What activities to do with your child when it rains? “ It's raining, it's wet, it's a frog party ”… and no, it's Wednesday. In our section “a Wednesday in the rain, you will find several activities to do indoors.

Today we are going to talk about creativity around drawing. Far from being an ordinary activity, drawing and coloring help develop many psychomotor skills and solicit the multiple intelligences of the child. So before your child turns the walls of your home into their favorite playground… Here are the 4 tips for supervising and developing your child's creativity:

Tip 1: create a dedicated and child-friendly environment

It is important to define a dedicated space where your child can settle down. Ideally, this space should be in one of your living rooms . Yes, no need to install it on the 1st floor in his bedroom, the child, and in particular the very young, likes to be next to the adults when he plays. If the size of your home allows it, try to dedicate a space in one of the living rooms (living room, kitchen, dining room, etc.)

The other possibility is to limit the space to a piece of furniture such as a small children's drawing table . This table will be THE place of reference for drawing. If the child starts drawing elsewhere, it's up to you to redirect him to his table. Other advantages of the drawing table is that it can be easily moved so that the child can draw at your side if you change rooms, or simply save space when you receive.

COLORITABLE The link

I share with you a discovery, the Coloritable. The top, the playful side for the child: he can finally write on a table! Attention, this rule will only be valid for HIS drawing table and not the other tables of the house.

Drawing offers many advantages for the child's brain . It helps to develop creativity, concentration, perseverance and reduce stress, among other things. Ideally, in the evening after a school day, the child will be able to go on his own to take a “time out” . In peace, drawing, he can decompress from his day before moving on to evening routines. While coloring, the child revisits his day (speaking or not). He will begin to relax, which will reduce his tension and stress.

La Coloritable offers a universe rich in graphics (here the theme of animals). Thus, parents and children will be able to exchange in a fun way and develop the child's vocabulary . Conversations around drawing are often joyful moments, which will reinforce optimism and complicity in family relationships . The surface of the Coloritable is large with elements of different sizes to color which will allow the fine motor skills of the child to be worked on . As he grows up, he will be able to see his own progress “ you saw mum, I don't exceed anymore ”!

The other important point for your child to develop his autonomy is the environment. Provide an accessible storage area . The child needs space to store and see clearly. Thus, he will be able, one, to access it by himself, and two, to store his things when he is finished.

Here are some examples: markers in one pot, pencils in another. The blank sheets on a board, the drawings made in a view holder so that the child can look at them whenever he wishes.

Accessible and child-friendly equipment

Tip 2: choose and use your equipment well

One of the big challenges in learning to write that teachers encounter is holding a pencil. When bad habits are formed, it is more difficult to go back. To help your child, you can choose “3-sided pencils” which allow the fingers to be positioned in the right place.

3-sided pencil

How to hold your pencil correctly to learn to write or draw?

– Catch the pencil with the thumb and forefinger.
– Place the pencil between thumb and forefinger.
– Put the thumb below and the index finger above.
– The middle finger is placed at the back followed by the other fingers.

To help the child hold his pencil so he can teach him the history of the car : “ Dad Thumb and Mom Index are at the front of the car and the Middle, Ring and Little Children are at the back.” The child should be able to lift their index finger without the pencil moving .

Tip 3: Set rules for drawing time

It is essential to define rules with the child so that you are not overwhelmed by his creative impulses. Here are the 4 questions to ask yourself and teach your child:

Where in the house (be specific) can your child draw?

On the kitchen table? On the coffee table in the living room? On the ground ? On a dedicated drawing board? For this, it is important that the adult explains to the child the first time (and the next for that matter). “ Here is your space to draw. You sit on this table with your pencils ”. And when the child takes his sheet to go elsewhere, it is important to immediately reframe him with benevolence… And firmness. “ I see that you are walking around with your sheet, on which table are you allowed to draw? or “ I see you got the pencils out? Where can you sit and draw? ”

And if the damage is done… “ The walls are made to hold frames and paintings, to draw you sit on your table with your pencils. Look, here's a sponge to clean the stain on the wall. Do you start or do I show you first? "

What time of day can your child color?

Your child has noticed that you show enthusiasm when he draws… Smart as he is, he could charm you at bedtime: “ one more drawing, one more drawing !”. To avoid conflicts on the subject and hours of negotiation, the key is in establishing routines . Draw with him the course of the end of the day (or Wednesday or weekend). And plan a “free” time where he can color.

Who tidies up the activity once it is finished?

The answer is of course… the child with participation adapted to his age and development. This requires teaching him how to tidy up. It is, indeed, important to teach order to the child. This will allow him to have better bearings and develop his autonomy. Children learn by imitation, show him where to put things, how to put them on shelves, in boxes, in short how to do things. Little tip, crouch down at his height to see if it's possible or not.

Learning to tidy up is a long learning process… The longest and most important stage being: “Doing things with the child”. Indeed, it is not innate to know how to put away your things and have fun doing it. The more you communicate to him the pleasure of tidying up with him, the less he will see this task as something negative. You might even be surprised that he quickly shows you that he is capable of tidying up “on his own like a grown-up”!

The earlier the habit of tidying up is taken, the more the automatisms will be integrated (not without reactivating them with the help of some training…). From the age of 3, tidying up can be clearly included in routines. And for those who don't have magic snaps like Mary Poppins, all that's left is... your patience and imagination 😉

To your pencils and papers, it's up to you 😉

– Delphine –