To the casual observer, a child who is drawing or coloring in, is merely scribbling. The marks seem to be haphazard, almost meaningless. But there is much more happening in your young child’s mind while s/he engages in the physical act of drawing and coloring.
In fact, examining children’s drawing may give us important insights into how drawing fits into the overall physical, emotional and cognitive development of the young child. From toddlerhood through primary school, children choose to draw and color, but the process starts much earlier – during toddlerhood.
At around the age of 18 months, toddlers become interested in scribbling. It seems to provide sensory enjoyment, but the child is also interested in the marks that are made. The act of scribbling can serve several useful purposes for the young child. Small muscle coordination and control improve eventually with practice. Cognitive abilities are exercised, opportunities for social interaction arise and importantly, the physical movements provide emotional release.
Because a toddler’s small muscle control is not fully developed, he or she may approach the coloring sheet by grasping the marker with his or her fist and may have difficulty placing the marks exactly where he or she wants them. Movements are typically large. They usually involve the entire arm with very little finger or wrist control. This is because the pattern of physical development begins from the center of the body (the trunk) outward.
With practice, the toddler will naturally improve his or her control, full control, however, will not be achieved until much later. A few toddlers rest the forearm on the drawing surface to give them additional control. A repetitive scrubbing motion is common among two-year-olds. This provides them with sensory enjoyment and making drawing a very physical act.
By providing children with the materials and opportunities to scribble we can promote physical skills. Just as babbling is a natural way to learn to speak, scribbling is a natural gateway to muscle control and coordination.
Intellectually toddlers are concerned with both the process and results of their art. They do not intend to represent objects at first. Instead, they are concerned with color and line. However, they may look at the marks and scribbles they have made and, in surprise, recognize a shape and name it. While they may not have intended to draw a dog or tree, the scribbles suggest the shapes. Children interpret, rather than intend. This is called fortuitous realism and becomes common as a child approaches three years of age.
As a parent you can encourage your child to draw and color by offering him or her opportunities to do so. Let them loose on blank sheets of paper or provide them with a coloring book or coloring sheets, many of which are available online. Little girls may enjoy coloring images of princesses and at sites like Princess Coloring Pages you’ll find many name colouring pages
Little boys to tend to prefer images of trucks, cars or machinery – but images of Disney characters are also a hit with little boys.
Remember that toddlers need constant supervision while coloring due to the choking hazard that crayons pose.
