Drawing knows no age restrictions and requires very few supplies. What’s more, this activity can offer benefits for your child. Learn how!
By Annie Turcotte
1. Spark creativity
Creativity is a skill developed through exercise, sort of like a muscle. The more a child is encouraged to transform a blank page into a work of art, the more they’ll refine their techniques and develop their imagination. And it doesn’t require special talent. What’s important is to get ideas and thoughts onto the paper. Through this practice, children improve their ability to reflect in their daily lives to find creative solutions to problems both large and small.
2. Let out emotions
Drawing is a form of communication. This form of expression is especially important for children who aren’t yet speaking, as well as those who have a developmental delay or disability that presents communication challenges. By establishing full concentration on their work, a child releases certain emotions they made have been holding inside—oftentimes without even knowing it. Art therapy has seen great success among withdrawn children who express their feelings more openly through a pencil.
3. Ease tension
Multiple studies have shown that undertaking an artistic activity such as drawing lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. If your youngster seems tense when they get home from school or daycare, it might be helpful to set them up with drawing supplies while you make dinner. Once they’ve finished a drawing, remember to display their work openly on the fridge to recognize their work and encourage their desire to draw more and more.
4. Improve fine motor skills
Drawing helps young children develop their motor skills and coordinate their small fingers. Though drawing may seem simple for an adult, children must learn to hold their pencil correctly, apply pressure to the paper, and control the back-and-forth movements of their hand. Little ones’ art improves over time and can become a point of reference for parents, who can then measure progress in their child’s dexterity. For the child’s motor skills to fully develop, traditional coloring with paper and pencil should be prioritized over touch screens, which require much less coordination.
5. Live in the present
Drawing offers us an opportunity to live from one pencil stroke to the next, without dwelling too much in the past or future. It’s like a form of meditation, where everything happens in the here and now. This concept extends to the entire household. So settle in as a family to doodle or get together for a game of Pictionary, where everyone has to guess what another player is drawing. Fun is guaranteed! There’s something for everyone, from the youngest to the oldest.
The Nebulous Stars collection offers everything you need for creative, positive, and relaxing drawing activities! Whether it’s a light pad to learn the basics through tracing, sketchbooks with stencils and scratch designs, or colored pencil sets, you’ll find all your kids’ essentials.