Things to Draw When Bored

What to draw in 5 minutes

In 5 minutes, draw one subject with a clear shape and skip the background. Set the timer to 5 minutes, press Generate, and start on whatever comes up. A finished rough sketch beats a perfect plan you never start.

These easy prompts fit in 5 minutes:

• A hedgehog using a leaf as an umbrella
• A pencil worn down to a tiny stub
• A slice of bread with a jam smile
• A dandelion puff blowing apart in the wind
• A paper boat floating down a rainwater stream
• A round door set into a grassy hill

Can't draw? Start with shapes

Almost everything you can draw is a few simple shapes stacked together. Find those shapes first, and the drawing stops feeling hard. Take "A sleepy sloth hanging from a streetlight":

1. Draw a tall straight line with a curve at the top: that's the streetlight.
2. Hang a big oval from the curve for the body.
3. Add a small circle for the head and two long bent lines for the arms.
4. Finish with closed eyes and a small smile. That's the "sleepy" part.

All you need is paper and a pen

Paper and a pen are enough for every prompt on this page. Printer paper, a notebook or the back of an envelope all work. A pen is a good choice for beginners because you can't erase, so you stop fixing lines and keep going.

Colored pencils or markers are a bonus, not a requirement. If you draw on a phone or tablet, the prompts work the same way.

Cool things to draw that are still easy

Easy doesn't have to mean boring. Most prompts here are a simple subject doing something odd, and the odd part is what makes the drawing fun to look at. A few favorites:

• An octopus knitting eight scarves at once
• A penguin in a raincoat waiting for the bus
• A giraffe trying to squeeze into a phone booth
• A vampire who only drinks tomato juice
• A skateboard with rocket boosters
• Robots having a dance party
• A taco with legs walking to a party

Small challenges for when you're bored

A small rule turns a quick doodle into a game. Pick one of these, or turn on Add a twist and let the generator pick for you:

• Draw 5 days in a row. One prompt a day, same timer each time, then lay the five drawings side by side.
• Use one color only. One pen or one pencil, and show light and dark by pressing harder or softer.
• Draw the same prompt three times: in 1 minute, then 5, then 10. Compare what changed.
• Press Generate for 3 prompts and fit all three into one picture.
• Draw with your other hand. The results are wobbly and often funnier.

Drawing with kids

Every prompt on this page is easy and kid-friendly, and all of them were written and reviewed by people. Press Full screen, read the prompt out loud, and have everyone draw it at the same time. With the 5 minute timer, nobody waits long for the next one.

Younger kids do well with the Patterns & abstract and Food categories, like "Fill a page with circles that never touch" or "A strawberry wearing a tiny hat". Let kids take turns pressing Space for the next prompt. For a group game that isn't drawing, try the truth or dare generator with its Kids category.

When you want something harder

Once easy prompts feel too easy, open the full set of drawing prompts. It has 330 prompts with Medium and Deep levels, plus a 20 minute timer for longer pieces.

Want a story to go with your picture? Get one from the writing prompt generator. For a quick game, pick a letter with the random letter generator and draw as many things starting with it as you can before the timer ends. The random topic generator has a Drawing mode of its own with 110 ideas.