48 Easy Christmas Drawings for Kids

We read the Christmas drawing pages that come up when you search for this before we drew a line. Most are lists of links, each idea sending you off to its own tutorial, and the ones that show steps on the page cover a handful of drawings. A few give an age, but none of the pages we read says why a drawing suits that age, or cites anything about how children learn to draw.

So every drawing here is on this page, in four steps, drawn in crayon the way a child would draw it, and sorted by the shapes it needs. In steps 1 to 3 the new lines are black and the earlier ones grey, and step 4 is the drawing colored in. The ages come from the shape-copying milestones pediatricians and occupational therapists use, set out in the table below. Children vary a lot, so treat the ages as a starting point: a confident three-year-old can try the next group, and a six-year-old who wants a quick win can go back to the snowman.

What can a child draw at each age?

A child can usually draw a shape straight after watching you draw it before they can copy it from a picture. Vancouver Coastal Health's pediatric therapists call the first imitating and the second copying, and imitating always comes first. Copying then arrives in a well-studied order. The classic Gesell ages, listed in Columbia University's pediatric milestones table, are a vertical line at two and a half, a circle at three, a cross at four, a square at four and a half, a triangle at five and a diamond at six to seven. The Beery visual-motor test puts the triangle at five years and three months (Taylor, 2020, citing Beery), and MedlinePlus gives a circle at about three, a square at about four and a triangle at about five.

Ages are typical, from the Gesell and Beery norms, MedlinePlus, and NHS occupational therapy leaflets from York and Solihull. Sources differ by up to half a year (the square is four in one and four and a half in another), so treat them as soft edges.

What a drawing looks like changes as well. The researcher Rhoda Kellogg saw scribbles at two or younger, simple shapes at two to three, designs such as suns and mandalas at three to four, and pictures of people, animals, plants and buildings by about five (Eric Carle Museum). The first person most children draw is a tadpole, a circle with legs coming straight out of it. In Cox and Parkin's 1986 study tadpoles appeared at an average age of three years and one month, and the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that at four and five a figure may still have no body. A three-year-old's snowman with arms growing out of its head is right on time.

How do you help a child draw without taking over?

Draw with them rather than for them. These four habits come from early childhood teachers, therapists and researchers, not from art lessons.

• Show one step at a time, on your own paper. Imitating comes before copying, so for the youngest, draw step 1 on your sheet and let them do it on theirs. A NAEYC handout for families suggests showing a technique but not making a complete model, and one preschool teacher, writing in NAEYC's magazine, stopped drawing for two- and three-year-olds because the children saw their own work as worse. For under-fours, keep the finished step 4 out of sight.
• Say what you see. Robert Schirrmacher's classic advice on talking with young children about art is to skip "What is it?" and the all-purpose "nice", pause, and talk about the color, lines and shapes instead: "you made his beard really bumpy."
• Let it change. If the snowman grows a tail, it is their snowman. The steps are a way in, and there is a little research behind them: a 1996 study of five- to nine-year-olds suggested that five-year-olds, and possibly four-year-olds, might benefit from more structured drawing lessons, but said whether that works still needed testing.
• Start with chunky crayons. NHS therapists in Dorset note that large, chubby pencils are easier to grasp at first. Grip takes years: in one study, 48% of children aged three to three and a half used a mature grip, against 90% of those aged six and a half to seven.

Easy Christmas drawings for ages 2 and 3

These 16 are built almost entirely from circles, dots and straight lines. At this age most children can draw a line straight after watching you draw one, and a circle on their own at around three, so draw each step first and let them copy it. The fiddly bits, like a carrot nose or a candy wrapper, can be yours. Tracing a hand is a grown-up job too, and it makes the mitten and the reindeer two of the easiest drawings here. If drawing from scratch is too much on a given day, our Christmas coloring pages have easy pages in thick lines for the same ages.

1. Snowman. Shapes: circles, dots, short lines. Draw a big circle, then a smaller one sitting on top. Add two dot eyes, a little triangle carrot, three dot buttons and two stick arms with twig fingers. Color in a red scarf and a line of blue snow underneath.

2. Round ornament. Shapes: a circle, a small rectangle, dots. Draw a big circle. Put a small rectangle on top for the cap, with a tiny loop above it. Draw a curved band across the middle and six dots around it, then color the ball red and the band, dots and cap yellow.

3. Wreath. Shapes: two circles, dots. Draw a big circle and a smaller circle inside it, so you have a ring. Dot red berries all the way round and add a bow at the bottom: two loops, a knot and two tails. Color the ring green.

