Coloring for kids might seem like such a basic, simple activity, but it's actually exceptionally beneficial to their development. Most of us probably grew up coloring throughout our childhood and might have even carried that hobby into adulthood due to its calming, soothing nature.
If you're stuck for a fun yet meaningful way to engage your toddler, coloring is a staple you can always fall back on. What's more, it's super inexpensive and you can do it just about anywhere. It's also a great activity to encourage before bedtime as it's proven to calm the central nervous system by relaxing the brain.
Here's why you should encourage coloring on a regular basis.
Coloring for Kids Encourages Patience and Concentration
It's no secret that toddlers aren't adept at sitting still. They are busybodies on a mission to explore the world around them. This is where activities such as coloring can encourage the skill of sitting still and focusing on one task at a time.
Learning how to concentrate on coloring, and staying within the lines, teaches your child patience, too. Sure, their level of focus might not last that long -- a few solid minutes in many cases. But the more you practice this activity, the better your child can become at concentrating for longer periods.
It's Great for Hand-Eye Coordination
If you've ever colored in a very detailed picture as an adult, you'll understand how much patience and coordination it actually takes. Now, imagine if you were a child, trying to do the same thing.
The point here is that coloring is one of the best building blocks for establishing that hand-eye coordination from an early age. And hand-eye coordination is an essential tool we use in our everyday lives.
While your toddler might not be able to color within the lines (just yet), the more they practice, the better this coordination becomes. Not only this but learning how to hold crayons at a young age is great for their pencil grasp development as they grow.
It Builds Their Early Writing Skills
In today's day and age, being literate, i.e. having the ability to read and write, is a very important quality in terms of education, and opportunity in later life. Literacy forms the basis of nearly everything we do, it's how we learn to communicate.
The hand-eye coordination and pencil grip that your child learns from coloring helps to establish their early writing and communication skills. Coloring means learning how to control the direction and speed of a crayon, which will later translate into how your child writes with a pen or pencil.
Your Child Learns About Color, Shapes, and Counting
It sounds obvious, but coloring for kids is one of the best ways to teach them the basics, such as colors, shapes, and counting. As your child chooses a crayon to color with, this is a good time to name the color and encourage them to learn how it applies in everyday life. I.e. the sky is blue, the grass is green, etc.
You can also practice drawing and coloring in different shapes while teaching them the names of these shapes and how they relate to things around them. Finally, there's also the skill of counting and guiding them to take note of how many flowers they've colored in, etc.
A World of Knowledge is Just a Click Away
Coloring for kids is an activity every parent should do their best to encourage from an early age. The best part is that it doesn't have to cost you a fortune, and it's an activity you can always rely on for at least 5 minutes of peace and quiet!
If you're interested in the topics of education, parenting, or health and fitness, be sure to explore the rest of this blog for a plethora of knowledge.
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