How Drawing Benefits Your Child’s Development
A child’s first scribble might not look like much to us, but to them it can be the beginning of something much bigger.
Drawing gives children a chance to experiment, make choices, communicate ideas and explore the world around them. From the earliest marks on a page to detailed pictures and stories, creative activities can support many different areas of childhood development.
And the finished picture isn't necessarily the most important part.
The real value is often in everything that happens while your child is creating it.
They are deciding which colour to use, working out how to hold a crayon, trying something that doesn't quite work, starting again, imagining a character, telling a story or simply enjoying the sensation of making marks on paper.
For some children, particularly children with SEND or those who communicate differently, drawing can also provide another way to express ideas, experiences and feelings when spoken language isn't the easiest option.
So, why is drawing so valuable for children?
1. Drawing helps children develop creativity
Creativity isn't simply about being able to draw a beautiful picture. It's about having the confidence to explore possibilities, experiment with ideas and make connections.
When a child is given a blank piece of paper and some crayons, there isn't necessarily a correct answer. They can decide what to draw, which colours to use, what happens next and whether they want to change their idea halfway through.
That freedom is valuable.
Creative activities encourage children to experiment and think about possibilities rather than simply looking for one correct solution. Drawing can therefore become a small, safe space for problem-solving and decision-making.
A blue dog? A purple tree? A house floating in space?
There are no rules that say they can't.
And that is part of the fun.
2. Drawing supports fine motor development
Holding a crayon, pencil or paintbrush and moving it across a page requires coordination and control.
As children practise drawing and mark-making, they have opportunities to develop the small movements needed to manipulate tools and create different shapes and lines.
You might see this develop gradually:
scribbles → lines → circles and shapes → pictures → more controlled marks
Every child develops differently, so there is no need to rush this process.
Those early scribbles are valuable in their own right. Over time, children can begin to develop greater control over the tools they are using, which can support later activities such as handwriting and other everyday tasks requiring fine motor skills.
For children who find pencil control difficult, it can be particularly helpful to offer different materials and ways of creating rather than insisting on one particular technique.
Chunky crayons, chalk, paintbrushes, drawing on a large sheet of paper or even making marks on a vertical surface can all provide different opportunities to practise movement and coordination.
3. Drawing can support communication
We often think of communication as talking, writing or answering questions.
But children communicate in many different ways.
A picture can sometimes tell us something that a child isn't yet able or doesn't want to put into words.
This can be particularly meaningful for children who are minimally speaking, have speech and language differences, are autistic, or otherwise find verbal communication difficult.
That doesn't mean every child with SEND will communicate through drawing, or that artwork should be treated as a way of interpreting exactly what a child is thinking.
Instead, drawing can simply provide another opportunity for expression.
UNICEF's current creative-expression resources recognise drawing and other arts as ways for children and young people to explore and communicate ideas and feelings. Their activities include using pictures to tell stories and explore emotions without relying entirely on words.
Sometimes the best thing a parent can say is simply:
“Tell me about your picture.”
Rather than guessing what a drawing means, let your child decide what it means.
A scribble might be a scribble.
Or it might be the whole story of their day.
4. Creativity can be particularly valuable for children with SEND
Every child is different, and SEND covers a very wide range of needs.
For some children, creative activities can provide valuable opportunities for communication, sensory exploration, fine motor practice, choice-making and engagement.
For an autistic child, for example, the experience of creating may be particularly enjoyable because it allows them to explore an interest, work independently or engage with materials in a way that suits them.
For a child with motor difficulties, art can provide opportunities to practise movements at their own pace.
For a child who finds spoken communication challenging, pictures may offer another way to express an idea.
And for a child who becomes overwhelmed by busy environments, a quiet drawing activity can provide a calmer alternative to some forms of play.
But there is an important point here:
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creativity.
A child might love finger painting. Another might hate the feeling of wet paint on their hands.
One child may enjoy bright colours and lots of materials. Another may prefer a pencil and a quiet piece of paper.
One child might want to draw alongside other children. Another might prefer to create alone.
The aim isn't to make every child participate in art in exactly the same way. It's to give them opportunities to discover what works for them.
Making art more accessible
If your child has sensory, motor, communication or attention differences, you could try:
- Offering chunky crayons or easy-grip tools
- Using larger sheets of paper
- Providing a choice of different materials
- Letting your child draw rather than paint if they dislike messy textures
- Using gloves or tools instead of hands for messy activities
- Giving them a quiet space to create
- Showing examples or visual instructions
- Allowing breaks whenever they need them
- Letting them choose whether to work alone or alongside you
- Never forcing them to finish or share a picture
Accessibility doesn't mean changing the child. It means changing the environment or activity so they can take part in a way that works for them.
5. Drawing can give children a way to explore emotions
Children don't always have the vocabulary to explain everything they are experiencing.
Sometimes they don't even know exactly what they are feeling.
Drawing can provide another way to explore those experiences.
You might ask:
“What colour feels happy today?”
