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Christmas Drawing Ideas for Kids, by Age (with Easy Step by Steps)

· 7 min read

Christmas Drawing Ideas for Kids, by Age (with Easy Step by Steps)

December is the easiest month of the year to get a child drawing. They already know exactly what Santa looks like, and the tree, and the reindeer. There is no "I don’t know what to draw." The hard part is picking a drawing they can actually finish, because a 4 year old who starts on Santa and gives up halfway is a 4 year old who decides they can’t draw.

So here are Christmas drawing ideas for kids sorted by age, with the line count for each, so you can pick one that fits. Every one has a free step-by-step tutorial you can follow on paper, a printable coloring page, and a live version where DrawAlong shows one line at a time on screen and checks each one as your child draws it.

If you only take one thing: start with the Christmas stocking. It is six lines, every child finishes it, and it goes straight on the fridge.

The ages are a guide, not a rule. A confident 4 year old can do the reindeer; a 7 year old who has never drawn much will enjoy the stocking first. Go by the child, not the birthday.

Christmas drawings for 3 and 4 year olds

At this age, the drawing needs to be short enough to finish before attention runs out, which is about ten minutes. All of these are fifteen lines or fewer, and most of the lines are big and simple.

1.A Christmas stocking (6 lines)

A boot shape and a cuff. That is genuinely it, which is why it is the Christmas drawing kids finish most. Let them decorate it afterwards with stripes, spots or their name across the cuff. How to draw a Christmas stocking.

2.A snowflake (6 lines)

Six lines crossing in the middle. Little ones love it because it looks impressive for how quick it is. Draw three or four and you have a window display. How to draw a snowflake.

3.Holly (12 lines)

Two spiky leaves and a bunch of berries. The spikes are good practice at zigzags, and the berries are just circles. How to draw holly.

4.A present (13 lines)

A box, a ribbon and a bow. The best part is the wrapping paper: stars, stripes, dots, whatever they like. How to draw a present.

For children who are not drawing on their own yet, the Christmas printable pack has a trace page for every drawing, so they can follow the gray lines instead.

Christmas drawings for 5 and 6 year olds

Five and six year olds can stay with a drawing for longer, and they want it to look like the real thing. These are between fourteen and twenty-five lines: enough to feel like a proper drawing, short enough to finish in one go.

5.Santa’s sleigh (14 lines)

A curly runner, a seat and a sack of presents. It looks complicated, but it is built from a few big shapes. How to draw Santa’s sleigh.

6.A wreath (15 lines)

A ring of leaves with a bow at the bottom. Drawing round shapes is hard at this age, and the wreath is good practice without feeling like practice. How to draw a wreath.

7.A gingerbread man (17 lines) and a candy cane (18 lines)

Two sweet ones that work well together. The gingerbread man gets buttons and icing, and every child gives theirs a different face. The candy cane is a hook shape and then the stripes, which are the fun part to color.

8.A Christmas tree (19 lines)

Branches from the top down, then a star and baubles. Let them choose how many baubles; some children will want three and some will want forty. How to draw a Christmas tree.

9.A reindeer (23 lines)

Antlers, a long face and four legs, each leg drawn before its hoof. This is the one five year olds are proudest of. Color the nose red and it becomes a very famous reindeer. How to draw a reindeer.

Christmas drawings for 7 and 8 year olds

Older kids want a challenge, and they want a drawing they can show off. These run from about twenty-five lines to over forty. Set aside half an hour, or split the biggest ones across two sittings.

10.A snowman (27 lines) and Christmas lights (27 lines)

The snowman gets a hat, a scarf and stick arms, with plenty of room for a personality. Christmas lights are simple shapes repeated, and coloring every bulb differently takes longer than drawing them.

11.A nutcracker (28 lines)

A wooden soldier with a tall hat and a big jaw. More detail than anything above, which is exactly what a 7 year old wants. How to draw a nutcracker.

12.A fireplace (25 lines) and the North Pole sign (32 lines)

Two scene-setters. The fireplace has a mantel to hang the stockings from, and the North Pole sign is a striped pole with a sign pointing the way. Draw one, then add the smaller drawings around it to make a whole picture.

13.Santa (41 lines), a snow globe (41 lines) and an elf (45 lines)

The big three. Santa is hat, beard, belly and boots; the snow globe is a tiny winter scene in a glass ball; the elf is our biggest Christmas drawing, with pointy ears and curly shoes. Any of them makes a proper present for a grandparent.

14.A bear in a scarf (39 lines)

Not strictly Christmas, but very much December. Lots of parts, all of them simple, and kids love choosing the scarf colors. How to draw a bear with a scarf.

All twenty in one place, easiest first:

See the Christmas drawings

Things to make with Christmas drawings

A finished drawing is more fun when it goes somewhere. These are the ones that work.

15.Homemade Christmas cards

Fold a sheet of card in half and draw on the front. The holly, wreath, Christmas tree and snowflake fit a card best. Grandparents keep these for years.

16.A drawing advent calendar

There are twenty Christmas drawings here, which covers the school days of December, or a drawing a day from the 5th. Start with the easiest and work up to Santa on Christmas Eve. By the end, you have a stack of twenty drawings and a child who has watched themselves get better.

17.A paper snowflake window

Draw snowflakes on white paper, cut them out and stick them to the window. Five or six is enough to make a room feel wintry.

18.Gift tags

Draw small presents, stockings or candy canes on card, cut them out, punch a hole and write the name on the back. Children like giving a present they helped make, even if it is only the tag.

19.A Christmas Eve plate drawing

Draw milk and cookies on Christmas Eve and leave it out with the real thing. It is a small tradition that children remember.

Christmas drawing in the classroom

The last week of term is long. Directed drawing works well in it, because it is calm, everyone finishes, and you get a display out of it. Draw the stocking on Monday, the tree on Tuesday and the reindeer on Wednesday, and by Friday every child has three drawings on the wall.

The Christmas coloring pages come as one free PDF with a coloring sheet, a step-by-step page and a trace page for each drawing, so a child who is still tracing can sit beside one who is drawing on their own. If your class has tablets or Chromebooks, the live version guides each child through the lines on their own screen.

Common questions

What is the easiest Christmas drawing for kids?

The Christmas stocking, at six lines. The snowflake is also six lines, and holly and a present are both under fifteen.

What can a 5 year old draw for Christmas?

Santa’s sleigh, a wreath, a gingerbread man, a candy cane, a Christmas tree or a reindeer. They all take between ten and twenty minutes and look like the real thing at the end.

Are the Christmas drawing tutorials free?

Yes. Every step-by-step tutorial and coloring page is free, with no signup. The live, guided version is free to start.

Do I need to print anything?

No. You can follow the step-by-step pictures with paper and a pencil, or draw on a tablet or computer. Printing is only needed if you want the coloring pages or trace pages.

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