Why Do Children Draw?

From birth, a child tries to express themselves in different ways suited to their physical, mental, and emotional growth and development.

When language has not yet developed, or is in its early stages, and words are insufficient, drawing takes on the role of an unrestricted alternative language that helps the child express themselves and their family and social reality.

Drawing begins with random lines, or what is known as scribbling. The child starts drawing by experimenting, discovering, leaving a personal mark, and creating something new and distinctive that develops alongside their emerging sense of self, gradually cultivating a spirit of initiative and innovation.

A child draws to experiment and discover, leave a personal mark, imitate, connect and communicate, enjoy themselves and fill their free time, release emotions, play, express themselves, and explain. Drawing is considered a projective medium through which the child creates expressive images of their needs, desires, conflicts, feelings, emotions, experiences, reactions, interests, and relationships.

Drawing helps create a sense of control in children. It also encourages communication and social interaction and helps maintain mental health.

The stages in the development of children's drawings are generally considered universal and are broadly organized by the child's age and developmental stage, the transition from one stage to another, and the quality and content of the drawings. They are influenced by several factors, including general culture, social and financial level, hereditary and developmental factors—physical, motor, mental, and psychological-emotional—gender expectations, and the family's approach to upbringing and parenting, among others.

When a child draws, we should take into account the materials they choose, their abilities and skills, their interests, and the environment in which they draw.

A child draws from memory—that is, what they know rather than what they see—from their imagination and creativity, and by imitating and reproducing reality.

Drawing is a process that begins with spontaneous, random lines in early childhood. It then advances to a higher level, where selection begins, followed by translation onto paper. This includes arranging lines, creating shapes and objects, and using colors, through which the child tries to convey their inner and outer worlds and connect them.

It is not easy to interpret and analyze children's drawings. We should therefore view them with an open mind, without criticism or blame, so that we encourage children to draw and allow them to express freely what is inside them.

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