Why Kids Love Drawing Food With Faces
Pizza with a face, a grumpy taco, a dancing donut: kids love drawing food characters. Learn why it's so fun and how it builds creativity and language.
Kids love drawing food with faces because it is funny, familiar and full of personality. Giving a pizza or a pickle a face turns an everyday object into a character, which sparks storytelling, humor and creative thinking. Food characters are also simple shapes, so they are easy wins for beginners.
Walk through any kids' section and you will see food with faces everywhere. It is a reliable way to make kids smile, and it works just as well on paper.
Why food characters work
- Familiar shapes. Pizza slices, donuts and bananas are easy to draw.
- Instant personality. A face turns an object into a character.
- Funny situations. What does a scared ice cream look like on a hot day?
- Endless variety. There are thousands of foods to draw.
Food monsters to start
How to Draw: Food Monsters is full of silly food characters: muffins, ketchup, noodles and more with faces and attitude. Kids learn to draw them step by step, then start inventing their own food friends.
Food character games
- Lunchbox gang. Draw everything in your lunchbox as characters.
- Fridge drama. What happens in the fridge at night?
- Veggie superheroes. Give vegetables superpowers.
- Food feelings. Draw a happy apple, a sad sandwich, an angry chili pepper.
- Menu monsters. Design a restaurant menu where every dish has a face.
Picky eaters
Some parents find that drawing food characters makes kids more curious about real food. Drawing a "brave broccoli" will not cure picky eating, but it can make mealtimes more playful.
Food stories
Food characters lead to great comics: the donut who wanted to be a bagel, the pickle who could not stop sneezing. See kids making comics.
Questions parents ask
Why do kids like drawing food with faces?
Food characters are funny, familiar and easy to draw, and adding a face instantly creates personality and stories.
How do you draw a food character?
Draw the food shape, add eyes and a mouth, then add arms, legs or accessories to give it personality.
Can drawing food help picky eaters?
It will not solve picky eating on its own, but making food characters can make mealtimes more playful and spark curiosity.
More in creativity and imagination, or browse all 217 posts on the blog.
Keep reading
- Creative Confidence: Raising a Kid Who Makes ThingsCreative confidence is believing you can make things. Learn how drawing builds a maker mindset in kids, and how parents can nurture it at home.
- 50 What If Drawing Prompts for KidsNeed drawing ideas for kids? Here are 50 "what if" drawing prompts that spark imagination, laughter and stories, perfect for home, school or travel.
- Turn Letters Into Monsters: An Alphabet Art GameTurn letters into monsters! This alphabet drawing game helps kids learn letter shapes and sounds while inventing silly creatures. Ideas for A to Z.
- Paint a Family Mural: Teamwork on a Big SheetA family or classroom mural teaches teamwork, planning and sharing space. Here's how to plan and draw a big ocean mural together, step by step.
