# When do kids start drawing things you can recognize?



## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

Or at least trying to?

My three and a half year old can draw, say, a circle (roughly). That's about it. I was writing letters by her age but possibly only because that's how my mom would keep me busy. I've never tried to direct her to draw anything. If she gets her hands on a coloring book, she does make an effort to stay in the lines. Sometimes. I don't encourage her one way or the other, I figure it's like most things - something I can't teach her, she'll do it when she does it. She has liked to make marks on paper from the time she could grip a crayon or marker or paint brush and we do all three often, but she never seems to try to draw something particular.

But when DO kids start drawing stick people or houses or trees or whatever?


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## Bokonon (Aug 29, 2009)

DS has just started doing this at age 4. His friend Jack has been drawing trains since 2.5 though! I think like with so many things, it truly varies by child.


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

I think it's one of those things with HUGE variation. It's something that takes practice, coordination, modeling by a parent (in most cases, at least a little bit), and certain thought-processes for representation. So just like some kids can hop on one foot very early, and others never even try until kinderarten, this is probably the same.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Ds was 5 1/2 and dd was 2 1/2. I think they're on opposite ends of the spectrum.


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## avalonfaith (Dec 29, 2005)

I have been wondering this myself. my son just turned 4 a couple weeks ago and it now making "happy faces". very cute. but i was wondering how off the mark it was that he was just doing this now. good to know there is a big variation.


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## KCMichigan (Jul 21, 2009)

Big variation:

DD1 : around age 2 smile faces (circles w/dots for eyes and line mouth), now draws complex pictures with multiple details. Loves art- draws & colors constantly. wrote her name very very early (4 letters)

DD2: around age 3- smile faces, now draws stick people with a few details (arms, heads, eyes,etc). wrote her name around clearly right before 3 (it is 4 letters)

They are fraternal twins. I know at a developmental screening they were looking for representational drawing around age 3.5 to 4 & the ability to draw a circle and a vertical & horizontal line.


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## loraxc (Aug 14, 2003)

DDD did not start representational drawing till age 4. Yet she is now obsessed with drawing and draws very well for her age.


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## sunnmama (Jul 3, 2003)

I think this is generally a preschool-age skill, with lots of normal variation of both interest and skill (a child may be able, but simply not interested).

My 2.5 yo son is very interested in drawing, and fills pages with big and small faces decorated with scribbles that, to him, represent hands and feet and capes and spider webs (he is drawing superheroes







).


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## Amila (Apr 4, 2006)

My very bright 3 year old can only do circles too. Sometimes she attempts faces.


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## dawncayden (Jan 24, 2006)

At 3.5 he can write half the letters but drawing a picture, he can draw a face and thats about it.

Its something he doesn't really enjoy doing, so I don't bring out materials too often. Sometimes he'll pick up a pen and paper I've left out but it just gets scribbles


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

My nearly 5 yo could draw nothing, and I mean NOTHING except scribbles, until 6 months ago. Now he draws like this:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583891


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I would say around 4 I can sorta recognize what they are drawing.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

I have tried to reply to this twice. I'm not sure where my replies are going!

Thanks for all the info. My daughter has loved making marks on paper since she could grip a crayon. She paints, draws, markers, chalk etc often and enjoys it a lot. Asks for it all the time. She drew lines, squiggles, and circles right on time. Since she could talk, I've entertained her by drawing simple things and asking what is this, what sound does it make, etc. but she's never tried to imitate any of these. Was just wondering when she might...because I really love all those embroidery projects where you use a child's drawing and make ornaments or tee shirts or place mats. I'm really looking forward to that!


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AllisonR* 
My nearly 5 yo could draw nothing, and I mean NOTHING except scribbles, until 6 months ago. Now he draws like this:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583891









Thanks for that! I'm loving it!


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

NN, I'd never heard of that but what a brilliant idea.


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## eurobin (Aug 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Amila* 
My very bright 3 year old can only do circles too. Sometimes she attempts faces.

This. She will try to write her name but it looks like an interconnected W at best. But she's always been earlier on the gross motor skills and later on the fine motor skills, plus she's a lefty. I figure she'll get there in time.


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

My DD started two winters ago drawing snowmen (essentially three circles piled on top of each other with dots for eyes)... that was about 2-1/2.

You might want to ask her to tell you about what she's drawing. They may not look like "anything" to you, but it's possible that there's a very coherent narrative there for her.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EdnaMarie* 
NN, I'd never heard of that but what a brilliant idea.

