How and why children draw
Children feel the need to express themselves. They fulfill this uniquely human trait by interacting with different people, by responding to the things they observe in their environment and most importantly through drawing.
Drawing not only enhances the developmental skills of a child, it also aids in the ability of the child to express himself creatively. His thinking and communication skills are also being developed because drawing motivates him to discuss his creations. Children who are involved in the expressive act of drawing are participating in their own learning. When given choices and ample time to create, they will construct their own realities, communicate their feelings and ideas which in turn make sense of and give meaning to their world.
Children are able to learn very quickly how to use the different mediums and techniques available in drawing. They have a wide selection of tools to choose from, and almost intuitively understand how to make marks on a blank piece of paper. Coloring materials such as crayons, pastel colors, paint, colored markers, colored pencils, watercolors and chalk are the most popular choices for young hands.
When a child begins to make drawings with meaning, he or she is entering an important stage of creating and communicating. The inspiration of a child stems from the hundreds of ideas running through his mind – which most of the time can result in bizarre pictures that only the child can personally understand.
These ideas can also result in colorful, recognizable drawings of people, animals, objects, places, and so on. Whether or not every drawing that a child makes is a masterpiece, it is through this repeated activity that children learn to experiment and practice different drawing techniques that can further fuel their creativity. Through drawing, children increase their understanding of colors, shapes and even spatial concepts.
While there is an urge in parents and society to develop a child’s creativity by enrolling them in art classes, there is just as much value in simply letting children draw whatever they think and feel. Children feel the most joy in drawing spontaneously, that is without any rules or limitations. The benefit of free drawing is that it cultivates within a child the independence to create images, characters and dimensions that they can relate to and think of.
Drawing helps a child to filter the things that he likes or dislikes. Through his drawings a child can set out his dreams and wishes on paper, and make them seem a bit more real. Children, like professional artists, can also draw according to their emotions. Children will produce happy drawings of their families or other familiar subjects but they can also create drawings depicting sad or scary thoughts. How can parents respond to this form of creativity in children? By simply showing a genuine appreciation through listening to the child talk about the ideas in the drawing, and by asking the child how they feel about their drawing, the parent is nurturing a positive form of communication.
Drawing is thus an important tool for very young children, by providing them with opportunities to represent intricate personal narratives and to use them to communicate with significant others in their lives. Drawing offers a window into children’s preoccupations, passions, problems and possibilities. Many adults can listen and respond to these narratives and appreciate the power and meaning of children’s drawings, and thus help in the development of these young thinkers.
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