Did you know that just 5 minutes of drawing can help children feel better after feeling disappointed? A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that children ages 6–12 felt happier after drawing, especially when they drew something that helped take their mind off what upset them.
Instead of drawing about the sad event itself, most children naturally chose to draw something enjoyable, familiar, or imaginative, which helped lift their mood.
An important reminder from this research is that drawing can be a simple way to support a child through difficult feelings. Whether a child is feeling sad, frustrated, or disappointed, drawing something they enjoy may help them calm down before opening up about what happened.
Understanding the Research
Past research suggests that drawing may help children regulate emotions by giving them a healthy distraction during stressful moments. This study took a closer look at how drawing improves mood and whether children naturally use it as a coping tool.
The researchers conducted three studies with children ages 6–12, many of whom were recruited from museums. In each study, children were first asked to think about a time they felt upset to bring up a sad mood.
They shared how they felt, then spent about 5 minutes drawing, and rated their mood again afterward.
In Study 1, children either drew something unrelated to the upsetting event (like a tall building) to distract themselves, or drew the upsetting event to express their feelings.
In Study 2, children were again asked to draw, but this time they were given different types of prompts. Some drew a real-life scene (like a dog chasing a robber), others drew an imaginary scene (like a dragon chasing a witch), and some drew the upsetting event.
In Study 3, children were simply told to draw anything they wanted, with no instructions. Afterward, they were asked what they drew, why they chose it, and what they were thinking about while drawing.
After completing the drawing activities, the researchers compared how children felt before and after drawing to better understand what kinds of drawing were most helpful for improving mood.
All 3 studies showed that drawing can be a powerful tool:
Drawing helped children feel better - Children’s mood improved after just 5 minutes of drawing, even after they had first been asked to think about something upsetting.
Drawing as a distraction was more effective - Children who drew something unrelated to what made them sad or disappointed showed greater mood improvement than those who drew the upsetting event itself.
Being focused on the drawing mattered - Children who were more absorbed in the activity (such as thinking about colors, shapes, or what to draw next) were more likely to show stronger mood improvement.
Both real and imaginary drawing prompts helped - In Study 2, drawing a real-life scene and drawing an imaginary scene both improved mood more than drawing to express feelings. Interestingly, imaginary drawing was not more effective than real-life drawing.
Most children naturally chose drawing as a distraction - In Study 3, when children were free to draw anything they wanted, most of them naturally chose drawings that helped take their mind off what upset them.
Younger children had the biggest improvement in mood - Kids ages 6–8 usually felt better than older children after drawing something they liked.
Practical Strategies for Parents and Caregivers
Children can experience big emotions every day for many different reasons. What this research reminds us is that drawing is a simple, accessible tool that can be used almost anywhere, whether at home or in the classroom.
Create a “drawing space”
Keep paper, crayons, markers, or colored pencils in a place your child can access on their own. At home, this could be a basket on the kitchen table. In the classroom, you can build a small art station or feelings corner stocked with paper, crayons, colored pencils, or markers.
Let them choose what to draw
The research showed that children usually felt better when they drew something unrelated to what upset them.
Some children may need help getting started, so you can offer simple drawing ideas, such as their favorite animal, a happy memory, a magical world, a favorite food, or something silly that makes them smile.
Normalize drawing as an everyday coping tool
Drawing does not have to be only for hard days. Children can start to see it as a normal activity when you include it in their daily routines — after school, before bedtime, or during breaks. This encourages them to draw on their own whenever they feel upset.
Future studies should examine whether drawing to distract helps children with other emotions, such as anger or anxiety, and whether it works better over time.
You can find more ideas for helping kids and teens handle big emotions in our Coping Skills Worksheets collection. We also have Coloring Worksheets for creative expression!
