Kids naturally love to draw. Whether they’re scribbling their favorite animal, designing silly monsters, or inventing magical lands, putting pencil to paper is a powerful form of self-expression and creativity. But even the most eager young artist sometimes asks, “What should I draw next?”
This article is packed with easy, engaging drawing ideas for kids that balance creativity with fundamental skill-building. From quick sketches to themed prompts, every suggestion below includes a breakdown of how to get started, what to look out for, and fun ways to mix it up. Let’s get drawing!
Drawing Idea #1: Funny Faces with Wild Expressions
One of the best ways to keep kids excited is by letting them create goofy characters. Drawing funny faces allows for lots of imagination—and it’s a great intro to emotion and expression.
How to Draw It:
- Start with a large oval or circle for the head
- Add two different-sized eyes for extra silliness
- Try exaggerated features: a huge smile, tiny ears, zig-zag eyebrows
- Don’t worry about realism—encourage weirdness
Why It’s Great for Beginners:
- Teaches proportion and expression in a playful way
- Easy to customize and repeat
- Builds confidence through laughter
Fun Variation:
Draw a whole page of faces showing different emotions: happy, surprised, sleepy, silly, and confused.
Common Mistake to Watch:
Kids often place all features in the middle of the face—remind them to spread out the eyes and mouth.
If they enjoy this exercise, check out more playful options in our cool easy drawing ideas for creative expansion.
Drawing Idea #2: Tiny Worlds in a Jar
This idea invites kids to think about scenes and storytelling within a fun container format.
How to Draw It:
- Draw a tall, rounded rectangle for the jar
- Inside, sketch a small scene: a house, a forest, or an underwater world
- Add simple decorations like stars, bubbles, or glowing lights
- Optional: draw a lid or string on top
Why It’s Great for Beginners:
- Encourages focus on composition and setting
- Makes big ideas feel manageable
- Offers a unique twist that sparks curiosity
Fun Variation:
Challenge them to draw a different jar for every season: winter wonderland, spring garden, summer beach, autumn leaves.
Common Mistake to Watch:
Kids may try to add too many details. Encourage them to focus on one focal point per jar.
This concept pairs nicely with exercises from our small drawing ideas collection.
Drawing Idea #3: Robot Pets
Combining animals with mechanical features leads to fun, open-ended creativity.
How to Draw It:
- Start with the base shape of an animal (e.g., circle for cat face, oval for dog body)
- Replace parts with shapes like rectangles, gears, and buttons
- Add antennas, lights, or wheels
- Color with metallic shades or fun patterns
Why It’s Great for Beginners:
- Merges imagination with basic shape practice
- Supports flexible thinking and personalization
- Introduces design thinking early
Fun Variation:
Let kids invent a “superpower” for their robot pet—flying ears, rocket legs, sound blasters.
Common Mistake to Watch:
Overcrowding with too many gadgets. Guide them to keep the pet’s identity clear.
Drawing Idea #4: Food with Faces
Personifying food is endlessly entertaining. Think smiling strawberries or sleepy pizzas.
How to Draw It:
- Sketch simple food shapes: circles (donuts), triangles (slices), ovals (eggs)
- Add big eyes, a small mouth, and expressive eyebrows
- Use motion lines or props for more personality
Why It’s Great for Beginners:
- Introduces symmetry and repetition
- Appeals to young kids’ sense of humor
- Builds confidence in character creation
Fun Variation:
Create a comic strip where each food has a short conversation or emotion.
Common Mistake to Watch:
Kids might get stuck on one idea—encourage experimenting with different foods.
This idea connects well with open-ended projects in our art drawing ideas resource.
Drawing Idea #5: My Dream Playground
A creative playground sketch encourages imaginative design and spatial thinking.
How to Draw It:
- Begin with one core piece: a slide, swing, or climbing frame
- Add fantasy elements like rainbow stairs, tunnels to candy lands, or flying trampolines
- Use arrows or labels to describe parts
Why It’s Great for Beginners:
- Fosters storytelling and functional design
- Gets kids thinking in 3D and spatially
- Allows total artistic freedom
Fun Variation:
Create a side-by-side comparison: “real playground” vs. “dream playground.”
Common Mistake to Watch:
Overlapping lines—encourage using light pencil strokes first, then outlining.
Skill Builder: Line Confidence Challenge
Many kids press hard and hesitate with lines. This challenge helps loosen up their hand while building control.
Try This:
- On one page, draw 10 straight lines without using a ruler
- Draw 10 curved lines, trying to keep them smooth
- Draw zigzags, spirals, and waves
- Now combine the above lines into a creature or landscape
Practicing line variety helps kids become more confident and expressive with their strokes.
Mini Prompt Challenge: 5 Fun Sketches in 5 Days
Each of these prompts can be completed in 15–30 minutes, perfect for after-school creativity.
- Draw your backpack with legs and a face—where is it walking to?
- Create a superhero vegetable
- Design a bug that lives in your pencil case
- Sketch a house made of cake
- Invent a pet that fits in your pocket
These quick prompts are all about imagination, not perfection.
Final Thoughts
Art is one of the best tools for self-discovery and self-confidence in kids. These drawing ideas are more than just fun—they’re designed to help young artists explore shapes, lines, patterns, and ideas in ways that build foundational skills.
Whether your child prefers cute faces, wild machines, or magical scenes, the key is to keep it playful. Let them draw big, dream bigger, and develop their unique artistic voice one sketch at a time.
With practice and encouragement, even the simplest drawing idea can become their next masterpiece.