Typical development of drawing in children
The diagram shows the typical development of drawing in children.
Your child’s individual development may differ from this chart and it is intended as a guide only.
Children’s drawing development may also be non-linear, with children moving up and down the developmental scale over a given period.
When can my child begin to draw?
Typically, interest in drawing, or making a mark with a tool, which is what a crayon is, coincides with being more adept with a spoon. This is usually around the age of 12 months.
This is when we encourage introduction of a fat piece of chalk or crayon to work with.
Early marks can be very dense (back and forth), with emerging curiosity about the different colours and layering them.
More circular motions begin around the age of two, with early “tadpole” people (head with eyes, and legs) over the next year or so.