Doodle Funny Characters
Draw and design your own funny characters using simple shapes, expressions, and color; practice creativity, storytelling, and character variation step by step.
About this activity
Draw and design your own funny characters using simple shapes, expressions, and color; practice creativity, storytelling, and character variation step by step.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Find a comfy spot and place your paper and tools where you can reach them easily.
- 2
Step 2
Warm up by drawing five simple shapes across the page like a circle square triangle rectangle and oval.
- 3
Step 3
Pick one of your shapes to turn into your first funny character.
- 4
Step 4
Draw two eyes in or on the shape to give your character a look.
- 5
Step 5
Draw a nose on the shape to add personality.
- 6
Step 6
Draw a mouth that shows an emotion like happy surprised grumpy or silly.
- 7
Step 7
Add hair a hat or another accessory to make your character unique.
- 8
Step 8
Draw simple arms and legs or a body so your character can move and pose.
- 9
Step 9
Draw two more characters using different shapes from your warm-up so you have a trio.
- 10
Step 10
Change each character’s expression or accessory so every one looks different.
- 11
Step 11
Trace your favorite lines with a black marker or pen to make your drawings pop.
- 12
Step 12
Color each character with your coloring materials using bright surprising colors.
- 13
Step 13
Give each character a silly name and write the name under the drawing.
- 14
Step 14
Write one short sentence for each character telling something fun about them.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished characters and stories on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I do the Doodle Funny Characters activity step by step?
Start with a warm-up: make quick scribbles and simple shapes. Pick one shape for a head, add exaggerated eyes, mouths and noses to create expression. Change sizes and angles to make variety. Add hair, hats or accessories and draw simple bodies or stick limbs. Use color to highlight personalities. Finish by asking the child to name the character and tell a one-sentence story. Repeat with new shapes for practice and variation.
What materials do I need for Doodle Funny Characters?
You only need basic supplies: plain paper or a sketchbook, pencils, an eraser and a black marker for outlines. Add colored pencils, crayons or washable markers for filling in. Optional extras: stickers, stickers sheets, a ruler for straight accessories, a few reference images or shape templates, and a tray or mat to protect the table. Keep materials non-toxic and washable for younger children.
What ages is the Doodle Funny Characters activity suitable for?
This activity suits toddlers to preteens with adjustments: ages 3–4 enjoy big simple shapes and adult guidance; ages 5–7 can experiment with expressions and basic accessories; ages 8+ can explore detailed features, color palettes and short character backstories. Tailor complexity, offer thicker crayons for little hands, and encourage storytelling to match each child’s developmental level.
What are the benefits of doodling funny characters for kids?
Doodling characters boosts creativity, storytelling and visual imagination. It develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and confidence as kids make choices and iterate ideas quickly. The activity supports emotional expression by letting children create faces with different feelings, and encourages language when they name and describe characters. It’s low-cost, low-pressure and easy to repeat, making it great for focused practice or relaxed family time.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can I use if I don't have a black marker or special coloring materials?
If you don't have a black marker, use a dark ballpoint pen or sharpened pencil to trace your favorite lines, and substitute crayons, colored pencils, or watercolors to color each character.
My character's features look out of proportion—how can I fix that?
If a shape's eyes, nose, or mouth look off, lightly erase and reposition them using the original warm-up shape as a guide or draw faint helper lines, then retrace the corrected lines with your pen or marker.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, simplify by tracing big shapes and using stickers for eyes and accessories, while older kids can add detailed hair, patterned clothing, longer one-sentence stories, or extra characters to the trio before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize the finished characters and stories?
Turn your three characters into a short comic by drawing backgrounds and speech bubbles that use each character's silly name and one-sentence fact, then color, photograph, and post the result on DIY.org.