Draw A Happy Face

I don’t have colored markers or a good eraser — what can I use instead?

If you don’t have markers, use crayons, colored pencils, or watercolor paints to color the face, and substitute a soft white bread or pencil-tip eraser to gently remove the vertical and horizontal guide lines before tracing with a pen.

My circle and eyes keep coming out lopsided or my guide lines are too dark — how can I fix that?

Trace a round object (like a bowl) for the large circle, press very lightly when making the vertical and horizontal guide lines, and if guides are still dark erase them gently after you trace the main face outlines with a marker to hide mistakes.

How can I change the activity to suit a preschooler vs. an older child?

For preschoolers, pre-draw the large circle and guide lines and let them add simple eyes, nose, mouth and at least three unique details, while older kids can add shading, patterns, finer marker tracing, and more detailed features like freckles, glasses, or textured hair.

How can we extend or personalize the happy face beyond the basic steps?

Make it into a character by adding clothes, a background scene, mixed-media details like yarn hair or sticker glasses, create a series of different emotions, and then photograph and share your finished happy face on DIY.org.