Pediatric ATI Practice Exam 2026 - Free Pediatric Practice Questions and Study Guide

A toddler typically begins to show the ability to scribble spontaneously with a crayon around 15 months of age. At this stage, fine motor skills are developing, and toddlers gain more control over their hand movements. This spontaneous scribbling is a significant milestone in their cognitive and physical development, as it reflects their growing coordination and creative expression.

At 12 months, children are still refining their grasp and may not have the motor control necessary for effective scribbling. By 18 months, toddlers often engage in more complex scribbling behaviors, but the initial ability to scribble independently usually emerges around the 15-month mark. By 24 months, children usually engage in more intentional drawing, but the focus of the question is specifically on the age at which spontaneous scribbling first appears.