Ten Ways to Encourage a Child Who Doesn’t Like Drawing.
I was asked this question a lot when I was teaching preschool, and even now friends, family and blog readers still ask me –
“My preschooler doesn’t like to draw, what should I do?”
The short answer to that question is ‘nothing’.
And the long answer? Well…
Sure, drawing is a great way to work on fine motor development and creativity, and to practice skills related to writing, but it’s not the only way to work on those things, and usually kids who are not interested in drawing are busy working on other skills and will come to drawing and writing in their own time if you don’t pressure them.
But I am a Mum, and I know what it’s like when you have a four and half year old that never draws, or one who seems to want to to draw but lacks confidence, and while I stand by my response of ‘don’t worry’ I know that’s pretty much impossible.
And sometimes, some kids do need some gentle encouragement to work on drawing and related skills, and there are things you can do to encourage a non-drawer to pick up a pencil and have a go, or to find other ways to work on those skills.
But before you start to worry about your reluctant drawer, make sure you child is developmentally ready to draw. If your child is under three, they might not be quite ready to draw, and that’s ok.
Read through this article about the developmental stages of drawing and how to get toddlers started with drawing.
If your child is developmentally ready to draw and they are just a bit reluctant, read on for a few ideas you could try…
Ten Ways to Encourage a Child Who Doesn’t Like Drawing.
Offer interesting things to draw with.
Try something other than boring old crayons and markers…
- Soft chalk pastels
- Oil pastels
- wet chalk
- white pencils or markers on black paper
- black fine liners
- water pencils (draw then paint)
- oil pastels and oil (draw then turn it into paint)
- Add rulers and geometry tools.
Offer interesting things to draw on.
Get a reluctant drawer interesting with some new, different and a little crazy!
- Get a clipboard and take drawing outside.
- Draw with water and a paint brush on the concrete.
- Draw with chalk on the trampoline.
- Draw on a really looooong piece of paper, or a really small piece, or round pieces….
- Draw on a balloon.
- Draw on your skin (with face paints or non-toxic markers)
- Draw on a big cardboard box
- Draw on foil.
- Draw on graph paper.
Give them lots of opportunities to draw without pressure or direction.
Some children shy away from drawing because they don’t think they can ‘do it right’ so providing lots of oppertunities to draw on their own terms, when it is not a special activity, when no one else is watching, can give these children the space to experiment and practice without pressure.
Have drawing implements and paper always freely available so your child can draw or write whenever they like, without having to ask and without the pressure of anyone ‘watching’. Try setting up a drawing basket with lots of fun items in it.
Make it relate to something that interests them.
Add drawing and mark making opportunities to whatever activity they love best.
- Add a basket of drawing tools to block play for making signs and accessories.
- Include drawing in dramatic play – set up a post office or a shop that needs signs.
- Add drawing to Legos.
- Tape markers to the back of matchbox cars, trains or dinosaurs.
- Draw on a paper plane or other paper creation
- Add drawing to loose parts play
Find meaningful reasons to draw and write.
Some kids need a good, practical, reason to draw.
- Send a letter to a family member (it’s often good to get them to write first so you can write back).
- Draw your own postcards with our free printable.
- Draw a list of things they’d like for their birthday or Christmas.
- Make a sign for their bedroom door, or a ‘please don’t break my Lego construction’ sign.
- Write and illustrate a book together.
- Create a sheet of wrapping paper for a special present.
Appeal to their senses.
Make it messy if they like getting dirty – draw in finger paint, shaving cream, or a salt or sand tray.
Or keep it clean if they tend to avoid messy play – put the finger paint in a snap lock bag, and offer pencils or markers instead of crayons or chalk that can leave hands feeling greasy or dirty.
Get their whole body involved.
Sitting still at a table to draw may be difficult for some kids, and just plain boring for others, but getting more than just their hands involved might help.
- Buy a big roll of paper and draw a HUGE picture on the floor.
- Draw around each other to make a life sized person.
- Put some paper under the swing and draw as you glide past.
- Draw a chalk maze outside on the concrete.
Make it easy to get started.
Sometimes it is just getting started that is difficult or overwhelming. Try some of our free printable drawing prompts for a simple starting point that still allows for creativity, or use this collaborative doodle drawing for a fun beginning and activity that you can do together.
