Draw Your First Day as a Ruler
Draw a picture showing your first day as a ruler, designing crown, outfit, throne, and a short caption explaining decisions and feelings.
About this tutorial
Draw a picture showing your first day as a ruler, designing crown, outfit, throne, and a short caption explaining decisions and feelings.
What you need
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Gather all your materials and find a clean space to work.
- 2
Step 2
Think of three words that describe the kind of ruler you want to be.
- 3
Step 3
Lightly sketch the main ruler position in the center of your paper.
- 4
Step 4
Lightly draw a small box below the picture for your caption.
- 5
Step 5
Draw a crown on the ruler's head with shapes or jewels you like.
- 6
Step 6
Draw the outfit on the ruler's body and add one special emblem or pattern.
- 7
Step 7
Draw a throne behind or under the ruler showing its basic shape.
- 8
Step 8
Draw the ruler's face and body pose to show how they are feeling.
- 9
Step 9
Add two or three simple background items that show your kingdom.
- 10
Step 10
Trace the lines you want to keep with a black marker or a darker pencil.
- 11
Step 11
Erase the light sketch lines and any mistakes you no longer need.
- 12
Step 12
Color the crown outfit throne and background using your coloring materials.
- 13
Step 13
Add small details like patterns highlights or textures to make things pop.
- 14
Step 14
Write a short caption of one or two sentences explaining your design choices and feelings in the caption box and sign your name and date.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do you do the 'Draw your first day as a ruler' activity?
Start by asking the child to imagine their first morning as a ruler: what they see, wear, and how they feel. Have them sketch a small thumbnail, then draw a larger scene including crown, outfit, and throne. Add symbols (flags, pets, advisors) and colors that match the ruler’s personality. Finish with a short caption explaining choices and emotions. Allow 20–45 minutes, offer prompts (What rule will you make first?) and encourage sharing and discussion at the end.
What materials do I need for the 'Draw your first day as a ruler' activity?
You’ll need plain drawing paper or a sketchbook, pencils and erasers for planning, and colored pencils, markers, crayons, or watercolor paints for finishing. Optional extras: ruler for throne lines, stickers or glitter for decoration, scissors and glue for collage elements, and scrap paper for practicing designs. A tablet and drawing app work well for digital versions. Have a smock or washable surface protection if using paint or glitter.
What ages is this 'Draw your first day as a ruler' activity suitable for?
This activity suits preschoolers through tweens with age adjustments: ages 3–5 enjoy simple shapes and sticker decorations while an adult writes the caption; ages 6–9 can draw scenes and write short captions independently; ages 10–12 can create detailed costumes, symbolic thrones, and longer backstories. Teens can use mixed media or digital tools. Adapt complexity and time to each child’s fine-motor and storytelling level.
What are the benefits of the 'Draw your first day as a ruler' activity?
This activity builds creativity, storytelling, and planning skills as kids design costumes and settings. It strengthens fine motor control and color choices, and helps emotional expression by naming feelings and decisions in the caption. It also encourages empathy and problem-solving when thinking about rules and leaders. Sharing finished work boosts confidence and communication; teachers or parents can link it to history, art, or social studies for cross-curricular learning.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of a black marker, special art paper, or professional coloring supplies listed in the instructions?
If you don't have a black marker for step 10 or fancy coloring materials for step 12, substitute a darker pencil or ballpoint pen to trace, use crayons, colored pencils, or torn magazine collage for color, and plain printer paper or a piece of cereal-box cardboard for your drawing surface.
My light sketch marks keep showing after erasing or the ink smudges—how can I fix this when following steps 3, 10, and 11?
Sketch very lightly in step 3, let any marker ink from step 10 dry completely before you erase in step 11, and if pencil marks persist use a clean or kneaded eraser and always test pens and colors on scrap paper to prevent smudging.
How can I change the activity for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids when they draw the crown, add background items, or write the caption?
For younger children simplify steps 4–9 by using stickers, pre-cut shapes, and chunky crayons with a one-word caption in the caption box, while older kids can add intricate patterns and textures in step 12, more realistic throne perspective in step 6, and expand the caption in step 13 into a two-sentence reflection.
What are some ways to extend or personalize the project after finishing the drawing and caption to make it more creative or displayable?
After coloring and adding details in step 12, personalize the crown with glued-on foil or sequins, make a pop-up throne or mixed-media embellishments, photograph the finished piece to share on DIY.org (step 14), or expand the caption into extra illustrated panels to create a short comic about your ruler's first day.