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Drawing together is a great activity to fire up your child's imagination and get them talking and expressing themselves.
Let your child lead the conversation and talk about what they are drawing, like the family in the video below.
The benefits of drawing
- Drawing allows children to think imaginatively and use descriptive language to tell you all about their creations
- It helps them to express themselves creatively
- It's an easy way to allow them to lead play with what they're interested in, which will encourage them to talk more about what they're doing
- It presents opportunities to ask them lots of questions
- It helps build their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- Through drawing, they might learn to express their feelings
Talking about kids' drawings
You could start by asking them what they would like to draw. When they respond, you might ask them why they are drawing what they're drawing. For example, if they were drawing an owl, you might ask 'Why do you like owls?' or 'What noises do owls make?' or even 'What do owls eat?'.
The more you ask children about the things they draw, the more likely they'll be to speak in longer sentences and get descriptive with stories about what they're drawing.
Comment on what they're drawing and offer them lots of praise.
More creative fun for 4-5 year olds
- You could try making toys out of your recycling bin junk
- If you've got a garden or are heading to the park, why not take a paper plate and make a mini garden?
- A cereal packet can make for a great homemade jigsaw puzzle
