Colors are widely used in modern society as a means of distributing information, making them very important for
daycare children to learn. Coloring is one of the most popular ways to do that, and it also enhances or develops other skills as well.
Teaching Colors To Children
A set of crayons in basic colors is a good way for
daycare students to begin learning the names of colors. It may be tempting to jump straight to washable markers, but using crayons provides more developmental value because your child will learn to use applied pressure to get different results. This builds fine motor skills as your child learns, and makes it easier to explore critical thinking skills such as color mixing.
Skills Associated With Coloring
There are a number of developmental skills associated with coloring. Hand strength, coordination, and learning to grip a writing instrument are a few of the most important ones, but it also stimulates creativity and gives small children an avenue for self-expression which in turn builds self-confidence.
Colors In Practical Life
In everyday life, your child will discover colors used for a variety of things, from traffic signals to emergency vehicles to coordinating the clothes they wear. By learning to color items to match what they have seen or pictures they are looking at, children form associations with colors that will benefit them in a wide variety of practical life activities as they get older.
Coloring Inside The Lines
Coloring within the lines begins to develop between the ages of 3 and 6, but there is not a strict rule on when it will happen. Be patient and let your child express herself as she sees fit in this regard. She will begin conforming to the lines on coloring pages soon enough and trying to force her to do so sooner may even delay the process. Patience takes precedence over precision.
Learning colors and learning to color pictures are critical milestones in a daycare child’s development, and they need to have plenty of opportunities to develop the skills these things provide. Instead of always leaving your child to color alone, consider making it a
teamwork activity where you both (or your whole family!) sit down to enjoy the peacefulness of turning an outline into an image.
