Most children enjoy the freedom of expression colour pencils and crayons give. But did you know there are several benefits to colouring besides having fun?
New research has shown significant benefits of colouring for not only kids but people of all age groups. The therapeutic effect of colouring is believed to be equal to that of yoga and meditation.
Child psychologists suggest colouring if your child is diagnosed with a mental condition. In case your child is showing signs of stress or anxiety, immediately consult a doctor for medical intervention. Some pharmacies offer 90-day prescriptions at discount prices which is quite helpful.
1. Fine Motor Development:
Colouring helps the child develop a good finger grip. When a child colours holding the pencil or crayon, that hold is very beneficial in perfecting the grip. Thus colouring helps in improving fine motor muscles in the hands, fingers and wrist.
2. Concentration:
While colouring, the focus is on the image being coloured. Colouring requires concentration and this kind of concentration on a single task helps develop good focusing skills. This is why colouring is very beneficial for kids diagnosed with ADHD.
3. Colour Recognition:
Colouring encourages the identification of colours. Toddlers of preschool age are given colouring activities so they start recognizing the colours. So it is a good idea to enrol them in art classes. The kids who colour more often start recognizing different colours around them. This is helpful in the cognitive development of the child.
4. Hand & Eye Coordination:
Colouring within the lines is a task for kids. Colouring and tracing lines brings strength to the hands and develop hand-eye coordination which is essential for a child. In the beginning, a child may find it difficult to colour within the lines, but with parents guidance, they can achieve this and go on to perfect their skills.
5. Sense of Achievement
Self-confidence and a sense of achievement are important for the personality development of a child. Colouring instils this sense in the child. No matter how an unrecognizable piece of art they create always applaud your child on their colouring. This will develop a sense of pride and achievement in the child and they will enjoy this activity.
6. Creativity:
Colouring promotes creativity. Children may develop a unique drawing style and enjoy an imaginary world on their own. Children plan what colour and in what order to colour their images. Ask them what colour they want to do next. This is helpful in decision-making skills. Let them experiment with colours, patterns and special effects with help of a marker and pencils.
7. Freedom of expression
Colouring is great in expressing emotions. Psychologists believe that you can guess a child’s mental condition and emotional state by looking at their drawings. This is a great anecdote to the benefit of colouring. This also goes to show that colouring helps take out the frustration and stress on the paper.