4. String of lights. Shapes: a wavy line, ovals, short lines. Draw a wavy line across the page. Under each bump and dip, draw a tiny cap and an oval bulb hanging from it. Add short shine lines round each bulb and give every bulb a different color.

5. Peppermint candy. Shapes: a circle, a spiral, two triangles. Draw a circle and a spiral inside it, starting in the middle and going round and out. Add a wrapper end on each side, a pointy bow-tie shape a grown-up can draw if triangles are still tricky. Color the spiral red and the wrapper blue.

6. Snowflake. Shapes: a circle, straight lines, dots. Draw a small circle in the middle. Draw six lines out from it, like the rays children draw on a sun. Put a big dot at the end of each line and a small dot halfway along, then color it in two blues.

7. Snowy night. Shapes: a circle, a wavy line, dots. Draw a round moon up in one corner. Draw a long wavy line low down for a snowy hill. Then dot snow all over the sky, as many dots as they like. Color the moon yellow and add two little trees on the hill.

8. Sprinkle cookie. Shapes: circles, short lines. Draw a big circle for the cookie, then a wavy circle inside it for the icing. Add short lines all over the icing for sprinkles. Color the cookie orange, the icing pink and every sprinkle a different color.

9. Reindeer face. Shapes: an oval, lines, dots, a circle. Draw a tall oval for the face. Add two stick antlers with branches and two pointed ears. Finish with dot eyes, a big round nose and a smile, then color the face brown and the nose red.

10. Polar bear face. Shapes: circles, an oval, dots. Draw a big circle, then two small circles on top for ears. Add dot eyes, an oval snout with a nose inside it and a little smile. Leave the bear white and color pink inside the ears and a red scarf.

11. Hand-traced mitten. Shapes: a traced hand, a rectangle, dots. A grown-up traces round the child's hand with the fingers held together and the thumb out. Add a wide rectangle across the bottom for the cuff, then dots all over. Color the mitten red and the dots yellow.

12. Hand-traced reindeer. Shapes: a traced hand, dots, a circle. Trace round the hand with the fingers spread wide: the palm is the face and the fingers are the antlers. Add dot eyes and a smile on the palm, then a round nose and a collar with a bell at the wrist. Color it brown with a red nose.

13. Jingle bells. Shapes: circles, lines, loops. Draw two circles side by side. Across each one draw a line with a dot at each end, and a small loop on top. Draw a bow above them, two loops and a knot, with a ribbon down to each bell. Color the bells yellow and the bow red.

14. Baby penguin. Shapes: two ovals, a triangle, dots. Draw a big tall oval, then a smaller oval inside it for the tummy. Add dot eyes, a tiny triangle beak and two flat oval feet. Color everything outside the tummy black, the beak and feet orange, and give it a red hat.

15. Santa face. Shapes: a circle, a dome, a bumpy line. Draw a circle for the face. Put a round dome hat on top with a long oval for the fur and a ball on top. Draw a bumpy cloud of beard round the chin, then dot eyes and a round nose. Color the hat red and the cheeks pink.

16. Christmas sheep. Shapes: a bumpy cloud, an oval, lines. Draw a bumpy cloud shape for the woolly body. Add an oval head at one end with two floppy ears. Draw four stick legs and two eyes, then color the head black and a strip of green grass, with a yellow star in the sky.

Christmas drawings for ages 4 and 5

Most four-year-olds can copy a cross, the square follows at around four to four and a half, slanted lines come between four and five, and the triangle arrives at about five. That is the whole Christmas kit: presents, trees, houses, stockings and candy canes, each one three or four shapes stacked together. If the triangle isn't there yet, draw the tree's triangle together and let them add the trunk, star and ornaments, or start with the present and come back to the tree in a few weeks.

17. Present. Shapes: a square, a cross. Draw a big square. Draw a cross on it, one line down the middle and one across, for the ribbon. Add a bow on top, two loops and a knot. Color the box green and the ribbon and bow red.

18. Christmas tree. Shapes: a triangle, a square, dots. Draw a big triangle. Add a small square trunk underneath and a star on top. Draw two swoopy lines of garland across the tree and dot ornaments all over it, then color the tree green, the trunk brown and the star yellow.

19. Stocking. Shapes: a rectangle, curves. Draw a tall rectangle that turns into a foot at the bottom, like a boot. Add a wide rectangle on top for the cuff. Draw two stripes across the leg, a curved line for the toe patch and a loop to hang it by. Color it red with green stripes.

20. Candy cane. Shapes: a hook, slanted lines. Draw a fat hook shape, like an upside-down J, going round the outside and back. Draw slanted stripes all the way along it, then a bow near the bottom. Color the stripes red and the bow green.

