How to Parent Objects in Blender

Parenting in Blender links two or more objects together so that changes to the parent object—such as moving, rotating, or scaling—automatically apply to the child object. This guide explains the fastest methods to establish parent-child relationships, the difference between parenting options, and how to unparent objects when necessary.

Step-by-Step Guide to Parenting Objects

To set up a basic parent-child relationship in Blender:

  1. Select the Child Object: Left-click the object you want to follow another object.
  2. Select the Parent Object: Hold down the Shift key and left-click the object you want to act as the parent. The parent object will have a lighter orange outline, indicating it is the active selection.
  3. Open the Parent Menu: Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
  4. Choose a Parenting Type: Select Object from the menu.

The objects are now linked. Moving, rotating, or scaling the parent object will affect the child object, but modifying the child object will not affect the parent.

Parenting via the Outliner

You can also parent objects visually using the Outliner panel:

  1. Locate the child object in the Outliner list.
  2. Hold down the Shift key.
  3. Click and drag the child object's icon onto the parent object's icon.
  4. Release the mouse button to set the relationship.

Key Parenting Options Explained

When pressing Ctrl + P, Blender offers several parenting modes. The two most common are:

  • Object: Parents the child object directly. If the parent object already has transformations applied, the child object may unexpectedly jump to a new position relative to the parent's origin.
  • Object (Keep Transform): Parents the child object while preserving its current position, rotation, and scale in 3D space. This is generally the preferred choice when organizing existing scene elements.

How to Remove or Unparent Objects

If you need to break the parent-child relationship:

  1. Select the child object (or objects) you want to detach.
  2. Press Alt + P to open the Clear Parent menu.
  3. Choose one of the following:
    • Clear Parent: Removes the relationship and snaps the child back to its original location before it was parented.
    • Clear and Keep Transformation: Removes the relationship while leaving the child object in its current 3D space position.