I’ll let you in on something I do all the time when I should be working. More times than not, when I’m sitting at my desk working on something, I’ll pick up a pen and before I know it, I’m doodling.

Sometimes it’s flowers. Sometimes it’s hearts. Sometimes it’s little faces or squiggly lines that don’t seem to have any purpose at all. And the funny thing is, sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it.

I’ll be reading something, working on an article, looking something up, or trying to organize my thoughts, and there my hand goes—doodling away on a piece of paper. I think part of it is simply keeping my hands busy while my mind is busy. Do you or someone you know do that?

Maybe you’ve doodled while talking on the phone. Maybe you’ve filled the margins of your notebook during a meeting. Maybe your child draws little pictures while listening to you read aloud.

What we often think of as nothing more than scribbling can actually open the door to creativity, conversation, learning, and even helping others. And that’s why I wanted to take a closer look at National Doodle Day.

Because yes, we’re going to turn it into a homeschool lesson—but there is so much more to this day than simply handing a child a piece of paper and telling them to draw. Come along with me and yes, you can doddle as you read the article.

I thought we would start with the obvious question. What is National Doodle Day? National Doodle Day is an annual fundraising and awareness campaign created by Epilepsy Action, a UK charity that supports people affected by epilepsy.

The event began in 2004 and uses something almost everyone can do—doodling—to bring people together while raising awareness and funds for epilepsy-related support. It has grown into an event involving artists, illustrators, celebrities, schools, families, and people just like you and me.

Now, here’s our first #TeachingMoment. National Doodle Day isn’t a national public holiday in the same sense as Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Independence Day. It’s an annual awareness and fundraising event. And that’s worth explaining to children.

There are all kinds of special days and observances throughout the year. Some are official public holidays. Some recognize historical events or people. Some raise awareness about important causes. And some simply give us a reason to stop, learn something new, and have a little fun. National Doodle Day manages to do several of those things at once.

I’ll be honest with you before researching this article, my family wasn’t very familiar with Epilepsy Action either. And that makes this another wonderful #TeachingMoment to share with my family.

Epilepsy Action is a charity in the United Kingdom that provides information, advice, support, and advocacy for people affected by epilepsy. That means people living with epilepsy, families, and others looking for reliable information can use the organization’s resources to learn more.

If you are #homeschooling, this is a perfect opportunity to take the lesson one step further. Instead of simply telling your child what an organization does, go to the Epilepsy Action website together.

Explore it. Look at the information they provide. Talk about why organizations like this exist. Teach your child how to find information from an organization whose purpose is to educate and support people. Sometimes learning how to find reliable information is just as important as memorizing the information itself.

This brings us to another question. Why would a day about doodling be connected to epilepsy? Epilepsy is a neurological condition that can cause seizures. There are different types of epilepsy and different types of seizures, and people’s experiences can be very different.

It can affect children and adults and can have an impact not only on the person with epilepsy but also on their families and communities. National Doodle Day helps Epilepsy Action raise awareness and funds so the organization can continue its work supporting people affected by epilepsy.

And I think that’s one of the sweetest things about this particular fundraiser. Something doesn’t have to be complicated to make a difference. You don’t have to be a professional artist. You don’t have to create a masterpiece. You can simply pick up a pen and doodle. And that little doodle can become part of something much bigger.

If your family wants to learn more about epilepsy, use the Epilepsy Action website as a starting point for age-appropriate information. That’s our second #TeachingMoment. We’re not going to try to turn a fun blog post into a medical textbook. Instead, we’re going to teach our children where they can go when they have questions and how to learn from a reliable source.

Now let’s get to the fun part. What is a doodle? A doodle can be almost anything. It can be a flower in the corner of a notebook. A funny face. A pattern. A collection of stars. A house. An animal. A person’s name written over and over. A collection of lines that somehow turns into a picture.