21. Gingerbread man. Shapes: a circle, one long outline, zigzags. Draw a circle for the head. Under it, draw the body, arms and legs in one long outline, like a star with round points. Add dot eyes, a smile, two buttons and zigzag icing on each hand and foot. Color him brown with white icing.

22. Bell. Shapes: a dome shape, a circle, leaves. Draw a bell: a round top that flares out wide at the bottom. Add a round clapper underneath and a small loop on top. Draw two holly leaves and three berries above it, then color the bell yellow and the leaves green.

23. Hot cocoa. Shapes: a rectangle, a curve, small squares. Draw a rectangle for the mug. Add a curved handle on one side and a flat oval of cocoa at the top. Draw two square marshmallows and three wavy lines of steam. Color the mug red with white dots and the cocoa brown.

24. Twinkle star. Shapes: a cross, slanted lines. Draw a plus sign. Join the four tips with lines that dip in toward the middle, so each point is long and thin. Add a face, two little stars and a few dots around it. Color the big star yellow and the small ones orange.

25. Candle. Shapes: a rectangle, a teardrop. Draw a tall rectangle. Add a teardrop flame on top with a short wick. Draw a flat oval plate underneath and three short glow lines round the flame. Color the candle red, the flame yellow and orange and the plate green.

26. Snowy house. Shapes: a square, a triangle, rectangles. Draw a square. Put a triangle roof on top and a tall rectangle door at the bottom. Add two square windows with a cross in each and a bumpy line of snow along the roof. Color the house yellow, the roof red and the door brown.

27. Christmas gnome. Shapes: a triangle, a circle, a V. Draw a tall pointy triangle hat. Draw a round nose peeking out under it. Then draw a big beard that comes to a point at the bottom and two little boots. Color the hat red, the nose pink and the boots brown, and leave the beard white.

28. Christmas sweater. Shapes: a T shape, lines, a zigzag. Draw a T shape with the sleeves slanting down. Add lines for the cuffs and the bottom band and a curved collar. Draw a zigzag across the chest, a star in the middle and dots for snow. Color it green with a white zigzag.

29. Igloo. Shapes: a dome, an arch, short lines. Draw a big dome. Add a small arch at the bottom for the door. Draw two curved lines across the dome and short lines up and down between them for the ice blocks. Color the lines blue and the door dark blue.

30. Holly. Shapes: spiky leaves, circles. Draw one leaf with spiky points along both sides. Draw a second leaf the other way. Add three round berries where they meet and a line down the middle of each leaf. Color the leaves green and the berries red.

31. Sled. Shapes: a rectangle, a curling line. Draw a long rectangle for the seat. Underneath, draw a runner that curls up at the front, joined to the seat by two short legs. Put a present on top and a rope at the front. Color the sled red and the runner brown.

32. Cat in a Santa hat. Shapes: a circle, triangles, lines. Draw a big circle. Add two triangle ears and a triangle hat between them, with a band and a pom-pom. Give the cat dot eyes, a triangle nose, a curly mouth and whiskers. Color the cat orange and the hat red.

Christmas drawings for ages 6 and 7

Copying a diamond comes at around six to seven (Stanford Children's Health), and by five most children can draw a person with ten parts (Columbia's Gesell table), so a body, arms and legs are usually there by now. These drawings have more parts, shapes that overlap and a few lines that need a steady hand, like the curled runner on the sleigh. The five-point star has no agreed age: no test or study we found sets one, one NHS leaflet puts it at six and up, and the American Academy of Pediatrics lists copying stars among four- and five-year-olds' activities. Drawing it through five dots, as in number 36, makes it much easier.

33. Santa. Shapes: a circle, a big oval, rectangles. Draw a circle for the head and a big round body under it. Add a pointy hat with a pom-pom, two arms and two round mittens. Then draw the beard, a face, a belt with a square buckle, a line down the coat, two legs and boots. Color the suit red and the belt, mittens and boots black.

34. Reindeer. Shapes: ovals, tubes, branching lines. Draw a long oval for the body. Add a neck that rises to an oval head, four long legs and a little tail. Draw branching antlers, an ear, an eye, a round nose and dark hooves. Color the reindeer brown with a red collar and a gold bell.

35. Elf. Shapes: a circle, a zigzag tunic, a long triangle. Draw a circle for the head and a tunic under it with a zigzag hem. Add a long pointy hat with a pom-pom, pointed ears and two arms. Draw two legs with curly shoes, a belt, a face and a zigzag collar. Color the tunic green and the hat and legs red.

