How do I motivate my kindergarten child to paint?
Painting is important for the development of children. Sure, there will be a lot of painting in the kindergarten. But also at home it is nice to give room to creativity. Painting is a meaningful activity for children: Because it networks brain regions with each other, gives fantasy space and helps children to inner calm.
Painting is also a wonderful activity for adults. Rules and goals often play an important role in our lives. Make painting at home an oasis of creativity without limits - even for the big ones! Improvements and criticism are taboo. Every painting is beautiful, just as it is. The more freedom you give yourself and your child, the more creative you can be!
Make painting easy for your kindergarten child: It is helpful if he or she has his or her painting utensils within reach: a practical painting surface, large sheets of paper or cardboard, soft pencils and chalks. By the way: Some children intimidate empty sheets of paper: Pick up the old drawing and let your child paint over it. Newspapers are also a good basis for painting.
Where does the paper end and where does the carpet begin? Small children are not yet aware of surface boundaries. If cleanliness is particularly important to you, set up a "durable" painting corner in the children's room: Washable wallpaper can endure a lot; there are also floor coverings that not take little artists amiss. So that the washing machine is not overused: Protect the clothes of your kindergarten child with a painting apron. And then it can start!
Endless fun: Painting with finger paints
Little fingers and hands don't have much strength yet. Therefore, pay attention to age-appropriate painting utensils. Especially kindergarten children like to paint with finger paints. Herewith you can create great works of art on paper, cardboard, windows or sheets. The classics are colorful handprints, on which you can also continue to paint: With a few strokes the little hand becomes an animal or a plant - or something quite inexplicable that mum and dad have never seen before!
With slightly older children you can start smelling and feeling experiments: Simply sprinkle spices, flower petals or sand on the wet finger paint and let it dry. Then sniff and touch. So painting is a double sensual experience!
Soft painting with wax crayons
Painting materials for kindergarten children must be soft and easy to hold. Wax crayons are ideal for this. They are available in many shapes. Small children still hold their painting utensils with their fists. So that they can paint relaxed, there are wax crayons, which are formed like eggs or dolphins. So the transition to the first grip - the next stage of development - is easier for them later.
Older kindergarten children like to paint with triangular wax crayons. With this chalk shape, the three-point grip can be practiced wonderfully. With wax crayons children do not only paint on paper or cardboard, but also on smooth surfaces! There are special window crayons for painting on windows and whiteboards. Good for parents and teachers: The chalk works of art can simply be wiped off dry.
The classic: Painting with coloured pencils
Coloured pencils have different shapes and thicknesses. Which coloured pencil is the right one? Kindergarten children should have it easy while painting: Thick pencils are better for their small hands. That's why the pencil lead ideally has a diameter of between 6 and 8 millimeters. The lead is very colour intensive and of course break-resistant. As far as the handle is concerned, try it out: What is the best way for your child to cope with: with a round Jumbo coloured pencil, with a triangular or a hexagonal?
In general, it is important that the pen can withstand something. Young children do not yet have any fine motor skills. This is why they often handle the pencils a little rough unintentionally. A good pencil lead can withstand that. Use coloured pencils that are break-proof and colour intensive.
If you want to get all colorful: Fibre-tip pens or felt-tip pens
Kindergarten children in particular love painting with rich colours. And here fibre pens or felt-tip pens with extra thick tips are ideal. They are great for colouring! Very young beginners scribble with fibre-tip pens gladly shining lines on the painting underlay.
The hands of kindergarten children should be able to grap the felt tip pen in a relaxed manner while painting. For this reason, the shape must be particularly thick. So that the painting pleasure lasts for a long time, pay best attention to this: The colors should not bleed
through the drawing paper. Because kindergarten children get astray on their own trousers when they are painting: choose fibre-tip pens whose traces can be washed out.
Look, it glitters: Painting with gel crayons
Gel crayons fascinate kindergarten children: they are ultra-soft and glide effortlessly over the paper while painting. The best: Some of them glitter! Gel crayons also take the colour wishes of the youngest into consideration: colourful is better! Slightly older kindergarten children notice: Gel crayons can be painted over with water. That's great, because you can splash around and discover completely new colour effects.
Water in the painting corner: Great for children. For parents, well. So that there will be no flooding and no trouble later: Make the painting setting "waterproof". Also important: Practice the use of water: Fill the cup only half full and let your child go back to the painting place with it. Accompany the first water painting attempts. And if something goes wrong: Half as bad!
Small Picassos at work: Painting with the paint box
The paint box brings even more creativity into the children's room: This is where they mix and paint with water, whatever they need. Always a new color comes out. This is a great painting experience for kindergarten children. It shows them: My actions have an effect!
Let your child play with colours. Instructions are often a hindrance. Children quickly find out what happens when they mix colors. To make painting with the paint box a complete success, you can prepare yourself:
- Put on a painting apron for your little colour artist.
- Lay out newspaper to protect the surrounding Areas.
- Have big drawing paper ready.
- Think about where you can safely dry the wet works of art.
