One of the great “all weather” activities most kids love is drawing. It has been shown to have significant effects on children’s cognitive development, as well as a host of other benefits including fine motor skills, thought mapping and communication. This Conversation article explains the many stages of drawing through childhood. Zero to Three has a more detailed discussion of younger children and the way they develop drawing skills.
Colouring and Printables
Many websites have free colouring pages you can print at home, some of our favourites include Crayola, Thomas the Tank Engine, Peppa Pig, and printable free coloring. If there’s a particular topic your child wants to colour, it’s usually possible to google “name of topic free colouring” and you’ll find a host of options.
If you’re looking for some easy printable step-by step how to draw guides for young children, this site from the UK has a great range of free options to learn to draw anything from a baboon to William Shakespeare.
Video tutorials
There are lots of video tutorials out there showing kids how to draw. The trick is to find one suitable for your child in terms of age and of subject. There’s no point trying to get a cars mad 7 year old to draw a princess tower. The Art for Kids Hub is a family project who show fun and straightforward drawing sessions together.
Materials
We love Crayola’s products. They are long lasting, easy to clean (if you buy easy clean options), and they have a broad range for different age groups. We have a great multipack for young kids which includes scissors which can only cut paper, crayons, markers and a variety of other treats, as well as the sidewalk chalksset which are huge chunky chalks our one year old draws easily with. The best bit is that they wipe off the walls.