Make it about the process not the product.
Make your drawing activities about the doing and drawing, not about the how it looks in the end.
Notice and comment on what your child is doing when as they draw – “you are making lots of lines” “you’ve used lots of red and green” “it looks like you are enjoying creating”. Try asking them to tell you about their drawing and follow their lead rather than trying to guess what it is or force them to talk about it. It’s great if your child wants to show you their drawing or creation, but it’s no big deal if they don’t.
Accept that many of the same skills can be practiced without using a pencil.
It really is ok if your child isn’t into drawing right now. Instead offer lots of other opportunities to use those small muscles in the hands and fingers so they can build their skills, co-ordination and confidence, and realise there are many more ways to be creative than just doing art.
- Building with Lego and other construction sets with small pieces.
- Creating with play dough and clay
- Loose parts play
- Geo-boards
- Eye dropper activities.
- Scissor activities.
- Threading activities.
- Take apart an old appliance.
- peg boards, tap tap (hammer and shape sets), pattern blocks and other fine motor toys.
If you have kids who kind of like to draw but are a bit bored with the same old drawing activities, or are a bit daunted by a blank piece of paper, try one of these awesome drawing activities and ideas.
Do you have a child who is not into drawing?
Does it worry you or are you content to let them come to drawing in their own time?
Perhaps you have a child who has never been interested? How did you encourage them?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas – please leave a comment!
What wonderful information. Thank you for sharing.
Fab ideas! Thank you. My daughter loved to draw and colour as a preschooler, but my son just was never into it at all. We tried to incorporate into play where possible, ie when he was being a builder we marked where he had to put the ‘nail’, but the most successful games were when we pretended to be naughty! We used chalks or water to paint on the patio, or to leave funny drawings on the doorstep for Daddy to find and I encouraged him to draw on the walls before I papered. My daughter loved joining in too! But I never pushed it. In my experience, boys fine motor movement is slower to develop than girls, and the very last thing I would want is to knock his confidence. He’ll learn and join in when he’s good and ready!
My 5yr old lives art and is talented at it but i have been unable to get him interested in drawing. But just the otger day he painted a sheet completely with black paint and picked up a pencil and drew in the wet paint “little ted” he said as he showed me. To say I was excited was an understatement! Perhaps it was the conventiobality of drawing that didnt interest him because he showed he could actually draw. There have been many more since. So this may be another idea for a mum.
Sorry about the spelling errors, im on an iphone! You’re welcome to correct them.
When my son was toddling I set up a drawing table for him. This was a coffee table which I covered with white drawing paper (sticky taped underneath to keep it in place). There were always markers, or crayons, or pencils available on the table.
When the table had been covered with doodles, scribbles, and drawings I would get the roll of white paper and cover over the old one. Sometimes I would remove the old paper first and cut out any interesting pieces to keep in a scrap book.
Most importantly, I would sit and draw something myself. Sometimes I would work together with my son at the table. The important thing seemed to be that I set an example for him to follow. It made my an improvement in my own drawing and my confidence to draw. It was also a good place for the two of us to chat and ask and answer questions. (He is now 11 and I am thinking of reintroducing this idea).
thank you very much for that idea… I’m going to try with my DS…
Thank you for the great ideas. I am going to try these with my 3 year old grandson., who isn’t interested yet in drawing.
My 5 year old son doesn’t like drawing. He has even angrily scribbled over a teacher’s drawing. We went to school orientation, and they hinted that not being able to draw at the expected level was some indication of the abilities of a child. That drawing is an indication of how they can be in command of their bodies etc, concentration. It upset me a bit, as my son is quite good at every other thing on the “preparation” list they read out. He cannot draw, but in his day care transition report he they have said that he enjoys crafts. The school teachers told me I have 3 months to work on it before he starts. And now I read your post I feel a bit confused, as you are saying they will do it when they are ready. I know I have to make it fun, but I am not a very good drawer myself. I am thinking of buying a very cheap children’s table and painting it with blackboard paint and leaving him chalk, as I think being able to rub it out might help. Anyway, I just wanted to leave this post, as Queensland pre-school teachers have said it IS a big indication, although other teachers (his music teacher) have told me not to worry about it. He can play basic tunes on the piano, so I really question drawing and writing being such a big indicator. Rant over…
I personally feel you are right to think it shouldn’t be such a big deal… but perhaps it is a big expectation at school in Queensland or at your school? I’d probably have another chat with the teachers and ask them what aspects of drawing they are concerned about for your son. I agree that being in command of their bodies and concentration are important school readiness skills, but a child who doesn’t like to draw may have developed those skills in other areas. At five, drawing can be an important indicator for prewriting and writing skills (especially things like pencil grasp) so in that respect it might be something worth working on, especially if it frustrates or upsets your son. Developing and practicing those skills now may make things less stressful for him next year.
