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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

Drawings, What to expect from a 2-3yo?

34 replies

Claire2009 · 15/11/2009 19:46

What can your 2-3yo draw?

DD is 3.8yo and drawing people/houses/fruit, DS is 2.6yo and drawing Q's/E's/O's/Squares (he says doors! But they're squares!)

Just wondering what the norm is?

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Bramshott · 15/11/2009 19:49

DD2 is 2.7 and mostly just scribbles - occasionally there is something recognisable!

SazZaVoom · 15/11/2009 19:50

DD1 3 exactly - nothing recognisable other than circles

ChilloHippi · 15/11/2009 19:52

My son is just three and has recently started trying to draw people. They consist of a circle with something resembling a face and two very long legs in an L shape so they have feet at the bottom. He tries to draw numbers but they have yet to resemble the real thing!

Lapsedrunner · 15/11/2009 19:54

Not a lot!

giddykipper · 15/11/2009 19:54

DS is 2.6 and yesterday he drew the first thing that was even vaguely recognisable - I roundish shape, with 2 eyes in it, 2 arms sticking out of the sides and 2 legs out of the bottom.

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 15/11/2009 19:56

Oh i think the norm can and does vary so much, can't put too much weight on it really.

DD is 3.3 and can draw circles for a face, scribble on top for hair, just starting to draw ears, does eyes, circle for nose and a mouth which she tries to make smile. She adds straight lines for neck, circle for body, lines for legs and arms with lots of small thin oblongs for fingers. Then, depending on her mood, will do a belly buttong, nipples, or other.

And depending on the colour will depend on whether its a person, a dinosaur, a crocodile. If an animal, she will usually draw a tail!

She also does 'writing' which is scribbly lines up and down. on top of each other (like cartoon writing), can do suns, trees (sticks with a cloud and circles for apples), and an asortment of scribbles which are clearly things to her but not to me!

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 15/11/2009 19:57

Oh yes, she can do a 'O' very well, and with some guidance a 'B' which is her initial, and a 'W', mainly because she likes them!

Original poster

Claire2009 · 15/11/2009 19:57

Hmm, I took a pic of DS's letters so will upload, it's loads of them all about, he's left handed (uses it to draw/eat so I assume it'll stay that way?)

DD also drew a 7 and 8 yesterday

OP posts:

BloodRedTulips · 15/11/2009 19:59

ds1 is 3.3 and skribbles madly on the page and announces proudly that it's a dog/fish/truck/unicorn/spaceship.

dd was about 2.10 when she started drawing vaguely recognisable pictures, proper blobby people didn't come til much later though, well over 3. she used to come home from playschool quite cross because the bigger girls told her she wasn't drawing properly just skribbling..... didn't motivate her to try very hard any time soon after that though she's in school now and still isn't the best at producing proper drawing on request but if left to her own devices can do some brilliant pictures.

Adair · 15/11/2009 20:19

Welllll... since you asked...

Dd is quite a little artist. Have uploaded pictures she drew 4 months ago on my profile. She has been able to write her name since they taught her at playgroup aged 2.6. She also writes Mummy, her brother's nickname and various letters as 'writing' independently. Am obviously very proud.

But no, this is not the norm. They are expected to be able to draw a person (circle, arms, legs coming out of head) by 3-4yrs. Yours sound like little artists too.

I do adore dd's drawings (mostly mermaids and fairies at the moment), but mainly just chuffed she has found something she loves to do (draws from morning to night - gets through tons of paper - yours too Claire and Pavlov?). Developmentally, she is bright, and good visually but can't throw or catch a ball and still runs with her arms up in the air .

MadameDuBain · 15/11/2009 20:30

DS is 4.5 and has only just in the last few months tried to draw representative objects instead of just scribbles - and even then they are very messy as he can hardly control the pen. He can write his name with a lot of help and direction with each letter, again very messy.

