A summer drawing camp at home turns a long week into something kids look forward to. This five-day plan runs about two hours a day, for kids aged 5 to 11. Each day has a theme, two free lessons, a bigger project and a few short breaks. It is different from a pack of printables: it is a full daily schedule you can follow without planning anything.
Camp supply box
- Pencils, erasers, crayons, markers and a pencil sharpener.
- Plain paper, plus a few big sheets or a roll of craft paper for the projects.
- Tape, glue sticks, child-safe scissors and a cereal box for robot day.
- A folder or clipboard for each camper. See our guide to the best art supplies for kids by age.
The daily schedule
- 9:00 Warm-up (15 min). A drawing game: squiggle swap, draw what I describe, or a spin of the drawing prompt generator.
- 9:15 Lesson one (25 min). Draw the day’s character together, one step at a time.
- 9:40 Snack and stretch (15 min).
- 9:55 Lesson two (25 min). A tracing, coloring or grid page on the same theme.
- 10:20 Project time (30 min). The day’s bigger project, using the characters from the morning.
- 10:50 Show and tell (10 min). Each camper shows one thing they made today.
Five days of camp
Day 1 Animal day
Lesson one: How to Draw a Corgi
Lesson two: Baby Snake Coloring Page
Project: Make a zoo: draw three animals on one big sheet, add cages, trees and a sign with the zoo’s name.
More for this day: every free animal page
Day 2 Dinosaur day
Lesson one: How to Draw a Brachiosaurus
Lesson two: How to Draw a Robot Dinosaur with Grid Drawing
Project: Dino world: draw a volcano, a swamp and a nest of eggs, then put your dinosaurs in it.
More for this day: every free dinosaur page
Day 3 Robots and space day
Lesson one: How to Draw a Cute Girl Robot
Lesson two: How to Draw a 5-Eyed Alien Cyborg
Project: Cardboard robot: decorate a cereal box with a robot face and controls, using the robot from the morning as a guide.
More for this day: every free robots and space page
Day 4 Monster day
Lesson one: How to Draw a Cheese Monster
Lesson two: Potato Monster Coloring Page
Project: Monster menu: invent a restaurant run by monsters and draw three dishes on the menu.
More for this day: every free monster page
Day 5 Art show day
Lesson one: How to Draw a Baby Bottle Robot The Easy Way
Lesson two: Shape Drawing Challenge 6
Project: Gallery: pick the best drawing from each day, mount it on colored paper, write a title card and invite the family to the show.
Make it feel like camp
- Give the camp a name and let the kids design a logo on day 1. Tape it to the door.
- Hand out a badge each day. A sticker or a drawn badge for “Dinosaur Expert” or “Robot Builder” goes a long way.
- Invite a friend. Two or three campers make it more fun, and every page is free to print for each of them.
- Go outside once. On any day, take the clipboards outside and draw a tree, a car or the house from the sidewalk.
- End with the art show. Families love it, and kids see how much they drew in a week.
Want to keep going after camp? The 36-week drawing curriculum picks up where camp ends, and the 8-week art club plan works for a weekly playdate group.
Questions
How long should a drawing camp day be at home?
Two hours in the morning is plenty for most kids aged 5 to 11, with a snack break in the middle. Leave the afternoon free.
What if my kids are different ages?
Give younger kids the tracing page and older kids the grid page on the same theme. Everyone does the same project.