Do your children claim not to like coloring? (Or perhaps they prefer to eat the crayons to draw with them?)
There are several really easy (and inexpensive) solutions for increasing coloring time if you still want to assist your children in reaping the rewards of the coloring process.
Discover how you can use these 13 unbelievably easy ways to make coloring fun for kids.
Got a Coloring Grouch?
I have always enjoyed coloring.
My favorite gifts as a child included a brand-new box of crayons and a coloring book.
When I was thinking of new ways to use my crayons, I would spend hours examining the various colors and their names.
Naturally, I assumed that coloring would be a fantastic activity that would foster creativity and connection when I had children.
My oldest child enjoyed doing coloring books. As opposed to a coloring book, he liked the blank page. That’s great, too.
Then, my second boy came along…
Bob, who is now 14 years old, abhorred coloring. This youngster found everything about coloring to be irritating, including the feel of the crayon and the sound it made as it moved over the page. He was a coloring grouch.
(He disliked penmanship as well. I frequently ponder whether there was a relationship because I was left-handed and had dysgraphia as a young child.
I didn’t push Bob to color because he didn’t enjoy doing so. Other ways to enjoy arts and crafts abound!
However, his preschool teacher loved coloring and assigned several pages and activities each day.
When Bob returned home, his overwhelming emotions would take over (or, to put it more accurately, he would curl himself into a fetal position on the floor while shrieking and sobbing).
I was aware that I couldn’t make Bob like to color. But I was aware that there had to be some original approaches to getting him to appreciate kids’ coloring.
For Bob and his three younger brothers, these 13 really simple solutions worked. I’m sharing these ideas in the hopes that you may utilize them to stop crying and losing your temper with your coloring grouch.
Why Coloring Is a Fantastic Activity for Kids
Let’s look at how coloring helps youngsters and why you should attempt these suggestions before I get to these fantastic ideas and strategies.
Color Psychology shares 10 benefits of coloring pages for kids, including:
- Improved motor skills
- Stimulation of creativity
- Better eye-hand coordination
- “Boundaries, structure, and spatial awareness”
Mom Junction provides a list of 13 advantages that coloring gives your kids, like:
- Improve handwriting
- Confidence boost
- Relaxation and patience practice
- Pencil (writing utensil) grip
A simple pastime like coloring can be used in so many different ways to advance knowledge and abilities.
13 Unbelievably Easy Ways to Make Coloring Fun for Kids
These easy suggestions for making coloring enjoyable for kids are gentle methods to help your youngster get more enjoyment out of the activity.
I advise using just one concept at a time and evaluating the results. If such advice is successful, great! Include it in your arsenal of strategies for engaging youngsters in coloring.
You are always the greatest judge of your child. Start with the concept you believe your child will like the most. You can discuss these options with your child and let them make their own choice.
1. Use a Variety of Coloring Materials
Sure, crayons are cool for coloring.
But, color pencils, markers, and erasable pens can be such fun.
Other easy-to-use coloring materials that my boys love are Kwik Stix and erasable highlighters.
Each of these tools gives the end product a unique feel and could be easier to use.
2. Textures
Add some pizazz to coloring fun for kids with a bit of texture.
Look for various textures both inside and outside of your property.
Indoor textures that work well include crumbled-then-smoothed aluminum foil, sandpaper, knobby fabric, and brick.
Outdoor textures that are amazing for jazzing up your coloring fun include tree bark, leaves, and concrete.
To keep your coloring sheet in place on top of the texture, use some painter’s tape or washi tape. Use your preferred coloring app to observe how that texture affects your artwork.
3. DIY Frames
Make your own special frames to display your coloring pages.
You can use cardstock or cardboard for a sturdy background.
Decorate after separating the frame region. Here are some creative ideas to embellish your homemade frame:
- stickers
- buttons
- small shells
- pompoms
- pipe cleaners
- stamps
- sequins
- small pebbles
- pressed flowers
- woodcraft sticks
- washi tape
- aluminum foil
- cotton balls
Use washi tape or painter’s tape to attach your coloring page to the frame when you’ve finished decorating it. The frame may be used over and over again!
4. Make a Book or Keepsake
Give your coloring experiences purpose!
Perhaps motivating your youngster to color by giving them a purpose or aim would do the trick? Additionally, encouraging your youngster to color intentionally might help them feel inspired to produce their finest work.
5. Repurpose Your Coloring Artwork
Color again serving a role. This time, though, consider how your child may utilize their pages as wrapping paper, cards, and gifts.
6. Creative Display and Decor
Coloring papers don’t always have to go in the garbage! Assist your youngster in understanding the worth and significance of their effort.
Post your child’s coloring pages on the refrigerator and other locations that get a lot of traffic. Place them in frames you made yourself or bought, or upload them to the Gallery section at Coloringbookforfree.com for many people to see your kid’s art.
Coloring pages are wonderful conversation pieces that add a special touch to your home and office.
7. Add “Styles” to Make Coloring Fun for Kids
That’s what my boys call this technique 😉
You don’t have to just color in the lines (unless it’s a specific direction for school work!).
Your child can use a variety of “styles” to add a unique touch to their coloring pages. A few ideas include:
- dots
- circles
- lines
- zigzags
- swirls
- crosshatch
8. Give a Challenge
Maybe your child complains that coloring is “too easy” and “babyish”?
Give your child a fun challenge to bump up the required effort!
Have your child use their opposite hand (non-dominant) to color.
Or your child can only color with one eye open.
Use washi tape or masking tape to stick a few fingers together to see what it feels like.
A bit of a creative challenge can turn a simple activity into lots of fun.
9. Watercolor Wash
When your child’s coloring artwork is complete, add a splash of color.
On the coloring sheet, use watercolor paints. Your youngster is free to use a single color or a variety. Watching the watercolors penetrate the paper and bead off the crayon wax is intriguing.
10. Enjoy Interest-Led Coloring Fun
Give your youngster coloring papers featuring characters and plots from their preferred books and movies. My guys adore the coloring sheets and crafts we have for Harry Potter and Star Wars.
These kinds of holiday-themed coloring sheets are also great. Since kids are eagerly anticipating the vacation, coloring pages may not appear so monotonous.
11. Play Music to Make Coloring Fun for Kids
Play some of your favorite music as your youngster colors to create a wonderful mood. You may choose the type of music your child needs at the time, such as calming, lively, etc.
12. Listen to Audiobooks
Listening to an audiobook is another simple approach to increase children’s enjoyment of coloring. I’ve listened to several audiobooks while having fun coloring with my boys. Excellent diversion for your coloring grouch
13. Make Your Own Crayons
Children adore feeling like they are a part of the action. Gather up your old crayons, peel off the wrappers, and create your own coloring tools.
These unusual crayons might be the finishing touch your youngster needs to enjoy coloring.
I hope these tips and ideas will help you encourage youngsters to enjoy coloring. Do you know of any further simple techniques to encourage kids’ coloring activities? Please share in the section below for comments!
Read more:
How to Teach Colors to Preschoolers
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