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National Doodle Day

Get creative and join in on National Doodle Day - unleash your inner artist with doodles, sketches, drawings, and more!

Thursday

September 2026

Last updated February 7, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATESeptember 3

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYHobbies

SUBCATEGORYArts & Crafts

INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

Get creative and celebrate National Doodle Day on Sept. 3! This day has been around since the mid-1990s when it was created to encourage people to express themselves through doodling. Whether you prefer pencil, ink, or digital mediums, there’s no limit to what your imagination can create with a few lines and colors. Doodle art is a great way to relax while also expressing yourself creatively!

TIMELINE

National Doodle Day Timeline

National Doodle Day Inception

The first National Doodle Day was celebrated, promoting the expressive arts and creativity through simple doodling.

Doodles for Epilepsy Action UK

The holiday started to raise funds for Epilepsy Action charity in the UK. Celebrities would auction off their doodles to help raise awareness and funds.

Google Doodles

Google began using modified versions of its logo, referred to as "doodles," on its homepage to mark special events or notable historical milestones.

Doodle 4 Google Competition

Google launched the Doodle 4 Google competition, promoting creativity among school-aged children to design their own Google doodles.

National Doodle Day Worldwide

National Doodle Day started being recognized and celebrated in other countries, expanding its impact and promotion of creativity through doodling worldwide.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Doodle Day

Draw a doodle

Put pen to paper and draw a unique doodle of your own. You can make it abstract, cartoon-like, or realistic - it is entirely up to you! Doodle away and have fun with it.

HOST

Host a doodling party

Gather your friends or family together and host a doodling party. Pick out some fun themes or challenges and see who can come up with the most creative doodles.

WATCH

Watch a doodling tutorial

YouTube has hundreds of tutorials from professional doodlers that can help you perfect your own skills. Watch one of their tutorials to learn new techniques and get inspired.

VISIT

Visit an art museum

Take a visit to your local art museum and check out the masterpieces of great artists such as da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh, and more. Get inspired by the works of these master doodlers!

CREATE

Create your own doodle book

Gather up all of your favorite doodles and create your own book or portfolio to show off to friends and family. This will be a great way to display all of your favorite creations!

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Doodle Day

Doodles are therapeutic

Sometimes, all we need is a few minutes of peaceful contemplation during which we can focus solely on ourselves and our doodles. Not only does this allow us to relax and unwind, but it also gives us an opportunity to discover something about ourselves that we never knew before!

Doodling encourages creativity

Doodling is a great way to explore your creative side and express yourself. Whether you are new to drawing or looking for a fun way to pass the time, doodling can open up new channels of inspiration and help bring your ideas to life!

Doodles can be used as tools for self-expression

Whether it's sketching out your feelings in a journal or using it as a form of meditation, doodling can be used to express emotions that may not be able to articulate in words. It's an easy way to channel any thoughts, worries or fears that you may have in a positive environment.

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