Following oral directions to draw a picture is not an easy activity, but it’s a great way to build listening skills in early childhood. It requires children to listen carefully, concentrate, filter out distractions, remember what the adult has said, process the directions in their minds, and then put those instructions into practice on paper.

Read out the instructions on the activity sheet making sure your child can’t see the instructions. Read each instruction out twice, but no more. Give your child time to complete the instruction and then move on to the next one. At the end, see if your child’s drawing matches the one on the answer sheet.