You know where I saw it? In some catalog. You can send in your child's drawing and they'll embroider it on a pillow - for something like $700. YES. You read that right. People on etsy will do it as well. It's apparently a pretty old craft idea and some people have taken it and run with it. I figure I can do it myself for a whole lot less (and I really enjoy the process) if only she would DRAW SOMETHING.

I found the link, I was actually off. It's $795.

http://www.vivre.com/product/16-x22-...oidered_Pillow

I. Nearly. Died.

And mostly, I wish I had thought of it first. If you don't want to do it yourself, you can get them from Etsy for a whole lot less. I'm not saying embroidery is only worth the price of the materials or anything but good grief. Seven hundred and ninety five dollars!

I still can't wait to try it. I love this kind of thing and of course I'm seeing ornaments, cards, place mats, pillows! Grandparents gifts galore!


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## Sierra (Nov 19, 2001)

I never know whether to answer these threads, since my kids (especially ds) have mild developmental delays and low muscle tone that makes stuff like this harder for them. I know folks are looking for a range of normal, and it is always hard to decide if my kids belong in that range or in the "normal variation on normal range" LOL.

ds is 4.5. He has never been interested in art. Whereas my dd wants to paint the world, ds might run up, do a quick stroke of paint across the paper, and run off again to do something else. He especially doesn't show much interest in representational drawing. He can do a *very rough* smiling face, but that is something his occupational therapist actively taught him. He prefers practicing letters to drawing. He does write a few letters, roughly, some of the time. He seems like he may end up being more interested in learning to read than learning to write.

dd is 3.5. She has a keen interest in creative expression, especially through art. She is the kind of kid who will draw on the walls and even her body if not watched closely enough







. Still, her main skill is a circle, and she generally does more scribbling than anything. She does sometimes try to write letters, and can do a "V," and "O," an "M" and an "L" some of the time, very roughly. However, half the time she tries to "color in" letters and stuff, so most of what she does right now results in big colorful blobs.


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## emaye_to_2 (Jan 16, 2008)

My 3.5 yo DD just started drawing stick people and things with different pieces that look like what she's trying to make. I remember reading one of those kindergarten readiness lists that had: drawing a person with six parts on the list.


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## Swandira (Jun 26, 2005)

My firstborn was 4 1/2 when he started drawing representationally. His little sister, 3 1/2, just started doing it this summer -- a few weeks ago. She's also practicing writing letters now -- I guess she's having a print explosion!

Nealy
mama to T, 6; L, 3; and O, 12/12/08


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## alicia622 (May 8, 2005)

DS started drawing objects at abut 2 1/2 to 3- but these were things he asked me to draw over and over for him so they were based on how he saw me draw. His drawings have gotten more and more detailed and now he makes full scenes- granted the untrained eye wouldn't know what he's drawn







He can make people, trees, animals and flowers quite nicely. He's also writing letters nonstop and is constantly asking how to spell different words. I love this age!!


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NiteNicole* 
I found the link, I was actually off. It's $795.

http://www.vivre.com/product/16-x22-...oidered_Pillow

I. Nearly. Died.

OMG! Me too. I love it, but, um, not 795 dollars later. Wish I knew how to do embroidery!


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

That is insane, to pay that much to have someone embroider your kid's design. Look at this: http://www.soulemama.com/handmade_home/. There's a PDF with instructions for making bookmarks. No surprises in how to do it. But really! What a simple thing!

I embroidered the first thing dd drew on paper (The very first "person" she drew was on a magnadoodle and was gone as fast as it was drawn) as a father's day gift. DD had turned 3 two months earlier and drew a picture of dh.


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

i would assume a huge variation exists with this one. dd 1 drew her first people at around 22months or so-big circles with lots of appendages, 2 eyes and a smile. ds is 20 months and is drawing rough circles.


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

Since this thread is active, can I ask if it's common for them to draw things and not be able to put the parts together? For example, my child wants to draw people but gets frustrated because she draws a head and then a body but sometimes, she just cannot manage to draw the head ON the body. It's kind of odd because they are much more proportional than I'd have thought they would be, but disconnected. Is that a common thing? I'm really just curious because she's well within range, I just find it an interesting problem to have with drawing, kwim?

Nite Nicole- Um.







$700? For $700, how about I buy her embroidery lessons? It is a cool link, though.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

For $700, I'll teach embroidery lessons!


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