paint cut paste

i’m not necessarily a person who stresses staying inside the lines… but once N was showing interest in “coloring in” everything she drew on her magnadoodle, i realized that she’d probably love coloring books. i was right!

i found these great do-a-dot activity books that have large color blocks to color in, which is great for toddlers and young preschoolers. (i think these books are intended to go with the do-a-dot paints, but good ol’ crayons do the trick.)

i gave N a set of crayons and her new animal coloring book, and she sat at her little table in the kitchen and colored for over an hour (while i made tuscan kale soup for dinner) and she talked with me about all sorts of imaginal things while she worked, and made up rhymes and songs.

as an art therapist, i often lean toward free expression and art activities that are not pre-fabricated (like coloring books are;) however, coloring books can be a wonderful way of fostering confidence and pride in a young artist. aside from the obvious lessons of color, shape, and line, they metaphorically teach boundaries and limitations, which are skills my 2-year-old is working on in her life.

introducing coloring books a year ago led to a lot of scribbling over the pre-drawn images (also awesome,) but when i gave N the coloring book yesterday, i saw that she is now ready and interested in coloring the shapes. i saw firsthand how coloring books can increase concentration in an activity and diligence at a task. and aside from all of that psychobabble mumbo-jumbo, they’re just fun, and they give momma an opportunity to cook dinner without resorting to plugging her into little bear. (<– OMG, i just saw at that link that they have little bear printable coloring pages… this blends N’s greatest loves – art and little bear. must print immediately.) happy coloring!

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1. mandala coloring book
2. you’re invited
3. true to life