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By Kevin Stuckey, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Coloring is not only a classic and favorite pastime for children, but it is also a simple activity that helps children to develop cognitively, psychologically, and creatively. It sparks their imagination and gives children and adults alike an opportunity to express themselves. By giving your children drawing sheets of their favorite cartoons, animals or television characters, you are offering them the opportunity to engage in a creative way of learning. Young children love coloring and should be encouraged to explore their creative thoughts.
Here are some benefits of coloring worksheets for children:
- Improve Handwriting – Children need both hand strength and dexterity to manipulate a pencil on a paper with the proper pencil grasp. Activities such as coloring will help teach them to hold the writing tool in the correct manner. The attention to detail children gain through this activity will aid them in writing both printed letters and cursive script. Starting out with coloring pages at an early age can help to develop these strengths so that writing comes more easily and naturally.
- Improve Focus and Hand-Eye Coordination – The act of holding crayons, choosing colors, coloring different characters, and even sharpening crayons can all help with cultivating strong hand-eye coordination in preschool-aged children. Coloring books require children to color within a specified area which will help them as they develop their hand-eye coordination.
- Patience, Relaxation, and Self-Esteem – Coloring can help children learn the skill of patience. It allows them to be relaxed and comfortable while creating a piece of art. Through coloring, children can benefit from processing their feelings, frustrations and emotions. When children use colors, they learn to be more relaxed and comfortable. Completing a coloring sheet gives children a sense of accomplishment, which builds their self-esteem. Coloring regularly and completing projects can boost children’s sense of accomplishment and pride in themselves.
- Focus, Boundaries, Structure and Spatial Awareness – It has been proven that children who spend their time coloring have better concentration and focus skills. The exposure to boundaries will be a great help while learning to write as adhering to boundaries is an important part of juvenile and adolescent development.
- Color Awareness and Recognition – Children receive their first exposure to the color wheel by crayons, colored pencils, and markers. Using different colors gives children a chance to explore the different color combinations. It also teaches them about lesser-known colors. Learning the names and hues of colors is a foundational skill for children. Coloring fosters practice and awareness of primary colors. Children learn secondary colors as they mix primary colors.
- Improve Motor Skills – Fine motor skills help children to write and manipulate small objects. The actions, motions, and precise grip involved in coloring can aid in the development of the muscles of the fingers, hands and wrist. Fine motor skill development can help children write more skillfully as well as manipulate small objects. They can then build on these skills to become better typists and more adept in sports and other activities.
- Stimulates Creativity – Coloring gives children an opportunity to express their creative side. It allows them to think about different color combinations they can use to create their own unique picture. Do not get upset if children are not coloring properly or if they choose to color outside the lines. Teach children how to fill a space and color in different directions. Whether they stay in the lines or not, coloring fosters a creative spirit and an appreciation for visual differences. Coloring can spark the imagination and inspire children to brainstorm and learn to think of new ideas on their own naturally.
- Self-Expression – Some children like to express themselves through words, while some prefer to use art. If a child draws the sun, hearts and other cheerful objects, then he may be expressing content and satisfaction. Every person expresses themselves differently, and many children are visual in nature. Coloring is a proven therapeutic task for some children, especially if they do it frequently. They vent their feelings, frustrations, and other emotions though this art form.
- Language Development and Learning to Plan – Coloring and discussing their creation gives children an opportunity to learn new words and sentences. Children use descriptive words to talk about their feelings when they see different styles of coloring sheets. Once they learn how to decide on which colors to use, they can then plan their coloring activities in a more coordinated manner. They will learn to pick the colors to use in their pictures and they will know the correct order in which to apply colors within a picture.
Coloring sheets, books, and pages can be integral in preparing children for the more structured work on paper ahead of them.
Most children thoroughly enjoy coloring which can foster physical and psychological development in a range of areas. By
encouraging their love of coloring at an early age, you’ll contribute to a lifetime of positive benefits. Even though coloring may be
perceived as a simple activity, it does provide children an excellent opportunity to develop skills that they can use for the rest of
their lives. In addition to gaining crucial foundational skills, coloring provides a powerful outlet to spark their imagination and it
provides them with an excellent means to express their inner thoughts and feelings.
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