What does your toddler draw?

[BinToHellAndBack]

My DS (2.10) is just obsessed with drawing. His drawings are mostly, but not exclusively, of birds.

I love that he enjoys it so much, and think they're pretty good drawings. But all the other toddlers I know are more interested in other things right now so I have no idea what toddlers in general can/like to draw.

I don't particularly care how anything he does measures up against other children, nor do I think he's especially gifted/talented. He's got quite good because he has fun doing it, that is all. But I would love to see pictures from other toddlers who love to draw!

Here's an owl flying past the moon and a penguin.

Can't see pic as on my phone, but this morning my 2.8yo dd has drawn a picture of her granny with "things she likes". These include dd's chest of drawers and changing mat, some stairs and a sink with a plug. Granny will love it, I'm sure!!

They look like none of these things, btw. The person is the only one where you can see what she's aiming for - a circle with dots for eyes/ nose and a line for a mouth, sticks at sides and underneath for limbs.

As a TA and helper in primary schools for around twenty-five years, I've seen plenty or 'emergent art' and most nursery age children, if they draw anything 'representational' at all will do 'stick men', often with a round tummy and frequently an oversized circle for the belly button! There may be numerous fingers and toes. Girls will often do 'fairies'.

But I do like his ornithological studies! And they really do have appropriate elements of what he intends them to be.

Does he see many birds in the garden, in books or on TV? Children can do far more than people might realise, if they are just given the opportunity, which your DS obviously is. Our DS was playing on our Yamaha organ by two.

Give him every opportunity to experiment, use different media on different materials etc, but don't suggest things to him or you may break the spell!

There must be on-line articles about development of drawing and painting in young children, which you can look for yourself, or maybe a teacher will be along soon with links.

pasbeaucoupdegendarme that sounds like a wonderful picture and definitely a keeper! I've started labelling the pictures that I choose to keep (a select few only) with a title so that I'll be able to tell what it is in years to come!

Ferguson Thanks for replying! Yes, ornithology is a bit of an obsession at the moment. There's a bbc documentary on owls... we watch it most days and the bird drawings have really stemmed from there. Before that it was various other animals. Good idea about trying different media etc, I will definitely have a search online for inspiration!

I think they're brilliant!! My ds is slightly older 3.3 and his drawings aren't as good as that, he's just not interested in doing it though, shame as I would love to sit and draw with him!

I think they're brilliant, particularly the second one! My DD is 3.9 and wouldn't be that good unaided!

Those are fantastic! My two year old is still at the 'random squiggles' phase. She says she draws mummy, daddy, nana, her favourite uncle, our house, and daddy watching tv. I'll have to take her word for it

The 2/3/4 year olds who are doing squiggles just haven't spent enough time drawing to hone their pen control, which is fair enough if they aren't interested in it - it's not exactly an essential skill!.

DS was doing squiggles 4 months ago but since then has spent a good chunk of every day (and a small forests worth of paper) drawing. It's totally lovely, but he's behind on some other things (social skills and feeding himself to name two!).

In case you haven't had time to find other samples yet, here are a few. You may find a drawing in the first 'link' almost familiar!

thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/the-stages-of-artistic-development

www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_language_writingart