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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

What can your 3 - 4 yr old draw?

42 replies

SuperBunny · 29/08/2009 22:08

DS will be 4 next month and can do scribbles. Sometimes he says they are trains/ tractors/ mummy etc but they don't resemble anything. I thought that was quite normal til I chatted with a fellow MNer who was telling me about 3 yr olds who can draw recognizable people with clear body parts

Is DS a typical 3 yr old boy or is he way behind with his artistic skills?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

yama · 30/08/2009 10:06

I've also been told that Playdoh is good for developing strength in the fingers.

fruitstick · 30/08/2009 10:16

DS is 3.5 and is useless at drawing. Like you, I was fine with this until his friend sent him a card with a picture of them both in .

he can just about manage a circle and has once drawn a picture of me which had 2 identifiable circles, one slightly smaller than the other.

He reminds me of that old fastshow sketch with the watercolour painter who starts of with good intentions and then suddenly screams - it's all black! At which point he scribbles so hard he rips the paper.

He seems to get frustrated that 'he can't do it' and wants me to draw things for him and colour them in. He keeps complaining that 'he's not very good at it' (a worrying sign) and refusing to try. Cue much overexcited praise by me and lavishing with affection that he has managed to get a bit of blue felt tip somewhere on Daddy pig's tummy

bodiddly · 30/08/2009 10:18

ds(4.5) went through a stage about 6 months ago where he drew ALL the time. Unfortunately, this phase has now passed and he now does nothing but make paper aeroplanes. He used to get frustrated if he couldn't draw something in particular so we found it easier to help him draw things through shapes. ie. he knew how to draw a square so he used that to learn how to draw a house with a triangle for a roof (much easier than a person). Same goes for drawing a cat .. he saw that it had a circle for a head and 2 triangles for ears etc ....

WriggleJiggle · 31/08/2009 00:52

According to that link, I have the drawing ability of a 6 yr old

claw3 · 31/08/2009 01:56

According to the link at 2 my ds could draw like a 6 year old. He is now 5 and draws like a 10 year old. (he has special needs)

Im so pleased to finally find something i can brag about!

IdrisTheDragon · 31/08/2009 11:53

I always did think my art stopped developing at about 7. Looking at the chart linked to I think I am right

Original poster

SuperBunny · 31/08/2009 20:21

Idris, when I did my teacher training, the person who did our art course said that most adults have a drawing age of about 8. Mine certainly is

OP posts:

zebramummy · 31/08/2009 20:48

i have always encouraged ds' passion for art (he has recently turned 4) but i dont think it has made much difference in ability though maybe in confidence. everything that he produces is apparently "a falcon" - sometimes i can actually see it and i help him by adding on an eye - i try and start activities by saying "no falcons today..."

Lio · 31/08/2009 20:53

ds only twigged about holding a pencil when he was 5. He suddenly wrote his name. He is nearly 6 now and still swaps the pencil from left to right hand, but it is utterly fine, and we have been reassured by super-experienced teacher that it is well within bounds or normal-ness.

Marne · 31/08/2009 20:55

Dd 1 could draw houses and people when she was 3, also write her name, Dd2 (asd) is 3.5 and can draw a face and shapes but can't write her name.

nappyaddict · 31/08/2009 21:02

DS who is 3.2 only draws scribbles.

littleducks · 31/08/2009 21:10

DD is 3.5 and can draw a really good stick man with a big head and copy her name well.

However you would prob never know as the vast majority of the time she scribbles and only does the above if in the right mood and really concentrating (of her own volition not say if you wanted her to sign a card for great granny or something)

I just praise all her efforts and give her the materials of she is so inclined, and i think playing with cars is great, ds is only one but understands ramps etc far better from his never ending playing with cars

Claire2009 · 31/08/2009 21:13

DD is 3.6yo (4 in Feb) and drew this about 3wks ago......it's her brother apparently

i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/claire1984_2007/Snapshot_20090829.jpg

and this yesterday... (Our family)

i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/claire1984_2007/Snapshot_20090830_1.jpg

Original poster

SuperBunny · 01/09/2009 18:22

Thanks for all the replies. DS and I sat down this afternoon with paper and pencils and it seems he can actually draw, I just thought he couldn't because we never do it

He drew several people - with a head, eyes, lips and a smile (in addition to the lips ); a body, long arms and legs and a tie. And he is fab at jelly fish!

OP posts:

Wallace · 01/09/2009 20:42

Those are lovely Claire

Lol SuperBunny, I'm sitting here giggling to myself

Original poster

SuperBunny · 01/09/2009 21:11

OP posts:

mawbroon · 01/09/2009 21:36

My ds is 3.10yo and doesn't really draw anything terribly recognisable other than a sort of a circle for a face with four dots. Two dots for eyes, and the other two for nostrils.

Recently he has become interested in drawing lines with a ruler and it seems he would far rather draw patterny things than objects IYSWIM. He loves numbers and can count to 100, so I reckon that the patterns may be related to that.

I am 37 and I can hardly draw anything recognisable either LOL, so I'm not so worried about ds!!

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