How to Draw a Tree (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)

To draw a tree, start with a tall trunk that splits into two short branches. Add a big fluffy crown of leaves on top, then bark lines and a knot hole. Finish with four apples and grass at the bottom.

Finished cartoon apple tree with a green fluffy crown, a brown trunk, four red apples and green grass
The finished tree
Steps
6 easy steps
You need
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker
  • Green, brown and red crayons

Updated

Teaching this to a class?

Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.

How to draw a tree step by step

  1. A tall tree trunk that splits into two short branches at the top, with a wavy root line at the bottom

    Step 1 of 6: Draw a tall trunk that splits into two short branches, with a wavy line at the bottom.

  2. A big fluffy cloud-shaped crown of leaves drawn on top of the trunk

    Step 2 of 6: Add a big fluffy crown on top, like a bumpy cloud.

  3. Four curved bark lines on the trunk and an oval knot hole in the middle

    Step 3 of 6: Draw four curved bark lines and an oval knot hole on the trunk.

  4. Four round apples inside the crown, each with a short stem and a small leaf

    Step 4 of 6: Add four round apples in the crown, each with a stem and a small leaf.

  5. A tuft of spiky grass on each side of the bottom of the trunk

    Step 5 of 6: Draw a tuft of spiky grass on each side of the trunk.

  6. The tree colored with a green crown, a brown trunk, red apples and green grass

    Step 6 of 6: Color the crown and grass green, the trunk brown and the apples red.

Tips for little artists

  • Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.

  • Tip: Draw the crown with big bumps all the way around. Small bumps make the tree look like a bush.

  • Tip: Let the two branches reach up into the crown, so the tree looks like it holds the leaves.

Make it yours

  • Fall tree

    Color the crown orange, red and yellow, and draw a few leaves falling to the ground.

  • Winter tree

    Skip the crown and draw bare branches with bumpy snow on top. Leave the snow white.

  • Tree with a swing

    Draw two lines down from one branch and a short flat seat at the bottom.

Common mistakes and easy fixes

  • The trunk looks like a stick

    Make the trunk wider at the bottom than at the top. Let it flare out like roots.

  • The crown sits on top like a hat

    Draw the crown around the branches, so they reach up inside the leaves.

  • The apples hang outside the crown

    Keep every apple inside the crown line, with its stem pointing up.

Fun facts about the tree

  • A tree adds a new growth ring to its trunk every year. Counting the rings tells you about how old the tree is. (Source: Arbor Day Foundation)

  • Wood that grows in spring is lighter in color. Wood that grows later in summer is darker, so the rings show as light and dark bands. (Source: Arbor Day Foundation)

  • In very dry years, a tree can skip a growth ring. Scientists compare many trees to pin down a tree's age to within a year. (Source: NIST)

Questions grown-ups ask

What's the easiest tree to draw?

A round leafy tree is the easiest. It needs only a trunk with two branches and one fluffy cloud shape on top.

How do you draw a tree easy?

Draw a tall trunk with two short branches, then a big bumpy cloud on top. Add bark lines, apples and grass. The 6 steps above follow that order.

How do you draw a tree step by step?

Start with the trunk, then the crown, the bark lines, the apples and the grass. Color the crown green and the trunk brown last.

If your crown came out lumpy, that's fine. Your tree has its own shape. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.

Step 1 of 6

A tall tree trunk that splits into two short branches at the top, with a wavy root line at the bottom
Draw a tall trunk that splits into two short branches, with a wavy line at the bottom.