While waiting for time in the day to go to the playground or park, kids can draw about it for fun, learning, and kindergarten readiness. Drawing is both a play and a learning activity.
When kids are drawing and coloring, they are exercising both muscles and brains. It’s easy to see how children are using the small muscles in their hands, fingers, wrists, and arms. It’s not so easy to see how brains are focusing and paying attention as well as coordinating movements using drawing tools. The brain is making pictures in the mind as the body is making pictures on paper. Making mind-pictures is called visualization and it is an important thinking skill.
Just as we use words and language to communicate, we also use pictures to tell about experiences. Children can draw pictures to share with others about playgrounds. As kids both create and explain about their drawings, they will be using language too, such as the words for colors and shapes, and entire sentences. Adults have figured out that pictures hold meaning, but this is something that kids need to learn.
Having children draw and talk about these drawings is one way to reinforce this idea of images and what they mean. Parents and caregivers can ask questions like “Is this the part of the playground where you like to play?” or “Is there a part where kids can go around and around?” and others. Drawing also stimulates the imagination of children. You can ask your child to draw something new for the playground to encourage creativity. These are just a few of the different skills that kids can practice when they draw and color about playgrounds. Playgrounds can be fun on outside sunny days and on inside rainy days. Might your child like to draw about playgrounds?