Are you at the beach, in the mountains, at a bar, on a date with friends, but do you have your children with you?
I have a solution for you!
They will enjoy it, and you will be completely comfortable, for at least 30 minutes.
Trust me, I've been using it myself for a while... and this summer, I'm proving it again, wherever I am with my little girl.
A few sheets of paper are enough...a notebook, tissue paper, the inside of some package you happen to have with you...and of course A BOX OF COLORED PENCILS.
This should never be missing.
All of a sudden, your child will start drawing or coloring and will even pull other children along. And so 3-4 little ones will lower their heads, talk to each other, learn to wait their turn until their friend runs out of the color they need.
My daughter met Mei, Andrea, Mia, Emara, had fun with Hera and Nina... wherever we were this summer...
Now, to be honest, the reasons why we should encourage children to draw and color are much more than 30 minutes of "comfort" for us parents😁
Why should we do this, besides the first reason that comes to mind...taking the cell phone or tablet out of our hands?
Drawing and coloring are very important for children's development. They help develop motor skills for the hands and fingers, but also for hand-eye coordination. By working with colored pencils, which seems like just fun, they are actually preparing for other writing tasks (our education system loves writing tasks).
This way, our little ones can learn shapes, colors, and spatial relationships. They can increase their concentration and learn to be patient, but they can also understand the process and the satisfaction of completing a task with their own hands. This often boosts their self-confidence.
Drawing and coloring undoubtedly stimulate children's imagination and creative skills, but they also help them express their emotions. While we're at it: the use of colors can also be used as a tool to understand any concerns they have. Early development psychology suggests that children's drawings can tell us, depending on their developmental age, how stimulated their imagination is, what emotions they are experiencing, or even how ready they are to start another learning process like writing, and even more so, handwriting.
So, my suggestion for this Saturday:
Some paper and colored pencils, on the table, a beach towel, a lap... and your child will have a world to discover.
And when you're free yourself, as if you're out of your mind, start scribbling. Trust me, you'll feel good about yourself, but be careful: get permission in advance if you can use the pencils... otherwise the magic might be ruined.😁