There really aren’t many rules. That’s part of what makes doodling so wonderful. When we’re doodling, we’re generally not trying to create a perfect piece of artwork. We’re simply letting our pen or pencil move and seeing what happens.

And that can be especially important for children who have decided they aren’t “good at art.” You don’t have to be good at drawing to doodle. There is no perfect doodle. There is no wrong doodle. And nobody gets to tell you that your squiggly line isn’t supposed to be a dinosaur. Maybe it is.

Now, I have question for you. Have you ever wondered why we doodle? I would like to let you know people doodle for all kinds of reasons. Some people doodle while they’re listening. Some do it while they’re thinking. Some doodle when they’re bored. Some use doodling as a way to brainstorm ideas. Others simply enjoy drawing.

And sometimes our hands seem to want something to do while our brains are concentrating on something else. That may be exactly what I’m doing when I’m sitting at my desk.

My brain is busy reading and thinking, while my hand is quietly creating something on the side. And sometimes, when I look down, I have no idea where the doodle came from. That’s okay. Maybe the point isn’t always the finished picture. Maybe sometimes the point is simply the process.

Here is something I’ve wandered about can doodling be Therapeutic? This is where I want to be careful. We’re not going to claim that doodling treats or cures a medical condition. It doesn’t.

But creative activities such as drawing, coloring, and doodling can give people an opportunity to slow down, focus on something simple, express themselves, and take a little break from everything else happening around them.

Epilepsy Action has even incorporated drawing, coloring, puzzles, and similar activities into resources focused on mindfulness. And that makes sense to me. Think about how you feel when you sit down with a piece of paper and start drawing without worrying about whether you’re creating something worthy of hanging on a wall. You can simply draw.

There is something wonderfully freeing about that. For children, it can also be a reminder that not every creative activity has to be graded. Sometimes we can simply create because it feels good to create.

Here’s something else I love about doodling. A picture doesn’t always need words. A doodle can communicate an idea. A memory. A feeling. A favorite person. A favorite place. Something you’re looking forward to. Something that makes you laugh. Something you wish someone else could see.

Ask a child to doodle something that makes them happy, and you might learn something about them that you didn’t know. Ask them to doodle a place where they feel safe. Ask them to doodle something they love. Ask them to doodle what they think friendship looks like. Then ask them to tell you about their picture. Suddenly, that little doodle has become a conversation. And maybe even a writing lesson.

Here’s another fun fact to share with your children. National Doodle Day hasn’t just attracted children and families. Over the years, well-known artists, actors, writers, illustrators, and other public figures have participated.

Names associated with National Doodle Day have included people such as Sir Ian McKellen, Olivia Colman, Joanna Lumley, Mary Berry, Elton John, Grayson Perry, and Alice Oseman, among others.

And when you look at the doodles people create, you’ll see something important. They aren’t all alike. Some are elaborate. Some are funny. Some are simple. Some look like traditional artwork. Some look like something you might have drawn while waiting for your doctor’s appointment. And that’s the beauty of it. There isn’t one right way to doodle.

National Doodle Day isn’t just for individual families. Schools have participated too. Epilepsy Action has provided resources encouraging schools to get involved with National Doodle Day, including activities where students create doodles and can even organize exhibitions.

Just imagine a hallway filled with children’s doodles. Not perfect artwork. Not identical pictures. Just dozens and dozens of different little pieces of creativity. And underneath each one could be a story. That’s a pretty wonderful way to turn art into community, isn’t it?

Okay, homeschool families. This is where we bring everything together. And I don’t want this to be one of those activities where we say, “Here’s a coloring page. Have fun.” Let’s make it a real learning experience.

Art: Give your child a piece of paper and whatever drawing supplies you have. Pencils. Crayons. Colored pencils. Markers. Even an old pen will work.

Start with one simple shape. A circle. A line. A squiggle.

Then ask: What can you turn it into? Let your child decide.

Language Arts: Once the doodle is finished, have your child write about it.

What did you draw? Why did you draw it? What does it mean? Does it tell a story?

