Winter Directed Drawings for Preschool, Pre-K, & Kindergarten

Winter directed drawings are a fun way to incorporate your theme while focusing on following directions, fine motor skills, and exploring art media. In the winter directed drawing pack, there are step-by-step directions to draw some mittens, a snowman, a gingerbread, a reindeer, a tree, a menorah, a penguin, a polar bear, & a Valentine’s heart. Keep reading to see how I create these beautiful pieces of art with my 3, 4, and 5 year old students. Plus look out for 2 FREEBIES later in the post!

Grab the Winter Directed Drawing Unit for all the printables!

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Benefits of Directed Drawings In the Early Childhood Classroom

• strengthen students’ fine motor strength, including hand-eye coordination, muscle strength, 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 teacher-led 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.

In the winter directed drawings unit, you will find full page and half page directed drawing direction posters. These drawing 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. 

Winter Directed Drawings

Mitten Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black marker or Sharpie
• Media Used to Fill In: tempera paint
• Background Pictured: tempera paint
• Other Details: added sparkly snowflakes (polka dots)- mixed glitter into the white paint

Reindeer Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black marker or Sharpie
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors

>>Get the FREE winter directed drawings emailed to you by filling in the box at the bottom of this post!<<

Polar Bear Winter Directed Drawings!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black marker or Sharpie
• Media Used to Fill In: tempera paint with glitter mixed in
• Background Pictured: tempera paint
• Other Details: add details like metallic painted ice at the bottom

Gingerbread Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors
• Other Details: add a border

Tip: I have 2 sets of oil pastels in my classroom. I break them into 2 or 3 pieces each so that there are more than one of each color. Plus, little pieces are better for building fine motor muscles.

Penguin Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• 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.

>>Get the FREE winter directed drawings emailed to you by filling in the box at the bottom of this post!<<

Menorah Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• Media Used to Fill In: tempera paint
• Background Pictured: metallic silver tempera paint

Christmas Tree Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: oil pastels
• Media Used to Fill In: watercolors
• Background Pictured: watercolors
• Other Details: add a border

Snowman Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: black marker 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.

Valentine Heart Directed Drawing!

• Drawing Utensil Used: markers
• Media Used to Fill In: crayons
• Background Pictured: crayons
• Other Details: Draw this on the front of a piece of folded paper for the cover of a card.

These winter directed drawings turned out so cute, and my students loved creating these art projects for their friends and family. The winter directed drawings are not just for preschool and kindergarten students. They would also work for first grade students. Something to remember is that 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 winter directed drawings unit here from the Pocket of Preschool TpT store.

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.

Love these winter directed drawings? Pin this image!