Or:
“Can you draw what a really exciting day looks like?”
Or simply:
“Would you like to draw while we talk?”
Creative activities can provide a low-pressure way to explore ideas and feelings. UNICEF's recent resources specifically use drawing, storytelling and other creative activities to help children and young people explore emotions and express experiences.
However, it's important not to assume that you know what a child's drawing means.
A dark picture doesn't necessarily mean they're unhappy. A picture of a monster doesn't necessarily represent fear. And a scribble doesn't necessarily have a hidden psychological meaning.
Ask them. Listen to their answer.
The story behind the picture belongs to the child.
6. Drawing encourages confidence and independence
One of the wonderful things about drawing is that children can make decisions for themselves.
They choose the paper.
They choose the colours.
They decide what to draw.
They decide when it is finished.
They can change their mind.
They can start again.
And they can look at something they've created and say:
“I made that.”
That sense of ownership can be incredibly valuable.
Try to resist the temptation to take over. If your child asks you to draw something, that's fine, but whenever possible give them space to make their own choices.
You don't need to turn their artwork into a lesson.
You don't need to correct the shape of their house or show them how you would draw a person.
And you certainly don't need to make every picture “perfect”.
7. Focus on the process, not the finished picture
This is perhaps the most important thing for parents to remember.
Your child's drawing doesn't have to be beautiful to be valuable.
A three-year-old's scribble isn't a failed version of an adult drawing. It is part of their own developmental journey.
The same is true of a child who fills an entire page with one colour, draws the same character repeatedly or creates something that looks completely abstract to everyone else.
Instead of saying:
“That's a lovely picture.”
Try saying:
- “I noticed you used lots of different colours.”
- “You worked really hard on that.”
- “Tell me about what you've made.”
- “I can see you've added lots of details.”
- “You changed your idea halfway through.”
- “Which part was your favourite to make?”
These comments focus on the child's experience rather than judging the final result.
UNICEF's early childhood guidance similarly recommends allowing children to explain their own drawings rather than assuming what the picture represents, and advises adults not to correct children's artwork or pressure them to share it.
8. Creativity doesn't have to mean making a mess
Sometimes the thought of getting the paints out is enough to make a parent reach for the wipes.
But creative play doesn't have to involve finger paints covering the kitchen table.
Drawing with pencils, crayons, chalk or felt tips can be just as engaging.
You could also try:
- Drawing outdoors
- Making a family story one picture at a time
- Creating a comic strip
- Designing imaginary creatures
- Drawing self-portraits
- Drawing emotions as colours or shapes
- Making a picture of a favourite place
- Creating birthday cards
- Drawing a picture to accompany a bedtime story
- Turning a child's scribble into a character or story together
And don't worry if your child doesn't want to follow the activity you've planned.
Sometimes giving them a blank piece of paper and saying
“What would you like to make?” is enough.
9. Keep their artwork and celebrate their creative development
Of course, there is one slight problem with encouraging your child to draw...
What do you do with all the pictures?
Before long, the fridge can disappear beneath a colourful collection of masterpieces, while drawings start appearing on doors, shelves, tables and every available wall.
But keeping some of your child's artwork can be a lovely way to look back at their development.
Instead of keeping absolutely everything, choose a few favourites from each stage.
You may be surprised by how much changes over time.
The scribbles become recognisable shapes. Colours become more deliberate. People appear. Stories become more detailed. Characters return again and again. Your child's interests begin to emerge.
And because every picture represents a moment in their childhood, those drawings can become meaningful memories as well as examples of their creative development.
Keep their creativity on display without covering every wall
At My Little Da Vinci, we know how difficult it can be to choose which artwork to keep.
That's why we created our wooden picture frames to make displaying and storing children's artwork simple.
Our frames can hold up to 50 drawings or paintings, allowing you to keep a collection of your child's work while displaying just one picture at a time.
They're available in A4 and A3 sizes, with black, white and natural wood finishes to complement your home.
The front-opening design makes it easy to add new artwork or rotate your child's pictures whenever you like. The frames can also be hung horizontally or vertically, giving you flexibility over how you display them.
So rather than throwing another precious drawing in the recycling bin, you can keep a whole collection together and enjoy seeing how your child's creativity develops over the years.
Discover our wooden children's artwork frames
The most important thing? Let them create
Drawing doesn't need to be complicated.
You don't need expensive materials, professional art supplies or a carefully planned activity.
Give your child some paper.
Give them something to draw with.
Then give them the freedom to see what happens.
For one child, that might mean a page of energetic scribbles. For another, it might be an intricate imaginary world. For another, it might be a quiet activity that provides a comfortable way to communicate.
There is no single “right” way to create.
The important thing is that they have the opportunity to explore, experiment, communicate and enjoy making something of their own.
And when that little piece of paper eventually comes home, covered in colours, shapes and stories, it may be worth remembering:
You're not just looking at a drawing.
You're looking at a little snapshot of your child's development.
