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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

3.7yo doesn't draw.

29 replies

CharlesRyder · 30/03/2014 17:02

DS doesn't draw anything or even try to draw anything. He has drawn a few reasonable faces under coercion but has never drawn a person or an animal or similar voluntarily. It's not that he draws and it's unrecognisable, he just doesn't draw.

He actually has quite good pen control, good tripod grip which he self-corrects, and can trace over letters about 4cm high well which he likes to do. He is attempting to write his own name and, although not well formed, he puts the right number of marks for letters and the letter formation is 'emerging'.

Should I be worried that he doesn't draw pictures though? There are no other concerns about his development.

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 30/03/2014 17:05

DS didn't either, he just tried to make letters and numbers.

He draws a bit now (5.5) but always the same picture. I just think he's not very artistic - or if he is he'll be a late bloomer! He doesn't like colouring either, he seems bored by it as though it's the most pointless thing. I love colouring and drawing and always have, so he doesn't get it from me.

He also very very rarely does imaginative play, he will act out something he's seen or play a game with a goal/point, but he doesn't play with figurines etc.

HolidayCriminal · 30/03/2014 19:04

2 DSs never drew anything until... few months after 4th birthday; few months before 5th birthday. They both became quite good at drawing very quickly.

UriGeller · 30/03/2014 19:09

3yo ds doesn't draw either, if I push him he might scribble a bit but isnt interested and still hasn't even managed the 'proper' pencil grip.

He loves words and knows most of the alphabet with his magnetic letters and is beginning to put them together but I can't get him interested in mark making at all.

mummy1973 · 30/03/2014 19:21

My Ds never coloured or drew till he was about 5. He is nearly 7 now and just become a confident writer. Sounds like your D's is doing great and having great success writing.

SixImpossible · 30/03/2014 19:26

Neither of my boys drew until they were at least 4, and even then very infrequently.

Dd, OTOH, appears to have been born with a pencil in her hand!

All are intelligent, articulate, children.

Original poster

CharlesRyder · 30/03/2014 19:48

Maybe it's not that unusual then. Thanks all!

OP posts:

hiccupgirl · 30/03/2014 21:53

My DS4 didn't draw at all really until very recently. He just wasn't interested. He does more now but it's still not something he chooses to do very often.

LucyLastik · 30/03/2014 21:55

This is really common, mostly among boys IME. Don't stress... It will happen

christinarossetti · 30/03/2014 22:40

My ds was/is the same, which was very different for her after dd who was constantly 'mark making'. He could barely write his name when he started reception at 4.3.

He's coming up for 5 now and rarely draws (though drew me a Mother's Day card this morning), but his motor control and pen grip are improving rapidly.

ddmommy · 31/03/2014 00:40

My nearly 7yo DD never drew in nursery, and still doesn't do it for fun. She does art at school and likes it - but never really draws at home. She loves reading and math and has a nice handwriting, so on balance, not drawing is not a problem!

mammadiggingdeep · 31/03/2014 09:06

Just make sure you make all the materials available to him, give him the option.

My daughter is 4 in July, she can draw lovely faces, animals etc but always draws squiqqles that I can't decifer. She prefers writing 'letters' but actually isn't that bothered by drawing or writing yet. As a teacher I find it hard but to push it but all I do is leave the pens, pencils and paper in easy reach and leave her to it.

DeWe · 31/03/2014 10:20

Ds hated drawing at that point. He didn't do it at all. he was most put out to find he couldn't get out of it at school. So his entry portrait he did has 5 eyes and 2 mouths, because if they made him do it then he was not going to do it to their commands!
He's now in year 2, and I wouldn't say a keen draw-er, but he does sometimes do it out of choice. He even occasionally does colouring in too.

allyfe · 31/03/2014 10:24

My 3.5 year old DS does 'scribbley dibbley dos" named by his older sister I think. There is pretty much no form in it at all. My DD loves to draw, but she didn't really start forming much that was recognisable until later than 3.7 years I think. She took a long time to decide whether she was right of left handed. Now, she is pretty good (5). So, I really wouldn't worry. He is young yet.

vladthedisorganised · 31/03/2014 10:32

My DD is the same. She really likes scribbling, and will be quite insistent about what the scribbles are, but there's no form to it at all - certainly no faces, animals or shapes. She'll trace over letters happily, but not really form any herself.

I try not to worry - she's 3.11, and while it is hard seeing other children make perfect drawings at this age I figure/ hope she'll catch up - I think it's 7 when they're supposed to be able to draw a face with all the elements in the right place? I doodle almost constantly, so she does have access to pencils and paper all the time.

BlueChampagne · 31/03/2014 16:07

DS2 has only just started drawing at 4.3. He seems to prefer 3D stuff - junk modelling, lego etc.

