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: Draw a Flower at 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: How To Draw Baby Yoda at Art Projects for Kids
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: How To Draw a Dog at 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: Owls at Night at Primarily Speaking
This cheery sloth is just hanging around, begging to be sketched and colored!
Learn more: How To Draw a Sloth at Art Projects for Kids
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 at How To Draw Easy
Drawing people can be intimidating, but this tutorial simplifies things for beginner artists.
Learn more: Man Drawing at I Heart Crafty Things
The free printable worksheet makes drawing this chubby penguin pal a snap.
Learn more: Penguin Activities + A Directed Drawing at Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
Check out chickadees at your local bird feeder, then learn how to draw them!
We love that this adorable bat is mostly made up of basic shapes that every kid can master.
Learn more: Bat Directed Drawing at Babbling Abby
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.
Studying the ocean? Try sea creature directed drawing activities, like this humpback whale.
The tree shape is simple, but markers diluted with water turn this into a truly pretty picture.
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!
An apple a day … makes good drawing practice! We love that this activity includes both a whole apple and apple slices.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No need to decide with this directed drawing idea!
Learn more: How To Draw a Baby Chick in an Egg Shell at How To Draw Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorials
Shoot for the stars when you learn how to draw this rocket headed for outer space.
Learn more: How To Draw a Rocket Ship at Drago Art
Here’s a terrific directed drawing activity for kindergartners when they start school. It will help them see the school bus as a friend!
If you can draw curves, you can create this majestic dino. (Here’s a T. rex too!)
This joyful pumpkin would be especially cute in autumn but could be drawn any time of year!
Learn more: Free Pumpkin Directed Drawing Activity at Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
This pink porker is so darn adorable! That curly tail is the best part!
Learn more: Cute Piggy Art Project at A Blog From the Pond
Drawing this chameleon is only half the fun—filling him in with vibrant colors is even better!
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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: How To Draw a Globe at I Heart Crafty Things
This scribble art is similar to the previous project on our list, but it’s perfect for the younger cohort of students. Simply have them scribble a doodle pattern with a Sharpie and then color in the shapes that have been created.
Learn more: Simple Scribble Art for Kids at Welcome to Nana’s
Learning to draw basic everyday objects like a car is an important skill to have since they can be incorporated into many different scenes and scenarios.
It might seem like there is only one way to draw a sun, but this tutorial shows that you can get really creative in your approach.
Learn more: How To Draw a Sun at Arty Crafty Kids
This fish bowl directed drawing has so much potential for personalization. In addition to using different colors to complete their drawing, kids can also choose from different mediums.
Drawing realistic-looking facial features, especially eyes, can feel scary, but this art tutorial simplifies it. Follow along and then practice in the mirror with your own eye!
Learn more: How To Draw a Realistic Eye at That Art Teacher
Fans of Ariel and The Little Mermaid will surely love this drawing tutorial. Have your students create their masterpieces, then show them the movie as a reward!
