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Draw animals and vehicles with shapes

Build a cat, a bus and a boat from circles, rectangles and triangles, one easy step at a time.

Get the whole book: Drawing and craft for classes 1 and 2 (4 lessons, free to print)

Let us begin

The big idea

You already know circles, squares, rectangles and triangles. Now let us use them to draw animals and vehicles. It is like playing with building blocks on paper!

Start with the biggest shape. It becomes the body of your animal or the main part of your vehicle.

Add smaller shapes next. Circles make heads, wheels and eyes. Triangles make ears, sails and tails. Rectangles make windows and doors.

Draw lightly with a pencil first. If a shape looks wrong, rub it out and try again. Then trace over the lines you like and colour your picture.

You can draw the same animal in many ways. There is no wrong picture. What matters is that you enjoy making it.

A cat and a bus from shapesA cat made from two circles and two triangles, next to a bus made from a rectangle, small squares and two circle wheels. Cat Bus
Circles, triangles and rectangles build both pictures.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. A cat

    Draw a big circle for the body and a smaller circle on top for the head. Add two small triangles on the head for ears. Add a tiny circle for each eye. Draw a long curved line for the tail.

  2. A bus

    Draw a long rectangle for the bus. Draw 4 small squares inside for windows. Draw two circles under the bus for wheels. Add a small rectangle at the front for the door.

  3. A boat

    Draw a half circle or a trapezium shape for the bottom of the boat. Draw a tall line for the mast. Draw a triangle beside the mast for the sail.

Try it at home

My shape zoo

You will need

  • Paper
  • A pencil
  • Crayons
  • Round lids or coins to trace

What to do

  1. Choose one animal you like, such as a cat, a dog or a fish.
  2. Draw its body with the biggest shape first.
  3. Add the head, ears, eyes and tail with smaller shapes.
  4. Colour the animal and give it a name.
  5. Draw a second picture, this time a vehicle, and count how many shapes you used.

Ask a grown-up: An adult can help you find lids to trace and can ask you to tell the story of your picture.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Draw animals and vehicles with shapes (Classes 1-2, Drawing and craft)

  1. Which shape can you use for the wheel of a bus?
  2. Which shape is good for a cat's ears?
  3. Which shape do you use for the body of a bus?
  4. Should you draw the big shapes or the small shapes first?
  5. Which shape can be the sail of a boat?
  6. How many wheels did the bus in the lesson have?
  7. Which shape can you use for a window?
  8. Name an animal you could draw using only circles.
  9. What can you do if a shape looks wrong?
  10. Count the shapes in the cat: 2 circles, 2 triangles and 2 eyes. How many shapes in all?

Answer key

Answers: Draw animals and vehicles with shapes

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. A circle.
  2. A triangle.
  3. A rectangle.
  4. The big shapes first.
  5. A triangle.
  6. 2 wheels.
  7. A square or a rectangle.
  8. Sample answers: a snowman, a chick, a caterpillar made of circles.
  9. Rub it out lightly and try again.
  10. 6 shapes (2 + 2 + 2 = 6).

What next

Keep learning

Get the whole book

All 4 drawing and craft lessons for classes 1 and 2 on one page, with every practice sheet and answer key, ready to print.

Drawing and craft for classes 1 and 2

All 136 lessonsAll printable books

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