It goes without saying that every child is incredibly unique. My eldest son detested coloring. By hate, I mean! If you offered him a crayon, he wouldn’t even pick it up! By the time my third child arrived, all she wanted to do was color, and I was unable to have enough art supplies on hand! Here are some original suggestions for motivating a young child who despises coloring.
I always assumed that all kids enjoyed coloring, right? I rapidly realized how WRONG I was! My kid HATED to color! Since he has started teaching, every instructor he has worked with has expressed concern about the way he will take up a crayon, make one mark, and then declare he is finished. Then he started to run. After all, at least in his opinion, he did “color”!
I had no idea that for some kids, simply sitting down to color could be SO difficult! I thus came up with imaginative methods to encourage him to sit and paint in an effort to both teach him how to do so (even if just for a short while) and to improve his minor motor skill coordination, which wasn’t all that great.
On the other hand, some youngsters like coloring. In fact, my middle child enjoyed coloring so much that we had to store all of our crayons, markers, and pencils in a locked cupboard!
For a few weeks, my youngest colored anything he could get his hands on: walls, doors, floors, windows, my oven, my pantry, and everything else. He frequently has a pen or Sharpie in his hand when I enter the room and is coloring his hands or legs.
He once had so much black marker on his legs that I had to cover them with pants and socks to prevent others from staring at him strangely.
1. Try a Different Drawing Medium!
Sometimes, I swear, it’ll only be the difference between using colored pencils and crayons! Try using markers, recognized figures, and pungent art materials like Mr. Sketch, Scento, etc. For children that require a little encouragement to explore the world of art, it will engage a different kind of sensory experience.
2. Try Coloring on 3d Objects!
The additional depth and colors on multiple planes might be the deciding factor for certain children. Compared to a flat, “boring” piece of paper, it is more appealing. Additionally, it doesn’t have to be pricey! Wooden blocks are simple to create at home or to purchase in bulk, while wooden rolling cars and rolling pins are both available at Dollar Tree.
We have a lot of salt dough crafts, and I’ve noticed that kids are more eager to paint them. Try these 20+ salt dough ideas, our humorous salt dough faces, our salt dough snakes, or our flower in my pocket. The amazing thing about salt dough is that it has YEARS of storage and is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! You may use the salt dough forms you make in a single day for many years.
3. Try Crafted Art Projects That Are Useful.
Colorful magnets and other items that you may display on your refrigerator. a creative endeavor that serves a function other than to pass the time, like coloring pages. Your youngster might not understand the value of coloring on waste paper.
4. Hang a String to Display Artwork, or Have a Special Designated from for It.
Your youngster could not be interested in painting since it’s just something to do that will be wasted, similar to the circumstances described above. Displaying their artwork might foster a sense of pride. Or maybe they’ll want to rotate their art, which may motivate them to color you a fresh piece to display!
5. Try Crayon Activities That Aren’t JUST Coloring.
Have them paint an image, for instance, and then, with your assistance, have them iron it onto something else. Increase the intensity of their colors. If you’re in a school, you may laminate their artwork and punch a hole in it so it can be hung.
Alternatively, you may paint a piece of paper with several different colors, cover it with black crayon, and then scrape off the crayon to create new patterns. Their artwork will have a new, “secretive” component as a result.
6. Try Watercolor Paint Books for Kids Who Hate to Color.
Although it isn’t coloring, it is more engaging and will keep youngsters seated for a longer period of time. It’s fantastic for practicing fine motor skills and is a fantastic positive behavior support reward!
7. Create a Specific REASON for Coloring.
My kids, who detest coloring, are more likely to cooperate if I give them a concrete reason why they should. Create a painting for the school custodian, make cards for your grandparents, or add a theme to your home. These activities give their artwork a purpose and may be just the thing to entice them to engage.
8. Invisible Ink sets are AWESOME!
I could typically “trick” my kids into coloring using kits like Imagine Ink, Color Wonder, etc.; however, this may mount up if you’re not cautious. They are a VERY popular option, even though I attempted to save them for special occasions (medical visits, road trips, etc.) due to budgeting! The Water Wow series by Melissa and Doug is fantastic for introducing a second sensory element that is essentially mess-free.
9. Color Your Own Frame!
Give yourself a reason to color. For a particular individual or item of décor, color a picture. This relates to giving the youngster a goal to strive for earlier. At the craft shop, you can purchase wooden frames for $1 and let your child create their own frame. OR, you could just attach wooden rulers or paint stir sticks to an existing, bigger frame, then let the kids color it.
10. Don’t Push It! Don’t Force Them to Color.
To encourage your youngster to color without coercion, try coming up with some original ideas. Remove the power play conflict from the setting and experiment with various approaches to artistically entice your youngster to participate in the artistic process. You should be able to pique some fresh interest in art using the suggestions above. Take them outside to paint in the summertime instead!
Even adults have diverse preferences when it comes to their artistic experience. The fact that your child despises coloring does not entitle you to give them full rein during preschool art sessions. It simply means that in order to find something calm and interesting for kids, you might need to look outside the box a little.
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