JuniperTisane · 31/03/2014 16:11

DS1 is 3.6 and his drawing consists of baby scribble only. He absolutely refuses to do any kind of mark making either and holds a pencil like a small toddler in his fist. He just hates art and craft of all kinds. He loves numbers and letters but wouldn't have the first clue how to produce them on paper.

I hope he gets it before too long.

Elibean · 31/03/2014 16:21

Neither of my dds even wanted to draw till they were at least 4, and even then it was scribbles and occasional faces.

dd1 is now 10.5 and loves art (and is a dab hand at cartoons), and dd2 is 7.5 and a great sketcher.

I honestly think you have nothing to worry about at your ds's age, OP

Ferguson · 31/03/2014 16:38

OP: Maybe he picks up on YOUR desire for him to draw, so declines to cooperate.

Does he have Duplo, Lego or other construction toys? Can he make, and does he enjoy, jigsaw puzzles? Does he have access to child-friendly scissors, and suitable magazines, junk mail etc, to cut up, and stick into a 'scrap book'.

I worked over twenty years in primary schools, and don't think you need have any anxiety over his development. What DOES worry me is your phrase "under coercion" though you probably don't mean it quite as dramatically as it sounds in cold print. Also, I don't think 'tracing' over letters is such a good idea, unless it really is something he enjoys. It just occurs to me, 'brass rubbing' with a crayon over coins, leaves, tree bark, or templates might be an easy creative thing he could do

If you are already this worried about a detail like 'not drawing', I do hope you can temper your fears over progress when he starts school.

Meita · 31/03/2014 16:56

My DS is nearly exactly the same age, and doesn't draw or colour in either. I'm not worried 'over progress' as Ferguson puts it, but am a bit worried that school may think that colouring in is reasonable homework, and then I'd have a battle on my hand. I'm hoping that they'll leave homework until later anyway, but I also worry that DS finds school boring if they try to make him do drawing or colouring in during school time. Like OP's child, he too has no problem with pen control or grip, and CAN draw a 'self portrait' /write his name, but just isn't interested in drawing.

Given that things like pen control require practice, and drawing is a standard form of practicing, but DS won't draw, I do encourage him to do other things, such as Hama beads, which he loves, or writing his name.

Original poster

CharlesRyder · 01/04/2014 17:21

I'm a long in the tooth Primary teacher too and in SEN so au fait with development.

I'm not worried, just thought maybe it was a bit weird as most children seem to choose to draw at least occasionally.

I have persuaded him to do some things just to see whether he can but is choosing not to or whether he can't. It seems to be the former which is fine. I don't pressure him.

He has plenty of fine motor stuff to play with which is probably why not drawing doesn't seem to be holding up the development of letter formation.

OP posts:

Ferguson · 02/04/2014 19:55

(Ooops) - Sorry; hope I didn't give too much offence in that case!

I answer so many queries by parents who fret themselves silly when there is no need, I'm afraid I do overreact sometimes.

I was never much good at ordinary drawing myself, but was later very good at technical drawing, with compasses, rulers, set squares etc, so that might be something else he could do.

MotleyCroup · 02/04/2014 20:25

Ds never drew anything. He'd be mostly playing with his vast collection of cars.

He's now 7 and over the past 12 months I would say, has steadily started to draw more and more.

Initially he'd draw more on whiteboards (aged 5-6) he loved being in charged of rubbing everything out! We then bought the Doodlepedia books from The Book People and that seemed to encourage him to draw more than he had.

Now he lies on the floor and draws lots of planes (his new obsession) he loves black ink pens and he'll draw lots and I have to say it's lovely to watch him.

I'm sure it will come in time much like it has with ds.

Quangle · 02/04/2014 21:52

Just to add to the chorus - DS (now 4.5) never really drew either. He could do lines (if pushed) or dots. Now if he really has to he'll draw a lumpy line which he calls a mountain

DD wasn't much better either.

A little whiteboard has been more appealing to both of them than paper and pencils - they like pretending to be teacher.

DebbieOfMaddox · 02/04/2014 21:58

DS drew nothing until he turned 4. I'd go into nursery and there'd be a wall full of semi-recognisable images and one sheet of scribble. Had a parents' evening at nursery just after his fourth birthday and his keyworker said not to worry, boys were often behind on drawing at this stage, in her experience they usually picked it up quickly when they were ready, etc., etc. ...

Two weeks later he was drawing complicated scenes with lots of figures, lots of detail, probably one of the "best" two or three in his nursery class. A slightly shell-shocked keyworker said that when she'd said "quickly" she hadn't really been thinking of that quickly...

I appreciate that that's not the same "issue" that you have, but it was interesting how we had a complete change so quickly.

TheScience · 02/04/2014 22:06

My 3.7 yo doesn't draw (or paint, or do any mark making) - can't hold a pen properly, can't write his name, form letters/numbers. His nursery teacher doesn't seem alarmed.

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