Photo by Ekaterina Novitskaya on Unsplash

Everyone gets to a point where they hit a roadblock they can’t get past. Writers call it writer's block, athletes call it the YIPS, so who says artists don’t experience the same kind of hurdles? 

There are many kids out there who you can just hand them some colors and some paper and voila, masterpiece. Some kids need to be prompted and that’s fine! We came up with a list of 7 different creative prompts that you can use to help your kid’s get back on their artistic journey. 

7 Topics for Kids to Draw

1. Abstract Shapes and Patterns

While this might sound abstract (PUN intended), it is probably the prompt that has the smallest barrier of entry. You can either do a guided session where you give general instructions like: 

• Put a triangle in the middle of the page and then a squiggle in the top left corner. 
• I only want to see shapes, lines, and squiggles
• Fill the page with just triangles or squares, or circles. Pick one shape and go with it.

You will find that everyone will produce something different. Especially, when these prompts are given in a group art class, kids will see that some will take the page and draw on the paper in landscape format while others will do portrait. Some will use colors, while others will do black and white. Every drawing will be an expression of the kid and the way they see the world and that is beautiful. 

2. Animal Kingdom

If your kid is an animal lover, this one is great. Especially when you prompt children who are still in the earlier stages of motor skill development. You will never see a giraffe look the way a 7-year-old sees it. My favorite giraffe was a smiley face with pointed ears on a long neck and all of it hot pink. Why hot pink you ask? No other reason than she liked the color. You can use verbal cues like: 

• Draw a lion playing with friends
• Paint a hippo who feels like you feel right now
• Paint yourself riding your favorite animal 

The results will be amazing, no matter how technically gifted the artist is!

3. Nature Inspired Art

I think we can all agree that nature produces some of the most beautiful landscapes and creations on its own. So why not derive inspiration from that? You can use prompts like: 

• Draw the coolest mountain landscape you can imagine
• Show me what your favorite flower looks like
• If you had to paint a forest, what would it look like?

These creations will likely take more time because of the details that can be added. If you are looking for some quick coloring pages that can inspire your kids, you can download them here.

4. Space Exploration

The universe is a vast place and space is fascinating to a lot of people. Artists line the streets in Vegas drawing planets and worlds no one knows anything about. Kids are the experts at creating worlds out of thin air so let's prompt them:

• Create the night sky you would see while being on a distant planet
• Draw your favorite planet
• Show us what you would see from a rocket ship flying to pluto

A child’s imagination is probably the only thing more vast than space. Lets see what your kids can create.

5. Whimsical Characters

Whimsical creatures are all around us. No, we are not referring to leprechauns jumping around every rainbow seen in the sky. We are talking about on tv, in books, or in comics. The whole point of this exercise is to draw inspiration from the world around us. You can use prompts like:

• What would a human and a mouse look like if they were combined?
• You’re walking on the street and you see a walking talking tree. Draw the tree.
• Take any inanimate object around you and turn it into a living creature

Every character we see was created by someone who just imagined them. Lets see if we can have our kids create the next Mickie Mouse. 

6. Sports

Kids who love art can also love sports. If your kid loves both, why not help them express their love? You can use prompts like:

• Recreate your favorite memory of a play or time you had playing sports
• Draw all the items that you need to play your favorite sport
• Draw the logo of your favorite team from memory

While these prompts might seem like they require less imagination, they help your kids remember and solidify a time that made them happy. 

7. Foodie Fun

Not everyone loves food to the same extent but we all know what it looks like. And the best part is that you can use food as the medium to create your kid’s art. Ever heard of macaroni art? Well try to combine both to see what your kids can create. Prompting them with ideas like:

• Use pasta to create a cat
• Draw your favorite meal
• What does it look like to you when you are sitting at the table eating with your family

Even if you or your kids are not foodies, you can always get creative with food

These prompts are just guides for the kids. The point is to give little to no instruction and just see what their minds can come up with. Regardless, the most important thing is for kids to have fun while creating. And if you can join in the fun with them, you will be creating a memory that can last a lifetime.

If you have your kids have already created a super cool design that you would want to get made into a wearable, we are here to help. Just click here and send us your art we'll send you the details to getting the art made.