Free drawing games fall into two camps: quick draw and guess games you play for laughs, and learn to draw apps that teach real skills on screen or paper. Younger children do best with tracing apps. Check each listing's ads label and offline wording before you hand over a tablet.
Some of the best family evenings start with a pen, a scrap of paper and someone's terrible drawing of a cat. Drawing games bring that same mix of laughter and creativity to a phone.
I read the Google Play listings for popular drawing games and apps and noted the developer, installs, the ads and in-app purchases labels, the content rating and any offline wording. They're in no particular order.
I've grouped them loosely: guessing games first, then art and learning apps, then apps for the youngest artists. A tenth app I looked at hadn't been updated for many years, so I've left it off.
Drawing apps at a glance
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw it | Kwalee Ltd | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Kids Charades-Guess & Draw ESL | EnglishSauce | 10K+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Sketchbook app | Sketchbook | 100M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Drawing Games: Draw & Color | RV AppStudios | 50M+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Lingokids: Games & Shows | Lingokids - Games, Shows & Songs for Kids | 50M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'Play online or offline' |
| Simply Draw: Learn to Draw | Simply Ltd | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| ArtWorkout: Learn How to Draw | ArtWorkout | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint | AR Drawing | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Coloring for Kids: Drawing 2-6 | Bimi Boo Kids Learning Games for Toddlers FZ-LLC | 1M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'coloring games for toddlers works offline without internet' |
Nine drawing games and apps
Draw it
A quick-fire drawing challenge from Kwalee where you race the timer to draw a word, and the game tries to guess it. It's fast, silly and a good fit for anyone who likes doodling more than careful art.
Kids Charades-Guess & Draw ESL
Kids Charades is a people game as much as a phone game: each topic comes with a picture and a word, and children act it out, describe it or draw it. Its speed drawing mode makes a lovely family round, and it shows no ads or in-app purchases labels.
Sketchbook app
Sketchbook is a full drawing and painting app with pencils, markers, airbrushes and more. It's the one to pick if you want to make your own art rather than play a game, and it shows no Contains ads label.
Drawing Games: Draw & Color
RV AppStudios' drawing games for kids include learning to draw, connecting the dots and glow painting. The listing says they teach shapes and picture recognition, and it shows neither an ads label nor an in-app purchases label.
Lingokids: Games & Shows
Lingokids is a wider learning app with games, songs and shows, so drawing is one part of a bigger mix. Its listing describes it as ad-free and age-appropriate, and it shows no Contains ads label.
Simply Draw: Learn to Draw
Simply Draw teaches pencil drawing on real paper, with the phone guiding each step. The listing says it builds a personalised path around what you want to learn.
ArtWorkout: Learn How to Draw
ArtWorkout is a drawing trainer with step-by-step tutorials, and its listing mentions a multiplayer mode for drawing and tracing with others. The content rating is Everyone 10+.
AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint
AR Drawing uses your phone camera to project a picture onto paper so you can trace it, with templates such as animals, cars and food. It can also record a video of your drawing as you go.
Coloring for Kids: Drawing 2-6
Bimi Boo's app is for children around two to six, who learn to draw by tracing dotted lines and then colour the pictures in. It shows no Contains ads label and says it works offline.
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Draw and guess games or learn to draw apps?
Draw and guess games care about speed, not skill. A wobbly stick person that gets guessed in five seconds beats a beautiful sketch, which is exactly why they're so good for nervous drawers.
Learn to draw apps work the other way round. Simply Draw, ArtWorkout and AR Drawing guide you step by step, and two of them have you drawing on real paper, which builds skills that last beyond the screen.
Drawing apps for little hands
For toddlers and preschoolers, tracing is the gentlest start. The Bimi Boo app is built around dotted lines for children around two to six, and the RV AppStudios app adds connect the dots and glow painting.
- No ads label: both of those apps show no Contains ads label on Google Play.
- Offline play: Bimi Boo and Lingokids both mention offline play.
- Big, simple tools: small fingers need wide brushes and few buttons.
- Sit with them first: a few minutes together helps them find the fun parts.
Starting a sketch habit
- Pick one app and stick with it for a week.
- Draw for five or ten minutes a day rather than an hour once a week.
- Copy simple shapes before you try faces or animals.
- Keep your early drawings, so you can see how far you've come.
- Move to paper now and then, even if you learnt the steps on screen.
Turning drawing into a family game
Kids Charades and Draw it both work well with the whole family huddled round one screen. If guessing games go down well, my guide to the classic questions guessing game is another round that needs nothing but your voices.
For journeys, these free offline games for kids on Android and tablet keep children busy when a drawing app needs a break.
And if a slow, gentle doodle is your idea of downtime, my list of cozy games to play slowly has more in the same calm spirit.
Frequently asked questions
Are these drawing games free?
Yes. Every app here is free to install from Google Play. Several show an in-app purchases label, so check the listing.
Which drawing games work offline?
Bimi Boo's toddler app and Lingokids mention offline play on their listings. The others don't say, so test before a trip.
What's a good drawing game for a family?
Kids Charades and Draw it suit a group, because one person draws and everyone else guesses.
Can an app teach me to draw?
It can help. Simply Draw, ArtWorkout and AR Drawing guide you step by step, and some have you draw on real paper.
Which drawing app suits a toddler?
Tracing apps such as Bimi Boo's are the gentlest start, with dotted lines to follow and pictures to colour.
