Holding a pencil to draw
Holding a pencil near the tip with the fingertips to draw usually comes in the third year. In a study in four countries, about half did so by about 2½ years, though countries differed a lot.
How sure are we?
Not sure yet. Only one study has measured this so far, and the age differed a lot between countries. How we know this
What it’s a sign of
Your child's finger control is getting fine enough for drawing.
The four countries ranged from about 2 years in Argentina to nearly 3 years in South Africa, and the study linked differences like this to how much children get to practise, such as drawing.
We haven't yet read studies of when children copy shapes like a circle.
A main source for the ages
Similarities and differences in child development from birth to age 3 years by sex and across four countries: a cross-sectional, observational study
Ilgi Ozturk Ertem, Vibha Krishnamurthy, Mphelekedzeni C. Mulaudzi, Yanina Sguassero, Hakan Balta, Ozlem Gulumser · 2018 · Lancet Global Health
- Children
- About 4,900 healthy children
- Where
- Argentina, India, South Africa and Turkey
- Ages
- Birth to 3½ years
- How
- Trained staff asked parents open questions about what their child could do, at health clinics
- What it found
- Found the age by which half of children reached more than 100 milestones. Most came at similar ages in all four countries, and for boys and girls. For example, half of children waved bye-bye by about 11 months and said a first word by about 9 months.
- Limits
- Only four countries and no rural areas, children from city clinics, and only healthy children (about half of those who came were left out for health reasons). It gives the age for half of children, not the full spread.
If you’re worried about your child, talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.
Last checked 2 November 2026