Younger children can dictate their answers to an adult. Older children can write a paragraph or even a short story inspired by their doodle.

Research: Have your child research National Doodle Day.

Find out when it began. Find out who created it. Learn about Epilepsy Action.

Then have your child write down three things they learned.

Health Awareness: For an age-appropriate lesson, learn a little about epilepsy.

What is epilepsy? What are seizures? Why is awareness important? Why is it helpful to have reliable information?

Again, the goal isn’t to turn your child into a medical expert. The goal is to introduce them to a topic they may not have known much about and teach them how to learn more.

Creative Thinking: Give everyone in the family the same starting shape.

Maybe everyone starts with a circle. Now everyone has to turn that circle into something different. Compare the results. You’ll probably be surprised at how many different ideas come from exactly the same beginning. That’s a wonderful lesson in creativity and perspective.

Ten Minutes of Doodling: Set a timer for ten minutes.

Put away the phones. Turn off the television. Sit down with paper and pencils. And just doodle. Don’t worry about whether it is good. Don’t worry about finishing anything. Just draw.

When the ten minutes are over, ask everyone how they felt before and after. That can lead to a wonderful conversation about concentration, creativity, and taking time to slow down.

Make a Doodle for Someone: But I think this might be my favorite activity of all.

Don’t keep your doodle. Give it away. Make one for Grandma. Make one for a sibling. Make one for a friend. Make one for a neighbor.

Write a little note on the back. Something as simple as:

“I made this for you because I thought it might make you smile.”

Then put it in the mail. Or, if it is safe and appropriate, take a walk together and drop it off for a neighbor.

Imagine getting a little handmade doodle from a child for absolutely no reason other than they wanted to make you smile. That’s the kind of thing people remember. And now your homeschool lesson has become a lesson about kindness too.

And if your family really gets into doodling, there is something special coming up that I think would be a lot of fun. On September 29, 2026, National Doodle Day is hosting a virtual art class with artist Mr Doodleey.

The online class is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and is designed for people of all ages and abilities. There will also be an opportunity for participants to take part in a live question-and-answer session.

How fun would that be? Get the family together. Grab your pencils. Bring your paper. Maybe make some popcorn. And spend an evening doodling together. If you attend the class, come back and tell us about it! I’d love to know what you thought.

And if you’re willing to share your doodles with us, even better. Maybe Greatful Moments can have its own little collection of National Doodle Day memories.

I think this lesson deserves a printable—but not just a coloring page. We’re going to create a Doodle & Discover printable that lets children actually participate in the lesson.

It can give them a place to create their doodle, explain what it means, record what they learned about National Doodle Day and Epilepsy Action, and think about how doodling made them feel.

And then there will be one very important question: Who will you give your doodle to? Because I think that’s where this little lesson becomes something more.

When I first started thinking about National Doodle Day, I thought about all those times I’ve sat at my desk and found myself doodling without even realizing it. It seemed like such a little thing.

But look at everything we can find in it.

Art. Writing. Research. History. Health awareness. Creativity. Mindfulness. Kindness. And giving. All from picking up a pen.

That’s one of my favorite things about homeschooling. You don’t always need a stack of textbooks to create a meaningful lesson. Sometimes you just need a question.

A piece of paper. A pencil. And a little curiosity.

So the next time you catch yourself doodling while you’re thinking, don’t automatically throw that little drawing away.

Keep it. Look at it. Ask yourself what you were thinking about when you made it. And maybe make another one. This time, make it for someone else. Because sometimes a doodle is just a doodle.

And sometimes a doodle is a tiny way of saying, “I thought of you.” Happy National Doodle Day from Greatful Moments! ✏️💜

Now tell me—do you doodle? And what is the strangest, funniest, or most unexpected thing you’ve ever found yourself drawing?

I think I will get Charlie this morning and see if he want’s to spend a couple minutes doodling with me. Would you like to join us?

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates