Stop Using Coloring Books & Do This Instead

My college professor made a statement that stuck with me and that I truly believe in. This was before marriage and kids, but I knew it was something I wanted to practice when I had kids.

Kids love coloring books, and I admit it is therapeutic sometimes to just sit and mindlessly fill in the shapes with color. There is nothing “wrong” with using coloring books, but there is something even better. If you think about it, the only real decision-making in coloring in a coloring book is what color to use. Sometimes kids don’t even decide that. They want to use the color it is “supposed” to be. It is a nice quiet activity, but is it sparking creativity? Probably not.

So this is what my professor said that changed my outlook. There is nothing better than a blank sheet of paper. With a blank sheet of paper, the child has so many learning opportunities. First, they have to decide what to do with it. For some, this simple step can seem overwhelming with the endless possibilities. A great skill to practice is being decisive and getting started. Once they think of a subject to draw, they have to think of HOW to draw it, what colors they want to use, where to put it on the page, etc. Now the brain is activated and working on creativity, and that is exactly what we want.

I took this to the next level when I had my child. Being an artist myself, I understood the importance of incorporating art in childhood. As soon as she was old enough to crawl and hold a crayon, I supported creative play with art supplies. Believe it or not, I left out art supplies in her play area where she could access them any time she wanted. I know parents usually want to put these out of reach in fear of decorated walls or pieces of furniture, but that never happened at my house even with easy access to supplies. I did remind her a lot that we only draw on paper. With children, if it is out of sight, it is out of mind. Having them out in the open allowed for more exploration with the supplies.

My favorite thing I did when she was only crawling was taped brown craft paper to the bottom of my fridge. I had the drawer freezer on the bottom, and it was the perfect height for her. It would keep her busy while I was cooking dinner.

I hope you try these out. Even if your child doesn’t pursue art in the future, creativity is useful in many areas when you need to think outside of the box.

If you liked this article, you may also like my FREE guide: How to Support Your Homeschool Artist.