Four Year-Old Doesn't Draw Pictures Yet

Mine is 4 1/2 too. He doesn't draw either.

I'm lucky I can get him to write ALEX without a ton of tears.

Do you like to draw pictures? Not everyone does.

If he isn't having problems learning letters and can draw when asked to do so at school, I'd say you have a guy who is probably not interested in drawing as an outlet for creativity.

Perhaps as he gets older, you will discover he's more technical, and will prefer using his hands to build or sculpt. Maybe this Christmas, get him some Legos, a pottery wheel, some clay, or even a beginners carpentry set and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.

And to answer your question about whether this is common? I'm no expert but, I have noticed boys tend to be a lot less interested in drawing than girls. My oldest was far from interested in drawing until his baby brother came along. His brother loves to draw and draws all the time, when ever he can. And he's really good at it for his age.

Well, my oldest started reevaluating drawing...wondering what he was missing or wasn't getting because his brother loves it so much. So now he draws more, but if there is a hammer, wood, glue, or even Legos in the room and a pencil and paper on the opposite side of the room, he'd pick the hands-on crafts over drawing any day. He tells me, he is more pleased with the results he gets from a craft type project than with his drawing. Maybe he's a perfectionist. I don't know. Whatever the deal, he is able to express himself creatively at least. It's just not top on his list. His cousins are totally the same way. And one of his cousins' dad (his uncle) is even an artist(illustrator) for a living! So if you have an artist in the house it's no guarantee their child will be one as well.

I think your son is probably okay. Just not interested. Don't worry, he may come around and decide otherwise.

My DD is also 4 and rarely draws a "picture". She can it she's asked, but if it's just her, it's mostly scribbles (she's says it's a map...).
She is interested in writing her name and making other art, so I am not too worried about it. Personally I was never artistic... so I guess maybe she's just not.

Maybe that's what he likes.

My son was the same way. He's 5 1/2 now and is definitely more interested. I mentioned it to his preschool teachers, and they said the same thing the other moms have said here: some kids aren't interested, girls tend to be more than the boys, he's a very active child and would rather be running around, he can do it and does do it when asked, etc.

It can't hurt to ask his teachers if they are concerned. Just in case there is something else they see in addition to just not having an interest. I really wouldn't worry about it, though. He sounds like a typical boy to me.

My son never really drew either. He is now 12 and has a 90 average in 7th grade, but never really enjoyed drawing or put any effort into it, still now, on school projects. He'll still try to get away with drawing people as stick figures, and the first graders who I teach put more effort and detail into their drawings. Clearly, he's not going to be a professional artist.

I was wondering the same about my daughter(3). Some people arent artistic illustrators but are imaginative in other ways.

My son is the same. He can draw if he actually wants to and is explained to how to do the picture (when he did people or animals we had to tell him to draw circles for the head & body & lines for arms/legs, but he did the face himself - it was the same for drawing a train). My son isn't big on coloring either unless he's just scribbling - forget making him stay in the lines. He just doesn't like to - he's much more content playing with his trains ;)

My 7 year old didn't draw one picture voluntarily all the way through Kindergarten. He would do what he was asked to do in daycare and K, but that was it. When they did "journal writing" in K they were supposed to draw a picture on the top half of the page and write a few words or sentences below that. He would write and write and write and then maybe make one meager, tiny, lame stick figure if his teacher asked him to and he never used color.

Then sometime in 1st grade a switch went on and he's been a drawing fiend. He draws hockey players all day every day. On the back of every worksheet in school, the back of every piece of paper that comes in my house are these increasingly elaborate (and quite good) drawings of hockey players. My son is a bit of a perfectionist. If he can't make something look the way it does in his head, he won't do it. I think it just took his skill some time to catch up with his vision. Your son might be in the same boat - as long as he can write, I wouldn't worry about it.

Mine hardly ever draws - usually just scribbles. I have a feeling that he wants his drawings to be more sophisticated, so until he has better motor skills he has little interest.

He's 5 and has just started writing out his name. I don't think it's unusual.