What can you give a 5 year old to draw when a blank piece of paper feels like a very big place to start?
The answer can be surprisingly simple.
Start with something your child already recognizes, keep the first shapes easy, and let them choose what looks fun. A sun, animal face, donut, robot, or dinosaur can all be good starting points.
Here are 20 easy drawing ideas for 5 year olds, beginning with simple shapes and moving toward pictures with a few more parts.
Every child is different, so there is no need to follow the ideas in order. Let your child pick the one they want to try.
Start with Simple Shapes
Simple pictures are often a comfortable place to begin because kids can recognize what they are drawing with only a few lines.
A sun can start with a circle. A rainbow uses curved lines. A flower can begin with a small center and a few petals.
The drawing does not need to look exactly like the example. If the sun has ten rays instead of eight or the flower has a giant purple center, that is part of making it their own.
Easy Animals to Draw
Animals are a favorite for many kids, but a whole animal can sometimes feel like a lot to draw at once.
Starting with a face keeps things simple. A cat, dog, or rabbit can be recognizable with a head, ears, eyes, and a few small details.
A fish is another easy choice because the basic body shape is simple, while a fox gives kids something a little different to try.
Free Step by Step Fox Drawing Printable
Want to try a drawing one step at a time?
Our free fox drawing printable gives kids a picture to follow on paper. It includes step by step drawing practice, tracing, and space to try the drawing on their own.
Open the Free How to Draw a Fox Printable
No sign up or email address is required. Just open the PDF and print it when you are ready.
For more animal ideas, visit Easy Animals to Draw for Kids.
PENKI DrawWant a little help with what to draw next?PENKI Draw shows pictures one step at a time while kids draw on real paper with a pencil. Kids can start with simple drawings and choose more detailed pictures when they feel ready.
Fun Food Drawings
Food drawings are fun because kids already know what the finished picture is supposed to be.
A strawberry can start with one simple shape. Cherries are mostly circles and curved stems. Donuts and crepes also leave plenty of room for kids to choose their own colors and toppings.
Birthday cake has a few more parts, but it can still begin with simple shapes.
Free Step by Step Birthday Cake Printable
If your child wants a little more guidance, try our free birthday cake drawing printable.
It breaks the picture into simple steps and also includes tracing and space for kids to draw their own cake.
Open the Free How to Draw a Birthday Cake Printable
No registration, email address, or app download is needed. Just open the PDF and print it.
You can also find more ideas in Cute and Easy Food Drawings for Kids.
A Little More of a Challenge
Some kids may want to move on to a picture with more parts.
A teddy bear has a full body to put together. A robot can be built from simple circles, squares, and rectangles. Cars, dinosaurs, and unicorns have more details, but that can be part of the fun if the subject is something your child really wants to draw.
There is no need to wait until a drawing feels easy enough. Interest can be a good reason to try.
If one of these feels too difficult, try drawing just part of it first, or choose another picture and come back later.
Tips for Drawing with 5 Year Olds
Drawing with a young child does not need to feel like a lesson.
A few simple choices can make it easier to keep the activity relaxed and fun.
1. Let them choose what to draw
A child who loves dinosaurs may be much more interested in attempting a dinosaur than drawing an easier subject chosen by an adult.
Give them a few options and let them decide.
2. Use examples as a guide
Some children are happy to invent pictures from nothing. Others feel more comfortable when they have something to look at.
An example or step by step drawing can give them a place to begin without deciding what their finished picture needs to look like.
3. Do not worry about every line
If the ears are different sizes or the wheels are not perfectly round, the drawing still works.
Instead of correcting each part, let your child keep going and see what their picture becomes.
4. Let simple drawings stay simple
Not every drawing needs a background, lots of color, or extra details.
If your child draws one small cat face and feels finished, that can be enough.
5. Stop while it is still fun
Some days a child may want to draw five pictures. Another day they may make two lines and move on to something else.
The goal is not to finish a certain number of drawings. It is to make paper and pencil feel like something they can come back to.
For more ideas about making paper drawing part of everyday life, read How to Encourage Kids to Draw on Paper.
What Should a 5 Year Old Draw First?
There is no one drawing that every 5 year old should start with.
If your child is unsure, try offering three very different choices: something simple like a sun, something familiar like a cat, and something exciting like a dinosaur.
Then let them pick.
Simple drawings can help kids get started, but interest matters too. A picture with more parts may still be the right choice if it is the one they really want to make.
If you need more options, browse 50 Easy Things to Draw for Kids.
PENKI DrawLooking for more step by step drawings?PENKI Draw gives kids a drawing to follow one step at a time while they create the picture on real paper. Choose something simple or try a bigger challenge, then make the finished drawing your own.
