Gender Differences in the Visual and Emotional Features of Preschool Children’s Drawings

Early childhood is a pivotal stage for the emergence of representational thought and visual-emotional communication. This study investigates gender differences in the visual, structural, and affective features of preschool children’s drawings to better understand how early developmental patterns shape creative expression. A total of 426 children aged 5–6 years from five preschools participated under standardized classroom conditions. Using a validated visual coding framework adapted from developmental drawing research, fourteen compositional, chromatic, and expressive variables were analyzed. Results revealed significant gender-based differences across multiple visual domains. Girls’ drawings were characterized by greater color control, compositional organization, emotional expressivity, and structural completeness, whereas boys’ drawings exhibited more spatial dynamism, fragmented composition, and exploratory variability. Mothers were most frequently depicted as dominant figures, reflecting the centrality of maternal attachment in children’s representational schemas. The findings suggest that gender-linked distinctions in preschoolers’ drawings reflect both neurodevelopmental maturation and socio-cultural reinforcement of emotional and aesthetic norms. These insights have practical implications for early childhood educators and art pedagogy, emphasizing the need for gender-responsive approaches that nurture fine-motor coordination, creativity, and emotional literacy. The study contributes to international early childhood education research by offering a large-scale, empirically grounded analysis of gendered visual expression and by highlighting the developmental value of children’s art as a diagnostic and educational tool. SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT GOALS : SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality