Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Activities for Elementary Students

Looking for easy drawing activities for elementary students? Discover 111 step-by-step drawings for early finishers, indoor recess, quiet time, and independent art.

Teachers often need simple activities students can work on independently. A student finishes an assignment early. Rain keeps everyone inside for recess. The class needs a quiet transition between lessons. Or students simply have some time for a creative activity. Step-by-step drawing can be useful in all of these situations.

A Simple Way to Get Students Drawing

How to Draw Everything: 111 Easy Step-by-Step Drawings for Kids gives young artists 111 different drawings to choose from, including cute animals, flowers, foods, gifts, and other themes.

For a beginning artist, the hardest part can be knowing where to start.

Instead of presenting only a finished picture, step-by-step drawing breaks the process into smaller stages.

Students follow the sequence and gradually build the complete picture.

The book was designed for beginning young artists and uses simple, clear step-by-step guidance.

111 Different Drawing Choices

Children do not always want to draw the same subject.

One student may choose an animal while another wants to draw food, a flower, or something completely different.

With 111 drawings across multiple themes, students can explore different subjects instead of repeating one category throughout the book.

That variety also gives teachers many activities to choose from.

Early Finishers

Students rarely finish classroom work at exactly the same time.

A drawing activity can give early finishers something creative to work on while other students complete their assignments.

Instead of asking, "What should I do now?" a student can choose another picture and begin drawing.

Indoor Recess and Quiet Time

Bad weather sometimes means recess has to move indoors.

Drawing requires little setup and can be done quietly at a desk.

The same approach can work during quiet time, classroom transitions, or other moments when students need an independent activity.

Art Centers and Independent Work

The book can also be available as one option in an art center or independent-work area.

Students can choose a drawing, follow the steps, practice it, and color their finished picture.

The book provides two types of practice for each drawing and space for children to work.

A Drawing Resource Students Can Return To

A book with 111 different subjects does not need to be completed in order.

Students can return to it whenever drawing fits into the classroom day and choose something new.

For teachers looking for a collection of easy step-by-step drawing activities for elementary students, that flexibility may be just as useful as the drawings themselves.

What is in the book

  • 111 step-by-step drawings in seven themes: animals, flowers, nature, foods, gifts, clothing, and more
  • Two kinds of practice for every drawing: a dotted outline to trace and blank space to draw your own
  • The black line shows the current step, the gray line what is already drawn
  • Finished drawings can be colored in
  • 104 pages, for ages 5 and up

Frequently asked questions

What are easy drawing activities for elementary students?

Step-by-step drawing is an easy way to give elementary students a structured art activity. Students follow the drawing in stages and gradually create the complete picture instead of starting from a blank page without guidance.

Can step-by-step drawing be used for early finishers?

Yes. Step-by-step drawing can be offered as an independent activity when students finish their regular work early. They can choose a picture and work through the steps at their own pace.

What are good screen-free activities for indoor recess?

Drawing is a simple screen-free option for indoor recess because students can work at their desks with basic drawing supplies. A collection of different drawing ideas also gives students a choice of what they want to create.

Can a drawing book be used for independent classroom work?

Yes. A step-by-step drawing book can be used for independent work because students have a visual sequence to follow. How to Draw Everything contains 111 different drawings and includes practice space for young artists.

Is step-by-step drawing suitable for beginning elementary students?

Yes. Step-by-step drawing breaks a complete picture into smaller stages, which makes the process easier to follow for beginners. How to Draw Everything was specifically created with beginning young artists in mind.

Try it before you buy

Ten pages from the book are free to print, with no account and no email: the steps at the top, tracing and practice below. If they work for your child, the book has 111.

Books Free coloring pages to print