Stages of development of drawing ability in children from 0 to 6 years old

Every child’s path to becoming an accomplished sketcher is different. They start to express themselves in delightful and informative ways as soon as they pick up a crayon or pencil. Parents and other caregivers can better foster this vital skill by being aware of the phases in which children develop their ability to draw from birth to age six.

Children’s drawings in their early years may appear straightforward or even disorganized, but every stroke they make is vital to their growth. Their capacity to represent the world around them becomes more sophisticated as they grow, as do their fine motor skills. Acknowledging these phases enables adults to offer appropriate assistance and motivation.

This essay will examine the different phases of the development of drawing, emphasizing the expectations for each age. We can help our children flourish in their artistic abilities by creating a positive and creative environment, which will lay the groundwork for lifetime self-expression and confidence.

Parents and teachers must be aware of the phases of a child’s drawing development from birth to age six. Children go through different stages during these early years, beginning with simple drawings and working their way up to more intricate representations. Every stage shows their development in terms of both motor skills and cognitive and emotional abilities. Caregivers can better support children’s artistic expression and creativity by identifying these stages, which can help children develop a lifelong love of drawing and the arts.

How to teach a child to draw

Early on, it’s crucial to concentrate on the creative drawing process rather than the final product.

It’s not necessary to formally teach kids how to draw. Introducing them to drawing supplies and tools and letting them use their imaginations freely are the best ways to teach them.

Their drawings will get more intricate and reflective of their surroundings as they get older. Refrain from giving kids too many role models to follow and restrict their exposure to coloring books. Children are merely deprived of the chance to express their innate creativity.

Why drawing is important for children

Drawing is a crucial kind of preschool and early childhood education. It

• develops a child"s fine motor skills,
• develops hand-eye coordination,
• develops creative expression,
• develops pre-writing skills,
• increases a child"s attention span,
• develops cognitive understanding of concepts.

To "teach" a child to draw from models is not an age-appropriate or natural way to foster creativity in children.

Stages of Drawing Development in Children

The traits of the various phases in a child’s drawing development are listed below. Since every child develops at a different pace, they are not infallible and therefore not entirely accurate.

Although each child develops at a different rate, all children go through the same phases. Features are arranged according to age.

1 year old

The investigation and improvement of motor coordination constitute the first stage of drawing. Babies start drawing wildly at 15 to 18 months old, which is a common occurrence.

Kids start drawing haphazardly on paper and quickly start to form:

• scribbles,
• vertical and horizontal lines,
• drawings with multiple lines.

Drawing really helps one-year-olds learn about cause and effect. When you drag a pencil across paper, a mark is left. Remove the marker’s cap and start drawing. Put it on without drawing.

This is more about enjoying movement and interaction than it is about building a model of the world.

Babies can learn about the characteristics of pencils, pens, paints, crayons, and paper by scribbling about objects, materials, and tools.

A baby can use his entire hand to hold a colored pencil starting at 15 months of age (called a palmar grasp).

2 years

We call this phase controlled drawing. It is distinguished by sporadic dots and scribbles that are circular or dotted.

All children’s drawings at this age contain these kinds of scrawls, and the shapes they contain are essential to the future development of writing and drawing abilities.

Toddlers start drawing at the age of two, and their subjects include:

• horizontal and vertical lines,
• a few loops and spirals,
• roughly drawn circles,
• shapes resembling the letters T and V.

A two-year-old learns to hold a pencil with the thumb and first two fingers down the shaft toward the tip. The child’s dominant hand is already showing, indicating whether they are left- or right-handed.

3 years old

At this age, as their hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities develop, kids start to utilize simple shapes in their drawings.

The following shapes, when combined in various ways, are included in drawings at this age:

• circles and squares,
• crosses,
• dots,
• shapes resembling the letters T, V, and H,
• a drawing of a person.

In the first drawing, a small person is typically depicted in children between the ages of three and four. Initially, these "tadpoles" are drawn with just a head and typically with their legs attached straight to the head.

A three-year-old child places a pencil between his thumb and first two fingers, close to the tip. He holds a pencil firmly in his dominant hand.

Even though you might not be able to see what the child is describing, at this age the child can tell you what his scribbles represent😁

At this age, it is unrealistic to use multiple colors; instead, children typically prefer to use one color.

4 years

When children draw, patterns start to show up by the age of four. The child creates a pattern, names it, and understands it to be a representation of something.

