Regardless of your artistic abilities, you can still help your students improve their own artistry thanks to directed drawing activities. They walk you through the process step-by-step so anyone can create their very own masterpiece. Teachers often lead the session by drawing on the whiteboard or chart paper while students follow along. Although there are a ton of good options for instructional videos, a favorite of ours is the Art for Kids Hub on YouTube—they have hundreds of videos spanning all interests. Here are some of our favorite free directed drawing activities for kids. Grab your favorite art supplies and get creative!
Draw these simple flowers, then fill them in with markers or colored pencils to personalize them.
Learn more: Kitchen Table Classroom
Whether you call him Baby Yoda, The Child, or Grogu, he’s bound to be one of your most popular directed drawing activities!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw Baby Yoda
Kids will definitely love this easy-to-follow guide on how to draw a basic dog shape. With a few tweaks, they can personalize it to look like their favorite furry pal.
Learn more: Easy, Peasy, and Fun
First, kids draw these simple owls, then they add stars with white crayons. Finally, they use watercolors to add the finishing touches.
Learn more: Primarily Speaking
Who doesn’t love a pop-eyed tree frog? The video guides you through each step of the process as you bring your funny frog friend to life.
Learn more: Art for Kids Hub: How To Draw a Tree Frog
This cheery sloth is just hanging around, begging to be sketched and colored!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw a Sloth
Regardless of your drawing ability, you can create a simple house or building like the one shown here just by using basic shapes. Artists can easily customize it to their liking by adding more windows, changing the shape, or choosing different colors.
Learn more: How To Draw an Easy Building for Kids
Say hi to this happy robot, then learn how to create one of your own.
Learn more: Whimsy Workshop Teaching: Draw a Robot
Drawing people can be intimidating, but this tutorial simplifies things for beginner artists.
Learn more: I Heart Crafty Things
Llamas are as popular as ever, so they make the perfect choice for directed drawing.
Learn more: Bilingual Scrapbook: How To Draw a Llama
The free printable worksheet makes drawing this chubby penguin pal a snap.
Learn more: Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
Since the weather is getting colder, why not warm up with this sweet and silly drawing of a mug winking?
Learn more: Happy Drawings
Those pink ears! Everyone will want to learn how to sketch this playful pachyderm.
Learn more: Art for Kids Hub: How To Draw an Elephant
Check out chickadees at your local bird feeder, then learn how to draw them!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw a Chickadee
Since kids usually love superheroes, they will get a kick out of drawing their very own! There are plenty of tutorials on how to draw other superhero styles at the link below!
Learn more: How To Draw Funny Cartoons
We love that this adorable bat is mostly made up of basic shapes that every kid can master.
Learn more: Babbling Abby
This sweet bunny face is the perfect springtime art project.
Learn more: Whimsy Workshop Teaching: Draw a Bunny
Before drawing, give your little artists a brief overview of the Pop Art movement. Afterward, let them put the lessons into place in this fun landscape that includes bright colors and fun patterns.
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids
Studying the ocean? Try sea creature directed drawing activities, like this humpback whale.
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw a Humpback Whale
The tree shape is simple, but markers diluted with water turn this into a truly pretty picture.
Learn more: The Kitchen Table Classroom
This abstract face is so simple to draw yet provides so much opportunity for individuality and creativity. Follow the steps for the basic outline, then grab your favorite set of markers, paints, or colored pencils and fill the page with color!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids
Turn on some soothing ocean sounds and sketch a serene shoreline scene.
Learn more: Art for Kids Hub: How To Draw a Lighthouse
An apple a day … makes good drawing practice! We love that this activity includes both a whole apple and apple slices.
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw an Apple
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No need to decide with this directed drawing idea!
Learn more: How To Draw
While kids love video games, it is best for them to unplug from time to time and engage in some hands-on activities like drawing. We can’t think of something they would like to draw more than their beloved Switch!
Learn more: Art for Kids Hub
Shoot for the stars when you learn how to draw this rocket headed for outer space.
Learn more: Drago Art
Since kids love LEGO, what better drawing tutorial to try than this adorable LEGO Minifigure?
Learn more: DrawKidsDraw
Here’s a terrific directed drawing activity for kindergartners when they start school. It will help them see the school bus as a friend!
Learn more: Proud To Be Primary
If you can draw curves, you can create this majestic dino. (Here’s a T. rex too!)
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids/How To Draw a Diplodocus
This joyful pumpkin would be especially cute during the fall but could be drawn any time of year!
Learn more: Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
This pink porker is so darn adorable! That curly tail is the best part!
Learn more: A Blog From the Pond
Capture the magic of this sparkly creature with this surprisingly easy directed drawing idea.
Learn more: Whimsy Workshop Teaching: Draw a Unicorn
Need some quick Christmas decor? Have your class create a whole collection of Santas for the walls.
Learn more: One FAB Teacher
Drawing this chameleon is only half the fun—filling him in with vibrant colors is even better!
Learn more: Art Projects for Kids: How To Draw a Chameleon
Ignite an interest in drawing and geography with this fun step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a globe. Although you can draw a realistic map of the world on your globe, you definitely don’t have to!
Learn more: I Heart Crafty Things
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