When you are a father or mother, one of the most anticipated moments is the one in which your child makes his first drawing. Milestones such as the child indicating what he has drawn, feeling a preference for one color or another, or the fact that a drawing resembles “something” fill us with pride and are moments longed for by all. Although, graphic motor skills is a long process and these long-awaited results appear in their final phase.
Below I show those characteristic milestones in the graphic expression of children, those aspects of a drawing that determine the evolutionary stage of our child, in short, how do children draw? This vision obeys the motor factor of the little one, that is, we are going to classify and order the type of drawing according to the activity of the body (shoulder, arm, hand, fingers and eyes), with the Calmy classification. So we can discover how children draw and why.
What do you need for children to draw?
- A child from 18 to 60 months.
Instructions for drawing children
The first stage is dominated by the motor factor. With the drawing we work on the grip, the posture, the autonomy of the arm, the forearm and the hand.
- At eighteen months, children hold the drawing tool with their whole hand. They
scribble without hand-eye coordination. The movements have a motor origin, performing the rotation around the shoulder, so they are performed with the whole arm. - Between twenty and twenty-two months the sweeping doodle appears, becoming the axis of movement, so that, in the first instance, there is a point of retreat in the drawing, although it ends up disappearing. The first elliptical and circular shapes appear. Children begin to control the thumb, so they can begin to limit the movement of the wrist, allowing the realization of short and discontinuous features (rings and lines); Although, what is produced has not yet been seen.
- At thirty months the tool can be clamped. Children make independent strokes and, with effort, can better close shapes. It is the stage in which children enjoy their drawings the most because they feel pleasure with movement. Also, although hand-eye coordination does not yet exist, the eye follows the hand.
During the second stage the perceptive factor dominates. Visual perception, hand-eye coordination, interest, concentration and curiosity are widely developed. These aspects give children’s drawing a greater visual quality.
- At thirty-six months, hand-eye coordination finally occurs, which allows children to master the starting and ending points of the strokes of their drawings. They observe and try to direct the movements, trying to draw on the paper. It is at this moment when we are initiating children in an approach to writing, so it is a crucial moment in which we must use everything we have as a most stimulating resource for them. Crosses, spirals, spontaneous imitative drawings and the long-awaited “tadpoles” appear, the first representation of the human being that bears a certain resemblance to reality. The child is interested in the results of what we already consider a DRAWING.
In the third stage, the dominant factor is the representative one, where the intentionality and meaning of the drawing appear. Although at all stages language is important, in this we have to use it as the most valuable resource in order to obtain successful results in children.
- Around forty-two months, children give meaning to their drawings, turning them into a symbol, although initially there are no similarities between reality and its graphic representation. If you ask them after they have made the drawings, they will be able to tell you what they have painted.
- At forty-eight months there is intentionality. Children are able to inform in advance what they are going to capture in their drawings. In addition, they are interested in colors.
- At around sixty months the drawings are quite elaborate and it is possible to make borders and fretwork.
Tips for drawing children
- As we have already indicated, each age corresponds to some representative milestones. Don’t ask your child to stay away from the drawing if he is just beginning to control the movement of his elbow.
- Also, don’t ask him not to go off the page if he has just started drawing.
- In general, pay attention to the abilities and possibilities of the child according to his age and ask him for those that he can achieve so that he does not get frustrated by being able to do what you ask of him.
- Take advantage of the child’s first years to draw in a less conventional way because at school they will not have a chance.
- You can change the format. For example, stick a very large piece of continuous paper on the floor or on the wall or encourage him to paint on the same table if it is made of chipboard or another washable material.
- Another option is to change the material. Encourage him to paint with ripe fruit. This way you will learn a new use for the fruit and you will not get bored of the typical crayons for children. Make edible tempera by mixing flour, water and food coloring and let him paint with his hands.
- The options are very varied. The important thing is to stimulate the child so that he is able to develop all of her abilities.