Drawing

As a kindergarten teacher, I always found it odd to meet a child who did not like to color, draw, or anything like that. At 4/5/6, most children enjoy coloring and being creative, but every once in a while you'd come across a child who would rather do anything than color. This posed one unique problem in that a lot of kindergarten work is done through coloring... whether it is completing a worksheet, illustrating a picture or diagramming how you solved a math problem... you need to draw it so I can see that you know what you know.

For Christmas, Blake got TaDoodles Crayons. When I originally saw these as a teacher I was like... these are great! Young toddlers will be able to color without the issue of holding the crayon... yeah nope! First off Blake tried to eat all the tops off the crayons. Second he would hold them and then try to draw with the side of the TaDoodle not with the crayon part.

I would help him from time to time, but he wasn't really interested in drawing with them. So we put them away and said... soon we will try again.

For Easter, Blake got TaDoodles First Marks and TaDoodles All-in-one Paint. Again I think... ok lets try this again and see what happens. Again he tries to eat them (yes he tries to eat everything!). But, the bigger issue was he still wasn't comfortable holding them the way they were designed to be held, andddd they got paint and marker EVERYWHERE! At least they are washable!

Ok... I give up. We will put these all up here and sooner or later we will try again. Maybe when his teeth finally finish cutting and he doesn't want to eat anything and everything. Well, my little guy decided he was ready to try again. He was looking at a simple board book that was about the color purple. He turned to the crayon page, brought the book to me and I said "look a purple crayon". At this time, he walked over to the counter where the crayons were and pointed up. I got down the box of Kid's First Large Washable Crayons and the pad of blank paper. He then sat with Richard and I and colored not one, not two but three different pages. He only tried to eat one crayon one time and stopped before he even got it in his mouth.

The next day he again went over to the counter and pointed up to the crayons wanting to draw another picture. I thought ok lets try the TaDoodles again... yeah NOPE! That was a major failure. So for Blake anyway we will stick with the good old fashion fat crayons. And just be happy that he has decided to like to draw!

10 comments:

  1. He's still pretty little yet, huh?..... It has differed with my children as well. Hannah started coloring and drawing by the time she was two, and she LOVES art work, period. Ian has never shown interest in coloring or drawing at all, but has obliged his kindergarten teacher while at school. He likes to doodle a little bit, but the arts and crafts? Not his thing. Olivia is two, and she likes to scribble/scrabble on just about anything, although she still eats a crayon and chalk like it's candy. Um... ew?? Those can't taste good! Good for your little guy to discover art work..... there are few better decorations then something your child makes!

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  2. Heh - Play-Doh is edible, too!

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  3. glad avery wasn't the only one having issues with the markers and paint! he holds them by the point side and got more on him than the paper. he does MUCH better with the fat crayons and i bought some nice big easel paper over the weekend!

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  4. I think that sometimes we try to make things 'easier' for kids and it actually is work. Good old fat crayons worked for years and have always worked best for my kids. Plus, you want them to learn the correct way to hold a pencil, crayon, marker, etc. Using those big round toddler things doesn't teach that. So what if they palmer grab it a bunch of time, eventually they will hold it the right way. But not if you use those other things. So I say, good for you and Blake!

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  5. I find that both my boys were not into colouring until they hit 3 - 3 and half. And once Jack hit school he really started to enjoy it.

    Blake will come around, I promise!

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  6. Our OT really recommends staying skinny to help with grasp. So we've tried to avoid all of the thick crayons. My son wasn't super into it until he was over 2. But he showed himself to be quite the artist soon after that. My daughter...not so much.

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  7. I was overly excited for TaDoodles, too...we're on a break from them since we now believe they are a food.

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  8. I have never seeb those Tadoodles. I think it is so cute Blake tries to eat everything. Good for him for coloring with the big fat crayone. hey- whatever works.

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  9. I guess you gotta be happy with the trying part

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  10. I, too, try all the newest crazes in art-stuff. I'm really trying to work on holding a pencil/crayon correctly with my son. I've bought the grips, the triangular crayons, the "rocket" pen ... and he still grasps it in a fist. I taught first grade. I should know how to handle this. I can't figure it out. So...we keep trying.

    Maybe it will be the old-fashined crayons that win. :)

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