My little parenting world: Draw with your kid...

Should we send a 3 years old children to an art class? For me, the answer is no. My daughter joined the art class on her age of 7.

There is a lot that goes into drawing ability. Self-confidence is one of them. Believing that you can draw as well as enjoying the act of drawing are MORE important than technical drawing skills. So, for the young children is more important to help them hold on to their self-confidence (in art specifically, but also in general) and enjoyment of art.

Below are some ideas I would like to share, some learnt while teaching my daughter, some learnt from reading (books, articles or blogs);

1. Don’t ever denigrate yourself or your own drawing abilities.

Draw with your kid. If you sit down and draw and doodle beside her (and I think you should at least once in a while!), don’t say, “I can’t draw.” Doodle squares, circles, spirals, hash marks, letters, and whatever else you think of across the page. Enjoy the process. Keep your pencil moving. Whatever. But don’t utter the words, “I can’t draw” in front of your child. Children learn by example.

2. Be conscious of how you talk to your child about the art she makes.

My default is to ask children to tell me about the story of their artwork. If your child is a young three, she might not be assigning meaning to her art yet, but as she gets closer to four, she will likely be more and more elaborate with the stories that go along with her art.

3. Make art fun and exploratory.

Keep your child’s art activities as process oriented as possible at this age. Try not to expect particular outcomes but rather encourage her to explore the art materials, ideas, and techniques in her own way. Introduce new materials and techniques, but also stand back and let her explore art on her own in her own way.

4. Keep your art activities appropriate for her age and developmental stage.
I don’t think that teaching a child “how to draw” is appropriate at age three. You can guide her through the occasional observational drawing exercise if you like, preferably in a way that is as much about observing as it is about drawing. But the most important thing at this age is to encourage open-ended exploration of art materials, self-confidence, and enjoyment in art and learning.

If you really want to try an art class with your young child, I would suggest looking for one that is focused on age appropriate which is an art program for toddlers and preschoolers.

However, an art class for young children may be a good idea for other reasons.

1. It might provide you with ideas and instructions for more art activities to do with your daughter at home.

2. It might expose your child to more materials and activities than she has at home.

3. You and your child might enjoy the social aspect of the art class.

4. The art class might provide messy art experiences that you might not feel comfortable providing at home.