Create a Search-and-Find drawing - Fun at-home activities for Kids.

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Create a Search-and-Find drawing

Draw a busy Search-and-Find scene, hide small objects or shapes, make a checklist, and challenge friends to find everything you hid.

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Drawing Apps

Step-by-step guide to create a Search-and-Find drawing

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, coloring materials (crayons markers or colored pencils), fine-tip black pen, ruler (optional)

Step 1

Lay out your materials on a clean table so everything is easy to reach.

Step 2

Pick a fun theme for your busy scene like a jungle beach carnival or space city.

Step 3

Lightly sketch the large background shapes for your scene with your pencil.

Step 4

Draw medium-size characters and big objects to fill the scene and create places to hide things.

Step 5

Draw at least ten small hidden objects or simple shapes and tuck them into corners inside other drawings and behind things.

Step 6

On a blank area or separate sheet write a numbered checklist naming or drawing each hidden item.

Step 7

Trace over the final pencil lines with your fine-tip black pen to make the picture clear.

Step 8

Erase extra pencil marks so your scene looks neat.

Step 9

Color your whole scene with your coloring materials to make it bright and busy.

Step 10

Ask a friend or family member to try to find the hidden items and mark off the checklist as they find them.

Step 11

Share your finished Search-and-Find creation on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can I use instead of a fine-tip black pen or special coloring markers?

Use a thin black felt-tip marker or a sharpened dark pencil to trace your final pencil lines, and swap missing markers for colored pencils or crayons when coloring the whole scene.

My ink smudged and the picture isn't neat — how do I fix it?

Let the ink dry fully before erasing extra pencil marks, place a scrap sheet under your hand while tracing with the fine-tip black pen, and carefully retrace smudged lines so your scene looks neat.

How can I adapt this Search-and-Find for different ages?

For preschoolers, choose a simple theme and hide 4–6 big objects; for elementary kids, follow the step to draw at least ten small hidden objects; and for older kids, hide 15+ tiny items and add more detailed characters and backgrounds.

How can we make the Search-and-Find more challenging or shareable?

Add short riddles or color-clues next to each item on your numbered checklist, laminate the finished colored scene so friends can reuse a dry-erase marker to mark finds, and then share a photo on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to create a Search-and-Find drawing

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How to ACTUALLY Start Drawing? (for beginners)

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Facts about drawing and visual puzzles for kids

🧭 Where's Wally? books hide a little striped-shirt character inside giant, crowded scenes for readers to hunt down.

📚 Wimmelbilderbuch is a German term meaning a 'teeming-picture book' — a whole style of busy search-and-find illustrations.

📷 I Spy books use close-up photographs paired with rhyming riddles so kids can spot objects that match clever clues.

🕹️ Hidden object games are a popular casual video-game genre built around scanning cluttered scenes to find specific items.

👀 Visual search is the brain skill that helps you pick a target out of many distractions—practicing search-and-find games sharpens attention to detail.

How do I make a search-and-find drawing activity for kids?

Start by sketching a busy scene — park, city, or ocean — with lots of spaces to tuck small items. Decide which objects or shapes to hide, then draw them partly or entirely camouflaged. Make a clear checklist with pictures or words for players to find. Add difficulty levels by changing size, color contrast, or overlap. Set time limits and encourage swapping lists so children can challenge friends.

What materials do I need to create a search-and-find drawing?

You need paper or a large poster board, pencils, erasers, and fine-tip markers or colored pencils for details. Optional: rulers and stencils for consistent shapes, stickers to mark found items, and a clipboard for checklists. If digital, use a tablet and drawing app. Keep spare paper and a timer for gameplay. Simple household supplies work well and make this activity flexible and low-cost.

What ages is a search-and-find drawing suitable for?

Search-and-find drawings suit ages about 3 to 12+. For preschoolers (3–5), use bold shapes and picture checklists with fewer items. Early elementary (6–8) enjoy more objects and simple clues. Older kids (9–12+) like complex scenes, tiny hidden items, and timed challenges. Adjust complexity, hints, and checklist wording to match each child’s reading and attention level for best engagement.

What are some variations and benefits of search-and-find drawings?

Variations: themed scenes (underwater, space), color-only hunts, shape-only lists, partner swaps, or a timed race. Benefits include boosting observation, attention to detail, vocabulary (when using word checklists), fine motor skills during drawing, and social play when challenging friends. It’s low-prep, encourages creativity, and can be adapted for quiet solo play or group cooperative games. Supervise small pieces for young children.

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