Did you know that drawing is a powerful activity for early learning and brain development? Not all kids enjoy drawing but dinosaurs are pretty appealing. Kids–and adults–do not have to be good at it!! It’s a form of PLAY.
When it comes to drawing, it’s very challenging for me. I really appreciate when the drawing is reduced to a set of easy steps. The website Draw with Rich had an amazing dinosaur. Here are the steps that we used, with apologies for the missing photo that shows the arms and the legs. You can see them in the colored picture.
Instead of paper, kids can try this on a chalkboard or an easel with felts or paint.
When kids are drawing and coloring, kids 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. 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. Drawing also stimulates the imagination of children. The dinosaur and egg poster was done by a 5 year old boy and his mom together.
This is just some of the early learning and brain development potential when kids draw. As a reminder, we do not have to be good at drawing in order for it to be fun. Does your child enjoy this kind of play? Do you?