Coloring Outside the Lines Builds Self Confidence

 Children’s art is very important to their growth and development, especially in the preschool years. Limiting the space they are allowed to draw in is not appropriate for this age group because it will skip so many important stages that allow growth of the child’s artistic and creative capabilities.
Around 18 months, a toddler will create art through scribbling which serves several purposes. It allows small muscle coordination and control that improves with practice, cognitive abilities are exercised and there are opportunities for social interaction. There is an emotional release as the toddler’s body moves with the art being created. They may be only a year old, who knows their creation, but it is theirs and it is wonderful.
There are several stages of growth and development when it comes to art.  The first is scribbling, random lines and doodles they are starting to cross midline of their body, right to left sides. At the next stage the scribbles take on shapes; circles, squares, triangles and crosses. Then children begin to make designs from the shapes. Their designs take on the form of people and other living things. They are at the pictorial stage.
The final form, the finished picture, or the beautiful painting, is not the goal of art for young children. This will come when they are older and have mastered many skills. The goals for preschoolers will be to express their thinking, make creations with different mediums, experiment with colors, lines, forms, shapes, textures and designs, to express emotions and feelings and to be creative. Their art will then promote creativity, build self-confidence, and help with problem solving, strategizing, and analysis.
At Creative Years we have art formed into our daily lesson plans where the children are free to explore with different mediums. We think outside of the box and let the children create their masterpiece using blocks, flyswatters, cars, legos, recycled materials and other creative ideas including the traditional paint brush. We have a specific room designed just for art that our three and four year olds visit everyday for 45 minutes. Our younger children have art time in their all day classroom. Come check out our art rooms and all the other fun subjects that we have to offer at Creative Years. We have tours by appointment daily.
See some of the children in the art rooms and the masterpieces they have created at www.creativeyears.com.