36. Five-point star. Shapes: five dots, one line. Put five dots where the points will go: one at the top, one on each side and two at the bottom. Without lifting the crayon, go from the top dot to the bottom right, up to the far left, straight across to the far right, down to the bottom left and back to the top. Then go round the outside of the points, add a face and color it yellow.

37. Sleigh. Shapes: curves, a curled runner, rectangles. Draw the sleigh's body: a high curl at the back, a low dip for the seat and a curl at the front. Draw a runner underneath with a curl at the front and two struts. Fill the back with a sack and presents, and draw a line of trim along the side. Color the sleigh red and the runner gold.

38. Gingerbread house. Shapes: a square, a triangle, zigzags. Draw a square, a triangle roof and an arched door. Draw a zigzag of icing along each side of the roof, two windows with a cross in each and round candies on the roof and walls. Color the house brown, the icing white, the door red and the windows yellow.

39. Snow globe. Shapes: a circle, a wide base, a triangle. Draw a big circle. Add a wide base under it, narrower at the top than the bottom, with a band across it. Inside the globe, draw a curved hill, a small tree and snow dots. Color the base red, the tree green and add a shine line on the glass.

40. Angel. Shapes: a circle, a long triangle, two big loops. Draw a circle for the head and a long triangle dress below it. Draw two big rounded wings behind and an oval halo above. Add arms that meet in front holding a little star, hair and a face. Color the dress blue and the wings and halo gold.

41. Nutcracker. Shapes: squares and rectangles. Draw a square face with a tall rectangle hat on top. Add a rectangle jacket, two arms and a belt. Draw two legs with boots, two eyes, a bumpy mustache, a square mouth, three buttons, a hat band and a plume. Color the jacket red and the hat and trousers blue.

42. Fireplace with stockings. Shapes: rectangles, an arch, flames. Draw a big rectangle with an arched opening inside it. Draw a long shelf across the top and two stockings hanging from it. Put flames and a log in the opening and short lines on the sides for bricks. Color the bricks red, the opening black and the flames orange and yellow.

43. Polar bear. Shapes: a long oval, a circle, U shapes. Draw a long oval body and a circle head overlapping one end. Draw four U-shaped legs hanging from the body, two round ears and a little tail. Add an eye, a snout, a nose and a mouth. Leave the bear white on blue ice and give it a red scarf.

44. Poinsettia. Shapes: pointed petals, dots. Draw five big pointed petals around a middle point. Draw five more petals in the gaps behind them. Add two green leaves, a line down each petal and dots in the middle. Color the petals red, the leaves green and the middle yellow.

45. North Pole sign. Shapes: a tall rectangle, slanted lines, an arrow. Draw a tall thin pole with a mound of snow at the bottom. Add slanted stripes all the way up and a ball on top. Draw an arrow-shaped sign pointing off the pole and write NORTH POLE on it. Color the stripes red, the ball yellow and the sign brown.

46. Ice skate. Shapes: a boot shape, a long thin rectangle. Draw the boot: straight up at the back, a long toe at the front. Draw the blade underneath, a long thin strip that curls up at the front, joined by two posts. Add criss-cross laces, a bow and a pom-pom. Color the boot blue and the laces red.

47. Toy drum. Shapes: an oval, straight sides, a zigzag. Draw an oval for the top, two straight lines down for the sides and a curve across the bottom. Draw two curved rims around the drum and a zigzag between them. Add two crossed drumsticks with round ends. Color the drum red, the rims blue and the zigzag yellow.

48. Northern lights. Shapes: a wavy line, triangles, wavy bands. Draw a gentle hill along the bottom with three triangle pine trees on it. Draw three long wavy bands across the sky, one under the other. Add a few stars. Color the sky dark blue and the bands green, light blue and purple.

What can you do with a Christmas drawing once it's done?

Most drawings get a day on the fridge, which is fine. A few are worth more than that.

• Make it the card. Fold a sheet in half and put the drawing on the front. Our Christmas card messages are sorted by who the card is for, if your child wants help with the words inside.
• Photograph it before it fades. Lay it flat by a window in daylight and shoot from straight above, so the edges stay square. A photo is also what every keepsake service works from.
• Watch it come to life. In the Curious Theatre, the drawing becomes a paper puppet your child plays with the keyboard or by tapping, and the show can be saved as a short video. It is free, and the drawing stays on your device.
• Keep the best one. We stitch a child's drawing in real thread on a sweatshirt, hoodie or tee, with kids' sweatshirts from $49 and grown-up sweatshirts from $69, and you approve the exact stitching before anything is sewn. Or it can go on a necklace cut to the drawing's own shape, from $59. A grandparent wearing their grandchild's reindeer is a better present than anything we could draw. For more ways to keep children's art, see our guide to children's artwork gifts.

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