I am prett sure he actually can draw, he just doesn’t enjoy it? Or is there some other issue that is stopping him from drawing?
I wouldn’t worry so much about what he is drawing (or how ‘good’ he is at it), more that he is using drawing implements and representing his ideas in some way. I would think about what it is he really loves and try to include drawing (and/or fine motor skills in general if needed) into that play.
Your chalk board idea is a great one… and you can combine loads of other toys with a chalk board drawing too. And I’d really try hard to focus on the doing, not the product. Let him see you enjoying drawing just for the sake of making marks, let him see you scribble like a crazy person all over a piece of paper, really let go of the idea that the drawing has to look like something or be ‘good’. See if you can find the joy in drawing, creating, and making marks for your son.
I hope that helps… please let me know how things go :)
Thank you. This has been a help in me understanding what the Queensland teachers at his orientation were trying to say to me. “making it less stressful for him next year”. There is definitely an issue with his grasp, even though he has had some help fixing it. My sister who is a NSW primary teacher has shown him a way. He remembers how to do it, but he holds it very awkwardly. Will this grasp come naturally? I think it is not such a big indicator of concentration with my boy. Thank you, and thank you for your site. I have written down many of your hints. The teachers did say not to expect more than a couple of minutes at a time. Trick is to find a way of making it happen without him flat out refusing. Somehow disguise that we are practicing drawing or writing. We have a new concrete wall. So water painting will be fun as the weather gets warmer. But that is not practicing the correct grip. He also doesn’t want someone watching him. It is a little sad….. his day care friends draw him pictures to bring home…. ah…. the kindness of little children!
hello,
thanks for the post. My little one is 3 years and 9 months and she does not like to sit to draw. if I force her she gets angry and throws the crayons away. I am worried as although she may not be able to draw much I only expect her to sit down and try which she refuses.she likes painting but not drawing or colouring or even holding the colour or pencil the right way. Please advice how to encourage her. she is more interested in role play and dance and is an avid reader.
At three years old I wouldn’t be worrying too much about drawing, or sitting still. Three year olds are very active, so let her be active. If you really want to encourage drawing include opportunities to draw within other activities she enjoys eg. add some crayons to use along with the paint the next time you do panting.
Thank you for these great ideas.. I hope it will work with my kids.
Fantastic Post! I totally agree and have given the same advice to many of my friends who have asked the same question. Drawing on the right side of the brain is great. My mom read it when I was young and a budding artist to help guide me. Thanks for your terrific information.
I am an artist most of the time I keep doing painting at home in free times, my son at the age of 5 he used to sit and watch my painting and enjoying my work and he started asking me to use my painting materials to paint but I was refused to give my things to him, so got new materials for his level brushes and paint, he started painting for his toys but he hates to paint on sheets, he wants to paint always on the playing things and he wanted to wash and apply new colors. later he got bored of his painting and started hating drawing not showing much interest in drawing every time he needs new things to paint his attention was completely on my materials which he wants to use. what I was getting for him he was totally refusing and also he hates using crayons later. one more thing I used to go his class to teach drawing in the school initially he was enjoying my teaching, later he started hating my teaching and started telling to his father I don’t like mum coming to my class for drawing he was completely against about drawing he lost interest in drawing. he used tell in home also mum ll b doing drawing in school also she comes to teach drawing i hate seeing drawing every day.
Stunning ideas thank you!!! My child avoids colouring, painting and cutting at all costs!! This has given me some greats ways to get him interested!!