Draw the Periodic Table
Draw a simplified periodic table poster showing element blocks, symbols, and colors; label groups and periods to explore patterns in element properties.
Step-by-step guide to draw the periodic table
Step 1
Clear a flat space and lay your paper or poster board down with your ruler pencil eraser black marker and colouring materials within reach.
Step 2
Use the ruler and pencil to draw a light rectangular border about one inch from every edge to make your poster area.
Step 3
Divide the inside of the border into 18 equal vertical columns by drawing light pencil lines with your ruler.
Step 4
Divide the inside area into 7 equal horizontal rows by drawing light pencil lines across the columns.
Step 5
Draw two long narrow rows beneath the main grid for the lanthanide and actinide series.
Step 6
Write the group numbers 1 to 18 across the top above each column in pencil.
Step 7
Write the period numbers 1 to 7 on the left side beside each row in pencil.
Step 8
Using your element reference fill each box with the atomic number and element symbol starting at hydrogen and moving left to right through the first 36 elements.
Step 9
Draw a small legend box in a corner and pick a color for each category such as alkali metals alkaline earth metals transition metals metalloids nonmetals halogens and noble gases.
Step 10
Color each element box using the colors from your legend so elements in the same category share the same color.
Step 11
Use the black marker to neatly trace over the element symbols atomic numbers the group numbers and the period numbers.
Step 12
Write one or two short observation sentences on the poster that point out a pattern you see such as changes in reactivity or where metals and nonmetals are located.
Step 13
Share your finished periodic table poster on DIY.org by taking a photo and uploading it to show what you created.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of poster board, a ruler, or markers if we don't have them?
If you don't have poster board or markers, tape together printer paper for the poster area, use a book edge or long cardboard as a straightedge instead of a ruler, and color with colored pencils, crayons, or cut paint-chip swatches.
What should we do if the columns or rows end up uneven or an element is in the wrong box?
If columns or rows are uneven or you misplace an element, lightly erase and remeasure by marking equal tick marks on the one-inch border before drawing the 18 vertical and 7 horizontal pencil lines and check your element reference before tracing with the black marker.
How can we change the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, limit the grid to the first 10 element boxes and use stickers for symbols, for elementary follow the instructions through the first 36 elements, and for older students expand each box to add atomic mass or electron configuration and more categories in the legend.
How can we extend or personalize the finished periodic table poster?
To extend the poster, glue small index-card flaps over each element box with facts from your element reference, use a color-gradient in the legend to show trends like electronegativity, or attach magnet strips to the back for fridge display before photographing to upload to DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw the periodic table
How to draw the modern periodic table and use it to make learning EASY!
4 Videos
How to draw the modern periodic table and use it to make learning EASY!
How to draw a periodic table drawing | Periodic table of electrons | B I Drawing
How to Draw the Periodic Table Easily | Full Tutorial for Students (Step-by-Step Guide) #studybuddy
Periodic Table of Elements for Kids | Learn all about the elements on the Periodic Table
Facts about the periodic table and element properties
🔎 Dmitri Mendeleev arranged an early periodic table in 1869 and predicted properties of elements not yet discovered.
🔢 Elements are ordered by atomic number (protons), which increases left to right and reveals repeating patterns across periods.
🎨 Many posters use color codes to show categories like metals, nonmetals, and noble gases so patterns jump out visually.
🏷️ Several elements are named after places or people — for example, americium (America) and curium (Marie and Pierre Curie).
🧪 The periodic table currently has 118 confirmed elements, from hydrogen (1) to oganesson (118).
How do I guide my child to draw a simplified periodic table poster showing element blocks, symbols, and colors?
What materials do I need to make a periodic table poster with color-coded element families?
What ages is drawing a simplified periodic table poster suitable for?
What are the benefits of making a periodic table poster and what variations can we try?
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