I've worried about it a bit, especially seeing other children drawing at 2 and 3 but lots of people have told me it's still normal and he will get on with all this when he's ready. (He seems bright when he talks, has good eyesight etc...)

(Just thought I would add this in case anyone out there is worried about their DC!)

Original poster

Claire2009 · 15/11/2009 20:31

Aww, I don't know how to get onto people's profiles on here since it's changed?!

We get through tons of paper here too, and they both use the doodle board thingys, can't think what they're called!

This is a pic of DD's drawing about 4/5mths ago, so 3.2yo ish ..

i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/claire1984_2007/Morganespictureat32yo.jpg

And this is DS's from today..

i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/claire1984_2007/DSC00513.jpg

Adair, Your DD sounds brilliant at drawing! That is amazing! My DD just likes to draw and not all keen on writing, I think maybe nursery are putting her under too much pressure or something, she asks me to write her name for her to copy but then she tries once and gets all upset and won't try again, a bit of a perfectionist perhaps?

OP posts:

Indith · 15/11/2009 20:32

Ds is 2.10 and only does scribbles. Sometimes he does a circle type thing. Mainly he scribbles all over the page and then asks me to draw him a car/helicopter/rocket/train. Well, actually he does drawing with dh and gets him to do it because mine are not up to scratch

thehairybabysmum · 15/11/2009 20:36

Blimey mine is nearly 4 and does the scribble then announes its an alien orwhatever as above.

He can write his name with minimal help though. I just assumed it is because he rarely does drawing...prefers to charge around/diggers/lego/rockets etc.

worried now?

Original poster

Claire2009 · 15/11/2009 20:37

Adair, OMG they are amazing, I worked out profiles they are just brilliant for 3.3yo!!!

OP posts:

keevamum · 15/11/2009 20:47

My dd2 is 3.5 and she is quite similar to yours Adaire in that she draws from morning to night and gets through stacks of paper too. She has also been writing her name from 2.6 months. Her most recent picture of an elephant was amazing. Even I couldn't draw one with the accuracy she did, she had thought of everything even the tusks. It is so good that everyone I have proudly shown it to thinks I must have drawn it!! I wish I wasn't such a technophobe and knew how to upload it to my profile.

Adair · 15/11/2009 20:52

Wow, that sounds fantastic! We ought to curate an exhibition . You need to learn how to upload them (I took pics via my phone) as it's so hard chucking them away, huh?

(PS, slight tangent, is it Caoibhe? Cos I love that name but have NO Irish connection whatsoever to justify )

StealthPolarBear · 15/11/2009 20:58

Ds is 2 1/2 and just scribbles. They are very good scribbles though!

keevamum · 15/11/2009 21:01

Actually it's Caoimhe and yes I have an Irish connection. However, it is the other daughter who is the artist!

Adair · 15/11/2009 21:06

(Oops, see, am proving my un-Irish-ness here! . Aoife* is another favourite of mine, the Irish have all the best names )

*think that's how you spell it...

Scottie22 · 15/11/2009 21:13

I wasn't sure I wanted to read this thread cos I have a 2.5 year old with fine motor problems BUT is a relief that many children of this age are still scribbling and not producing masterpieces! My dd can do circles, lines and is trying to hold her pen 'properly'. I'm really hoping that with all the practice she's putting in that she's not too far behind when she gets to school!

ilovetochat · 15/11/2009 21:14

dd is 2.4 and loves drawing, she can do circles, people have round head with eyes,ears, nose, smily mouth, beard, and then sticks for arms and legs, she can do a dog with a body and 4 legs sticking out and a tail.
she can copy letters a, i, l, e.
im getting her an easel for xmas.

babybarrister · 15/11/2009 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BloodRedTulips · 15/11/2009 23:57

bloody hell adair, dd is 4.9 and nowhere near that level yet

she's going to be amazing by the time she's a teen..... better start saving for all the canvas, paint, brushes, charcoals, etc you'll be buying

StealthPolarBear · 16/11/2009 07:36

it does seem to be as simple as that doesn't it bb?

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