw your hero
- Create your bedroom
- Draw something big you saw today
- Draw something small you saw today
Related: 30 Exciting Story Ideas for Kids to Make Writing Fun
Easy Drawing Prompts for Elementary Students
Elementary students are starting to master the skill of drawing. It might just be a stick person, but they have it down. Give them a few different prompts to expand their artistic horizons.
- Draw a colorful tree
- Create a new world
- Create a new desert animal
- Use a flower or leaf to create a drawing
- Draw a food you love
- Create a new ocean animal
- Draw something that makes you sad
- Draw something that makes you happy
- Draw an animal that flies
- Draw your favorite dinosaur
Middle and High School Drawing Prompts
As students get into middle school art, the prompts can become a bit more abstract and creative. Therefore, you'll want to use drawing prompts that make them think.
- Create your own tattoo design
- Draw a world with no animals
- Draw what the earth will look like in 30 years
- Create your own roller coaster
- Draw a landscape only using straight lines and a ruler
- Create a picture using pointillism
- Create an abstract portrait of your best friend
- Design a futuristic dream house
- Use graffiti art to create something that scares you
- Pick a letter of the alphabet and use it to create an animal
Art Prompts to Spark Creativity
Are you looking for an activity away from the tablet or computer? Drawing is a great one. Plus, it helps to spark your child's imagination and creativity. You can try out one of these art prompts when you want to give them a little artistic challenge.
- Create a cityscape using only one color
- Draw your favorite memory
- Draw an animal using only shapes
- Create an upside-down world
- Illustrate a phrase from your favorite book
- Draw your favorite song
- Draw what feelings look like
- Illustrate a picture in a magazine
- Draw a dangerous fire breathing creature
- Draw what you think hope looks like
Imaginative Drawing Prompts for Kids
Thinking outside the box can be challenging. But it might be just the artistic challenge that some kids need. Take your drawing prompts to the next level by trying one of these.
- Draw love
- Illustrate how you are feeling right now
- Read a poem and draw what it looks like
- Draw your favorite season
- Make a coloring page
- Illustrate your favorite picture on social media
- Draw a fun meme
- Draw the galaxy
- Illustrate what aliens might look like
- Create your dream car
Funny Drawing Prompts to Encourage Kids' Imagination
Drawing should be fun. This is especially true if you give kids a few funny drawing ideas. Let them go wild as they try to illustrate a few hilarious prompts.
- Draw an animal playing an instrument
- Illustrate an elephant trying to sneak around
- Draw your best friend with pizza hair
- Draw your dog tripping
- Illustrate a butterfly skydiving
- Draw a banana with muscles lifting weights
- Illustrate a pirate doing your favorite dance move
- Give your sibling a beard
- Draw a cowboy riding a dachshund
- Draw yourself as Santa's elf
Places and Objects Drawing Prompts
Go beyond just animals and familiar ideas by exploring places and objects in your drawing prompts. These ideas put a new spin on seeing the world with fresh eyes.
- Draw a Ferris wheel roller coaster
- Create a pair of shoes you want
- Draw your house sitting on a cloud
- Illustrate your house flying
- Draw a crayon creating a painting
- Draw a pair of glasses reading
- Illustrate a salon full of scissors cutting hair
- Create your own Statue of Liberty
- Draw a ghost pirate ship
- Illustrate a squirt gun drinking water
Fun Drawing Prompts to Try
Creativity and imagination are abundant in children. Tap into their inherent gifts by giving them a fun prompt that challenges them.
- Create your own emoji for a phrase you say all the time
- Draw your pet drinking a milkshake
- Draw a bear hula hooping
- Illustrate Lieutenant beagle
- Draw the sun wearing sunglasses
- Illustrate the moon having a party
- Draw feet for hands and hands for feet
- Draw a dog with hands
- Illustrate a monkey with cat ears
- Draw a person pouring out a rainbow
Interesting Animal Drawing Prompts
Who doesn't love drawing an animal? Kids are fascinated with them. Put a wild spin on animals with these fun drawing prompts.
- Draw a dog surfing
- Draw a cat riding a skateboard
- Draw a llama eating an ice cream cone
- Draw a koala hugging a baby
- Draw a squirrel dancing
- Draw a chicken eating a cupcake
- Draw a turtle doing the limbo
- Draw a monkey sitting in a beach chair
- Draw a lobster chasing a little dog
- Draw a flamingo waterskiing
- Draw a shark dancing on the water
- Draw an elephant doing ballet
- Draw a lizard licking a remote
- Draw a fish putting on lipstick
- Draw a seahorse listening to music
Gratitude Drawing Prompts for Kids
It's essential to give thanks. Try out a gratitude drawing prompt for kids who have a hard time putting their emotions into words.
- Draw something you are thankful for
- Draw someone you are grateful for
- Draw your favorite holiday
- Illustrate something that makes you giggle
- Draw someone you love
- Draw something that makes you feel special
- Illustrate a pet that makes you laugh
- Draw someone who helps you daily
- Draw something fun
- Draw something you worked hard for
List of Easy Drawing Ideas That Go Beyond Paper
Are you looking for a fun and easy idea to help your child express their creativity? Try one of these unique and simple ways to draw.
Condiment Drawing
You don't need any special tools for this one! Grab a few condiments, like ketchup, mustard, mayo, or barbeque sauce, and add a dollop to the corner of a clean cookie sheet. Use the condiments to draw a creative picture. A child can 'erase' the drawing and do another one with this method. (Shaving cream can also work).
Invisible Drawing
Use glue on a Q-Tip or toothpick and draw a picture. Before it dries, cover the paper with glitter, so the drawing shows up in sparkles.
Crayon Shaving Drawing
If you have an old cheese grater lying around, shave some different colored crayon shavings over a piece of paper. Warm these with a hair dryer until they begin to melt, then let your child draw in the warm wax with a wooden skewer or Q-Tip.
Dice Drawing
Create your own drawing dice by cutting out construction paper with several words or phrases (you can be as simple or creative as you want, from general words like 'place' or 'something scary' to specific items such as 'pizza' or 'tree'), and gluing them on an old wooden block. Create a unique drawing by rolling the dice and incorporating what it lands on into your picture.
Shared Drawing
If you have two or more people, have one person begin to draw a picture. After a set period (for example, one minute), pass the paper to the other person, and they continue drawing for another minute. Continue for a set period of time, or until you both decide the drawing is complete.
Eyes Closed Drawing
Imagine a picture you want to draw. With your eyes closed, draw the picture the way you imagine it. Open your eyes when you think it's complete and see how accurately it turns out. You may be in for a funny surprise.
Model Drawing
Create something out of LEGO, blocks, clay, K'Nex, or other materials, then try to re-create a drawing of what you've made.
Photo Drawing Fun
Choose two photos (from a family photo collection, magazine, or book) and create a drawing that uses images from both.
Think Beyond the Paper
Try drawing on a different material than paper. Find household items like a coffee filter, piece of aluminum foil, or paper plate, and see how well you can draw on it.
Artistic Drawing Ideas Kids Will Enjoy
Kids love, love, love to draw. From toddlers to tweens, you can keep them entertained and challenged with these drawing prompts. They might spark their creativity or tickle their funny bone.
