The old adage says that coloring outside the lines symbolizes creativity and free thinking.
Child development research says that the exercise and motion — the how — behind a child’s coloring is far more important than where they’re doing the coloring.
Those tiny little movements your child makes as they color are vital to their development of fine motor skills — defined by the Cleveland Clinic as “small, precise movements we make with our hands, fingers, feet and toes. They involve the complex coordination of your muscles, joints and nerves.”
In other words, we may take for granted our children’s ability to grasp a crayon, colored pencil or marker and create a piece of art. That process actually involves precision as well as “awareness and planning, coordination, (and) muscle strength,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The activity also supports spatial skills and reasoning, says Amy Jackson, chief early learning strategy officer at Primrose Schools, which has eight Cleveland-area locations.
Jackson explains that coloring can be a tool through which children understand what’s happening around them.
Starting at a new school? A new classroom? A new daycare? Kids can color a sheet dedicated to that event, either with a classroom, or new friends, or other applicable situations.
“Children can also learn from what they are coloring, and parents can use coloring to help explain concepts,” she says. “If preparing for a big trip, consider a coloring page of an airplane and discuss how it flies through the sky.”
Not only is coloring key for fine motor skills and reasoning skills, but according to Jacob Olesen, founder of Color Meaning — whose work centers around understanding how colors affect human emotion and behavior — color can “influence mood and behavior, stimulate the brain and body, and even affect children’s health.”
“When kids are exposed to their favorite color, it’s more likely to boost their mood and make it easier for them to learn,” he writes on his website.
Knowing the benefits of coloring, for fine motor skill development and even a child’s mood and behavior, but how do you best go about teaching them to color?
Colleen Beck, an occupational therapist for 20 years and founder of theottoolbox.com writes, “Don’t push them too hard. The act can be difficult at first, for several reasons: It can hurt a child’s hands. It can make children’s hands tired.”
Jackson says the next step is to ensure kids are having fun while coloring — and for grownups in kids’ lives to practice with them, supporting them on their journey.
“Coloring pages of favorite characters or interests are a great place to start; just be sure the images have thick outlines and are not overly complex or large so that children can feel successful early,” Jackson says. “Above all, the best thing parents can do to help their child learn to color is to practice with them. Children love when their parents show interest and engage in activities with them. Participating in the activity gives parents the opportunity to demonstrate an interest in coloring and experience the fun of creating something beautiful together.”
