Children will begin their drawing by scribbling. Around 2 years of age, the scribbles will become more controlled and repetitive, and children may begin to grip crayons and markers between their thumb and pointer finger for more control. Offer a variety of art materials at this age. Don’t focus only on drawing with tools: children can draw by tracing pictures in the sand, or shaping clay and sticking it on the page. Buy washable paints, nontoxic clay, chalk, child-safe scissors, and many kinds of paper, and store in an easy to access spot.
Avoid the impulse to correct. Small children may paint purple grass, floating people, and babies the size of houses. If you correct them you will damage their self-confidence and interrupt their natural learning progress.
If you ask “what does the girl smell,” for example, they are more likely to add a nose. If you ask “is the dog lonely at night?” they may draw more animals. This kind of exchange encourages imagination, story-telling abilities, and drawing skills. [7] X Research source
Children are likely to tell you that certain squiggles “mean” something, or ask you to read them aloud. Affirm the meaning of the squiggles that are read to you, and ask for help reading the others. Let children use the texts they produce. Bring them to the post office to mail their “letters” (with an accompanying note) to relatives, Santa, or themselves.
It is more important that a child’s practice is affirmed than that their art products are displayed. Displaying final products is no replacement for encouraging the development of their drawing. [10] X Trustworthy Source Zero to Three Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a healthy start to life. Go to source [11] X Research source
Provide pencils and multiple pieces of paper, and gently discourage eraser use. Say they can start a drawing as many times as they want, and erase false lines when they are done. Do not force observational drawing on a child. Pushing a child to a new stage of drawing might discourage or stunt their learning. Affirm other kinds of drawings as well: storytelling and imagination based drawings, abstract or emotional drawings. [14] X Research source
After they have practiced the lines, let them draw the whole shape. Keep the page of practice lines nearby for further practice or reference. [18] X Research source Have children practice drawing without ever looking down. Have children draw and only look down when they have finished drawing a line. Let them check on their progress, but encourage them to look down as little as possible.
Say “I see you drew a strong curving stem for the flower, and you shaded a texture into the dirt. Now, do you see any smaller parts at the end of the stem? Where do they start and stop?” Avoid showing your own drawings of an object, or drawing on a child’s paper. Children are hardwired to learn by imitation, but this is not helpful for learning drawing.
Let them arrange objects in piles and draw them.
Children around age 11 may wish to give up on drawing. Teaching them age-appropriate skills and encouraging them to try new methods will help them stay motivated. Enlarge the child’s concept of art. One way to head off the decline of a child’s artistic practice is to teach them other forms. Drawing abstractions, comics, or design can rekindle the confidence of a child who is stuck on realism.
