In this day and age parents are constantly looking for games and apps to entertain and teach their toddlers basic skills. While this may be the latest fad, electronic devices have not been around forever. Old fashioned, simple things are the tried and true methods to teach children the skills they need. And while drawing may seem like play, it really does help build skills for kids. Let’s talk about the benefits of drawing for toddlers.
Improved Fine Motor Skills
While toddlers are drawing, they are also improving their motor skills by learning how to grasp a writing utensil. Changes between markers, crayons, chalk and other pens or pencils helps little ones to control objects of different lengths and widths. Small children can start out scribbling on scrap paper and eventually work up to coloring in actual coloring books. Tracing objects and trying to copy different line types, zigzags or squiggles for example, also help define their hand eye coordination.
Color Association
By using coloring books or drawings made by parents, young children can start associating colors with objects and associating the name of that color with those objects as well. Even without being able to read, children can start to learn that apples are red, bees are yellow and black, the grass is green etc. Whatever type of medium the child uses to color, they can also learn that they can create new colors by mixing two or more existing colors. Toddlers might not know the name of their new color creation, but it does start to get their imagination working.
No Batteries Required
Drawing does not require batteries, electricity or an internet connection. Many parents look to the latest technology in order to help teach their children or at least keep them entertained. Coloring or drawing is a cheap and easy way for kids to play indoors, take advantage of a rainy day or just enjoy doodling. When crayons are down to nubs, they can be melted and poured into thick straws or tubular molds in order to make multicolor crayons to be used over and over again.
While toddlers are able to draw without adult assistance, that does not mean they do not require adult supervision. All drawing instruments can become a choking hazard and most toddlers do not understand that they should not run with pointy objects in their hand. Lack of adult supervision may also lead to not just drawings on paper, but drawings on the walls and furniture too. Trust me. I know from experience!
I so suck at drawing that it’s hysterical, honestly. Still, I love doing it, especially with the kids.
Both my kids love to draw, however they also like to come to me for help when they don’t know how to draw something. Unfortunately for them, my drawing skills never developed past the stage of a two year old so everything I do try to show them resembles stick figures and geometrical shapes.
I just wish I could get Baby Boy to actually draw/color for a bit instead of attempting to take all the (1 or 2) drawing/writing utensils and running around with them instead! 🙂
Your post is interesting because of people’s comments. Children can’t always transpose the ideas in their head onto paper because their brain isn’t ready to link it to a developing motor skill. You’ve got to understand the physical shape of a table before you can draw anything on it! But practice and encouragement will improve the link and skill. They ask adults to help because they assume you’re more capable than them. Everyone develops the same understanding of how to translate their ideas onto paper but reach a stage where it then becomes about style and teachable artistic skills. Anyone who thinks they can’t draw, weren’t encouraged to continue once they reached the basic brain standard.
The other point is to avoid colouring books. They’re someone else’s creative ideas and stop children developing their own style. Plain paper, patterned paper or cardboard boxes with crayons, pens or paint lead to creative children.
We bought coloring books early on, but guess what my boys prefer…. yep! Just regular plain paper 🙂