Empowering Creativity Through Open-Ended Printables for Kids
Children love having a say in what they create. When you hand them an open-ended printable — something that begins with a prompt but ends with their imagination — you’re giving them agency, confidence, and ownership over their learning. That’s exactly what our “Choose Your Own” drawing printables are designed to do.
Activities like Draw the Big Pet, Look Out! Drawing Activity, and the Free Smoothie Worksheet invite kids to explore, experiment, and make creative decisions — key ingredients in both art and learning.
🧠 Why Choice-Based Printables Are Powerful
Open-ended prompts let children direct their own learning. There’s no right or wrong result — only imagination at work. Within the My Time, Our Place framework, this taps into several outcomes at once:
- My Time – Children control the pace, depth, and detail of their creation. They decide when their artwork feels “done.”
- My Place – Drawing prompts become a space for belonging. Each child’s interpretation reflects their unique experiences and perspectives.
- My Pace – Children can work independently, collaborate with friends, or revisit the activity later, reinforcing reflection and persistence.
These printables promote creativity while building fine-motor skills, focus, and expressive communication. They’re perfect for mixed-age OSHC settings because every child can engage at their own developmental level.
🐾 Draw the Big Pet
This worksheet sparks giggles and big ideas. The prompt asks children to imagine the world’s largest pet — a supersized dog, a colossal guinea pig, or maybe a dinosaur in disguise!
Kids love exaggeration, and this activity encourages playful storytelling through art. It supports Outcome 1 (Identity) and Outcome 4 (Learning) as they experiment with scale, proportion, and character design.
💡 Extension idea: Ask children to name their pet and describe how they’d care for it. This adds literacy links and encourages empathy and responsibility.
👀 Look Out! Drawing Activity
“Look Out!” is all about perspective. The printable provides a partial frame — like peeking through a window or binoculars — and invites children to decide what’s happening just beyond the edge.
It develops visual literacy and critical thinking, as children interpret clues and invent the unseen parts of a story. Is there a dragon outside? A parade? A thunderstorm?
💡 Extension idea: Use it for storytelling circles. After drawing, each child shares what they saw “outside,” building confidence in public speaking and creative communication (Outcome 5).
🍓 Free Smoothie Worksheet
This one blends art, imagination, and a little bit of healthy fun! Children design their dream smoothie, choosing ingredients, colours, and even the cup style. It’s hands-on creativity that connects easily to discussions about nutrition and choice.
The activity promotes Outcome 3 (Wellbeing) while supporting numeracy and literacy through sequencing (what goes in first?) and descriptive language (“Mine has three strawberries and rainbow sprinkles!”).
💡 Extension idea: Combine this with a real smoothie-making session. Children can vote on ingredients, practise measuring, and taste their creations — linking drawing to real-world learning.
🧩 More “Choose Your Own” Printables to Try
These same creative principles appear across other drawing prompts in our collection:
- 🏰 Draw the Treasure Room – Design your own hidden chamber of riches.
- 🚀 Blast Off Drawing Page – Build your rocket, name your mission, and fly to the stars.
- 🪟 People in the Windows – Who lives there? What are they doing?
- 🧢 Draw a Crazy Hat or Haircut – Express identity through fashion and humour.
- 🪞 Mirror Me Drawing Activity – Explore symmetry, self-image, and confidence.
Each one invites choice, agency, and storytelling — turning quiet drawing time into deep, meaningful learning moments.
🎨 How to Use These in OSHC or Classroom Programs
- Set the stage – Present 2–3 different printables and let children choose which one sparks their imagination.
- Add creative tools – Offer pencils, crayons, markers, or collage scraps for mixed-media exploration.
- Encourage talk – Ask open questions: “What’s happening here?” or “Who might be hiding behind that door?”
- Celebrate outcomes – Host a mini “gallery walk” where children share their creations.
- Link to learning – Connect the task to My Time, Our Place outcomes to show parents and stakeholders the educational depth behind the fun.
🌈 Why These Printables Work
- Open-ended structure means every child can succeed.
- Minimal setup — just print and go.
- Calm and focused — ideal for transitions or mixed-age settings.
- Integrates easily with art, literacy, and wellbeing programs.
- Encourages imagination and agency — two of the strongest predictors of engagement.
🖍️ Ready to Get Creative?
Empower children to take charge of their creativity with our Choose Your Own Drawing Printables!
👉 Download Draw the Big Pet, Look Out!, and Smoothie Maker Worksheets Here
Whether it’s a giant pet, a surprise outside the window, or a delicious smoothie masterpiece — these activities bring laughter, learning, and imagination to every session. Print them today and watch your group’s creativity take off!