Drawing is so important for children. From drawing a stick figure to putting splashes of color from the paint on their fingers, it’s something they enjoy thoroughly and that should always be encouraged.
Now the question is- why?
Science shows that drawing is an essential part of a child’s development. Margaret Brooks explains how “Through drawing [children] are not only able to see what they are thinking, they are also able to play around with and transform their ideas” (p.319)
So what does this mean? This means that your child should be drawing for many reasons.
- It increases their imagination. Imagination is SUCH a key part of a child’s growth- when they are imagining, they are able to form their own scenarios and play pretend, thus becoming more independent and advanced. We should all encourage imagination because it is a show of freedom of expression and creativity, two major components any child should be able to have.
- It is an amazing way of displaying emotion. Nowadays, it is far too often that people feel that they have to hide from their emotions, or do not know ways to spend their time. Drawing is a hobby and passion that can be a positive outlet. The colors they use and the things they draw are a great way for kids to show how they feel, and also make it easier later in life to express their feelings.
- Their cognitive processes increase. Cognition means acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. Drawing means they are constantly thinking or feeling something, so what they choose to draw, the patterns they use, and the story they try to portray helps them build in their knowledge and visual skills.
- Their fine motor and coordination skills increase as well. They will get to practice how to properly hold a pencil and/or crayons, and how to color in small closed areas. This is very important because holding a pencil correctly is a big step of later things they learn in life, and it affects handwriting as well.
- They will embrace creativity and confidence. Giving your child the freedom to draw means that they can create anything they want. What they draw allows you to see what’s going on in their mind, and also lets them grow in their uniqueness and originality. You should always show happiness or ask questions about what they drew so that they feel good about their work and are more confident about themselves.
Link:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09500690802595771
