The benefits of drawing activities for preschoolers
For children, the activities they do in preschool often seem like they’re just for fun. Educators, however, understand that these fun activities are lessons that foster their development. Learning to draw is an important pre-writing skill with the following benefits:
Develops motor skills and coordination
Drawing is simply moving a pen or pencil across a page. Following instructions for what to draw requires additional skill, but simply wielding a utensil helps develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These are essential skills for learning how to write letters and numbers.
Improves observation skills
Following instructions means children have to pay attention to detail. Drawing with a purpose encourages them to thoroughly observe the example they’re recreating or should be inspired by and what they’re putting on their page. Being able to take in details and utilize them improves their ability to observe.
Boosts problem-solving abilities
Young children may be more familiar with coloring, while drawing is likely a new skill for them. Working to create a certain image means they must create a strategy or method for forming it. As they learn how to transfer an image to the page they are practicing their problem-solving skills.
Fosters imagination and creativity
Even if there are specific directions or certain images that children are trying to draw, they’ll still create something unique. Each child will interpret the directions or the example in their own way. Drawing fosters their imagination and creative development as they design their art.
Easy drawing ideas
Here are a few examples of drawing activities for children that will unlock their inner artist.
Object tracing
Object tracing is one of the most straightforward drawing ideas to engage children because all they need is an everyday object to trace. They can experiment with tracing objects of various shapes and sizes, and it can help younger children practice their fine motor skills as they hold different objects and trace around them.
You’ll need:
- Any object to trace. Objects can include shoes, kitchen spatulas, toilet paper cardboard rolls, spoons, forks, or Legos—literally, anything goes!
- Pencils or markers
- Paper
Place the object onto the paper and trace around it with either pencils or markers. Trace one big item, color it in, or trace multiple items to create a unique design.
Drawing on popsicle sticks
This drawing idea is an easy way to expand creativity using a medium other than paper. You will need craft sticks or tongue depressors and a pack of markers.
Have children draw and color directly on the popsicle sticks and watch the masterpieces come to life. For an added step, grab a glue gun and glue the sticks together to form a sculpture.
Observational drawing
Observational drawing is drawing what you see in front of you. Your subject could be a still life of an object, a landscape, or even a person. The goal is to present what you see as realistically and close to form as possible.
This activity is a great way to develop early math skills, such as recognizing size, shape, and proportions. What you will need:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Eraser (optional)
- Other materials like crayons, colored pencils, or markers
- Object or item to draw
Set up your art materials beside whatever you want to draw. Then, outline the object that you are drawing. Next, observe the object periodically as you draw to ensure you get the shapes and proportions right.
Younger children will mostly focus on the general shape and colors of the objects, while older children will add details like texture and proportions.
When introducing younger children to observational drawing, ask them about the shapes and sizes they see and then guide them on how they can translate that to paper.
For example, if the object is a flower, have the child start with the center shape first and then move on to the other shapes to create the petals. Then they can move on to the stems and leaves until the entire flower is complete.
Doodling
Children can turn their doodles into art with just a simple piece of paper and colored markers.
Start by encouraging children to scribble or draw different shapes with a single line using a black marker on a piece of paper. Then they can fill in the various shapes created with colors and patterns. This activity is as easy as it is fun and lends to a quick clean-up.
Hand tracing
Hand tracing is a tried and tested method of getting children’s creativity flowing. Place the child’s hand flat on a piece of paper and outline its shape with a marker. What is left is a blank canvas that they can fill with colors or patterns.
Letter drawing
This is another easy drawing idea with minimal supplies needed. All you need is paper and a marker. Start by writing their name on the piece of paper and have the child draw or color directly on and around the letters.
This activity is bound to keep them occupied for a long time while boosting their creativity. You can also write more words as they think of new ideas with each drawing.
Watercolor or finger painting
Allow young children to paint using watercolors or their fingers. They can draw animals, shapes, or even write their names. They can even use other objects to add texture or designs to the drawings, such as forks, combs, or sponges dipped in paint.
Creating with clay
The possibilities are endless when creating with clay. It can be rolled, molded, squished, poked, and punched. Clay can be shaped into anything you want, and this is such a fun way to engage your children. Because of the limitless possibilities offered, it’s a great tool to encourage creativity and imagination and strengthen fine motor skills.
How to encourage a child who doesn’t like drawing
Drawing is one of the most important activities your children can participate in, and its benefits are immense. However, if your child is not enthusiastic about drawing, here are a few tips and tricks to encourage them:
- Remind them that you are drawing for fun. Sometimes a lack of enthusiasm is due to insecurity. Ensure them that there is no right or wrong way to draw.
- Focus on the process and not the end product. You can do this through activities like doodling, drawing to music, and concentrating on abstract art.
- Showcase children’s artwork on classroom walls. This simple gesture can help increase children’s confidence in their ability.
- Use drawing prompts to help reluctant artists out of their shells and engage their imaginations. Many guided drawing items and instructional videos are available to help you get started. Art for Kids Hub on YouTube has hundreds of options for you to choose from.
- Share art activities with families in your daily reports or preschool newsletters as a way to partner together for a strong home-to-school connection.