Themes Directed Drawings For Preschool, Pre-K, & Kindergarten

This set of themes directed drawings has 8 art projects for a variety of themes that you may do in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom. This set is perfect for all year long and will give your students a variety of pictures, shapes, and lines to practice.

Grab the Themes Directed Drawing Unit for all the printables!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a tiny commission when you use my links at no cost to you.

Benefits of Directed Drawings In the Early Childhood Classroom

• strengthen students’ fine motor strength, including hand-eye coordination, fine motor muscles, pencil grasp, and practice shapes and drawing various types of lines
• teach young children how to draw by noticing shapes in objects and how to combine shapes to make new things.
• easy way to infuse art activities into the classroom.
• Art is very calming and relaxing for most students
• fun way to practice following directions
• Drawing is communicating! You will see growth and more details in your little learners’ illustrations.
• gorgeous bulletin boards and student art to decorate the classroom
• BUILD confidence and creativity even in your youngest students
• developing social skills and language development as you learn about your children’s interest

How to Implement Directed Drawings with Little Learners

When I first introduce directed drawings to my students, I take each step slowly and model, model, model! The first few directed drawing activities need to be a teacher-directed lesson to help all students be successful. You can even do them in small groups if that works better for your preschool children. Decide what is best for your children’s needs and roll with it. 

• You draw a step, model, and verbally explain how to draw each shape and the size (ex: “This shape looks like a small U shape, I’m going to make this small….down, curve, up”.) Then, students draw that step.
• Continue to model a step, and then students draw a step until the drawing is complete.
• Model creating the background options. Then, students create the background using various art media.
• Have young children sign their own names on the front of their drawings. If they can’t independently, use name cards to support them. 

In the themed directed drawing unit, you will find full page and half page directed drawing direction posters. These art projects make great independent work or a center activity once the process has been introduced and students know what to do. They are also a great way to teach following directions while working in fine motor journals. 

Themes Directed Drawings

Birthday Cake Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: markers
• Media Used to Fill In: crayons
• Background Pictured: blank
• Other Details: add a border
• Theme Ideas: birthday, celebrations

Dinosaur Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black markers or Sharpie
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors
• Other Details: Sprinkle coarse Kosher salt on the background watercolors while it is still wet. Let it dry, and brush off the excess salt. I love the texture and design it makes on the paper.
• Theme Ideas: dinosaur theme

Castle Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black marker or Sharpie
• Media Used to Fill In: markers
• Background Pictured: markers
• Other Details: add a background color or picture with various supplies
• Theme Ideas: fairy tales, nursery rhymes

Helpful Tips: If your elementary students are struggling to make a certain shape, have them practice on dry-erase boards until they are happy with that shape. This is something I do with my perfectionist students who need more reassurance with their spring drawing ideas. 

Donut Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: markers
• Media Used to Fill In: crayons
• Background Pictured: tempera paint
• Other Details: cut out the donut and glue it to the painted background
• Theme Ideas: sweets, bakery, food, coffee shop

Dental Health Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: markers
• Media Used to Fill In: crayons
• Background Pictured: blank
• Other Details: add a border
• Theme Ideas: dental health theme, hygiene, my body

Puppy Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors
• Other Details: add a background picture (sky and grass)
• Theme Ideas: pets, vet, animals, farm

Helpful Tips: I break my oil pastels into 2-3 pieces, so there are more for multiple students; they are developing important skills like fine motor skills with small pieces, and they don’t waste them as quickly.

Pizza Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: markers
• Media Used to Fill In: crayons
• Background Pictured: markers
• Other Details: cut out the pizza and glue it to the drawn background
• Theme Ideas: pizza, food

Sleepy Bear Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors
• Other Details: add a picture background (sky and grass)
• Theme Ideas: hibernation, bears, forest, animals in the winter

Your students are going to love completing these themes directed drawings throughout the school year. They are the perfect way for younger artists to develop their skills! They are perfect for bulletin board decorations, hallway displays, art center activities, a morning activity, an indoor recess activity, and more. The themes directed drawings are not just for preschool and kindergarten students. They would also work for first grade students.

Something to remember is that themes directed drawings do not replace open-ended art. Make time for open-ended art, too, so students have the opportunity to create, express themselves, and use their imagination that is process-focused, not product-focused.

Grab the themes directed drawings unit here from the Pocket of Preschool TpT store for your next project. If you want the directed drawing BUNDLE, you can find it here. 

For more information about how to use and the benefits of directed drawings, check out this post!

Get more ideas for how to start directed drawings in your room with this video. They are great for fine motor skills, art lessons, and early finisher activities.

Love these themes directed drawings? Pin this image!