Youngsters’ illustrations of four-year-olds consist of:

• Squares, circles and rectangles,
• Attempts to create triangles and diamonds, although often inept,
• Crosses,
• Letters (imitation letters),
• Drawing a person.

When a four-year-old draws a person, they usually start with the head and feet and include details like the eyes because they find that making eye contact is important.

The child illustrates what he knows rather than what he sees. When details start to matter to him, the baby will fill them in.

There are details like a torso, fingers, and arms.

The child starts to put two or more shapes together to create simple images by the time they are four and a half years old. House is square and triangular.

Although people are typically the first shapes a child consistently forms, they eventually start to include simpler images like the sun or a house.

The child can now hold a pencil correctly, just like an adult. If the grip is off, it needs to be watched and adjusted.

For four-year-olds, drawing acquires greater significance. Before starting to draw, the child usually decides what he will draw.

Age 5

Five-year-olds start to draw with greater creativity. Among their drawings are:

• basic shapes,
• triangles and diamonds,
• scribbles (to imitate writing),
• single letters and numbers,
• a picture of a person.

A detailed portrait of a person with hair, hands and fingers, feet, and body appears. The kid is able to sketch illustrations of things like cars, houses, trees, plants, flowers, and rainbows. may contain specifics like a sketch of a house with a door, windows, roof, and chimney.

At this point, the child’s drawings will start to reflect his experiences, interests, and background. He depicts what he is aware of. His views on people, animals, and dwellings are ever-evolving.

The older preschooler is able to color inside the lines without crossing them. It’s possible that the use of color is still unrealistic.

As the child’s spatial awareness is still developing, objects and people may still appear to float in the air at this point.

Due to his egocentric nature, a five-year-old typically positions himself in the middle of the drawing (thinking of himself as the center of the world).

6 years old

By the time the child is six or seven years old, adults are usually able to identify his unique drawing style.

At this age, a child typically stops at an image of a person dressed in a particular way. As a result, the preschooler usually uses the same fundamental shape when drawing them. For instance, she will depict the entire family using the same outline, but she will alter the size of each family member and indicate the gender through clothing and hairstyles.

A six-year-old’sdrawingsshow a wide variety of animals and objects, usually the ones that pique his curiosity the most. At this point, the child draws people, animals, and objects on the grass or ground to show off his increased level of cognitive ability.

Preschoolers also demonstrate perception by sketching things like smaller flowers or trees that are higher than houses.

The child’s drawings reflect his perspective on the world. He enlarges what is important to her and ignores things that are unimportant to him. A child can sketch a high window or a tiny door in the house that is just big enough for him because he is unable to reach them.

The six-year-old’sdrawingscan also convey movement; he can draw objects in flight or an animal stretching its legs wide to run. Color is used in a realistic way.

Age Range	Drawing Ability Development
0-1 year	Children explore with scribbling. They grasp crayons and make random marks.
1-2 years	More control emerges. Children enjoy making circular shapes and lines.
2-3 years	Children start to represent objects. They may draw basic shapes like circles and squares.
3-4 years	Imagination grows. Kids begin creating recognizable figures, like stick people.
4-5 years	Details are added. Children incorporate more features into their drawings, like facial expressions.
5-6 years	Art becomes more complex. Kids can tell stories through their drawings and explore different styles.

Recognizing the phases of a young child’s drawing development enables parents and teachers to provide them with effective artistic support. Every stage, from the earliest scrawls of infancy to more identifiable forms by the age of six, indicates significant turning points in a child’s cognitive and motor development.

Encouraging children to draw at every age enhances their creativity and facilitates their self-expression. A child’s confidence and artistic ability can be fostered by adults through the provision of suitable tools and positive reinforcement. Recall that every child develops at their own pace, and that both the child and their caregivers can derive pleasure and satisfaction from the process by acknowledging and appreciating small victories.

Including drawing in everyday activities can help to promote development even more. Drawing is not just a fun activity but also an important tool for learning and self-expression, whether it is done through guided activities or unstructured exploration. Accepting this journey will enhance your child’s overall developmental experience and promote their growth.

Video on the topic

Learning to DRAW | 7 important points for self-taught

A simple way to learn to draw!

About the course "Basics of drawing for children 5-9 years old"

Features of child development through drawing

Drawing lessons from scratch | 1 lesson for beginners.

The result will surprise you! The process of drawing an unsuccessful picture 🎨

The real life of princesses 😂🥴 #cringe #LeshaMavik #drawing #art #painting #joke #disney #elsa