Christmas Directed Drawing Pages for Kids
These Christmas directed drawing pages show kids how to draw a bow, a Christmas tree, an elf hat and nine more holiday pictures in six small steps. The steps run across the top of the page, there is a big box for the drawing, and there are writing lines underneath.
Each page has a name line and the name of the picture in the corner, so kids always know what they are drawing.
Why Directed Drawing Works
A Christmas tree or a gingerbread man can feel impossible to a young child. Directed drawing breaks it into pieces kids already know how to make: circles, lines, rectangles, triangles and zigzags.
Every picture in this set starts small. The gingerbread man starts with a circle for the head. The Christmas tree is stacked triangles. The present starts with a rectangle and gets divided into a box with a bow. The holly starts with three circle berries before the leaves go on. The elf hat starts with a zigzag brim.
Kids are also practicing following directions in order, looking at a model and copying it, and controlling a pencil well enough to make the shape they want.
Setting Kids Up to Succeed
- Do one step at a time. Point to the step, draw it together, then move on.
- Cover the steps that come later if the row of pictures feels like too much.
- Model it big. Drawing each step on a whiteboard while kids draw on their page helps a lot.
- Draw in pencil first, then add crayon or marker at the end.
- Let it look different. A wobbly tree is still a tree, and every drawing will turn out a little different.
Making It Easier or Harder
Start with the pictures that use the fewest shapes, like the Christmas tree, the ornament, the Christmas light and the present. The gingerbread man, the wreath and Santa have more parts and work well once kids have done a few.
For kids who need more support, draw each step together in the air with a finger before putting pencil on paper. For kids who need more of a challenge, have them add their own details, like ornaments on the tree, a background or a second picture next to the first.
Using the Writing Lines
The writing lines under each drawing turn the page into a writing activity. Younger kids can write the name of the picture or just their own name. Older kids can write a sentence about their drawing or a short story. Kids who are not writing yet can tell an adult what to write.
Ways to Use Them in December
- An art center, with one picture out each day.
- A writing center. Kids draw first, then write about it.
- A class book. Bind everyone’s drawings of the same picture together.
- Holiday cards. Fold the finished drawing and give it to someone.
What’s in the Set
- 12 pictures: bow, Christmas tree, elf hat, present, gingerbread man, holly, Christmas light, ornament, Santa, Santa hat, stocking and wreath
- Six steps across the top of each page
- A big drawing box, a name line and writing lines on every page
More Christmas Activities
