It’s never too soon to start and I have found there are six reasons to teach your toddler to paint as soon as they can hold a spoon and feed themselves.
I gave Sam a set of small, non-toxic, felt markers that washed out of fabric. The weather was warm, so we sat outside at a little table with a small art book.
1. Shapes and patterns
She made little marks of colour on the paper, which spread onto the table and clothes over the months that followed and before long we were doing body art. Up and down each other’s legs and arms with different colours. I taught her to ‘draw’ dots and dashes and to create patterns using very simple combinations of these.
2. Names of colours
She was learning to talk, so I taught her the names of the colours she used.
3. Colours in her natural environment
On our walks to the park, pointed out the natural flora and fauna around us with the same colours.
I turned part of the fence into a blackboard and introduced her to chalk. She started to draw birds, the sun, grass – at least that’s what she told me they were.
4. How to create texture with paint
She was clearly ready for paint! Non-toxic, washable and inexpensive – and so much fun. It was winter, so we had moved our activities indoors. If you’re shuddering at the thought of the mess, I can say that having old carpet on the floor and being prepared to redecorate the room in the future were prerequisites for what comes next.
5. How to mix colours to create other colours
You see, the more paint used, the more colours can be made. But paper deteriorated quickly so I suggested we paint on one of the walls.
6. Cleaning up the mess!
Being able to wash the wall when we had finished for the day was sensational, but blue paint isn’t as washable as the other colours.
This journey of exploration has been a lot of fun and offers six reasons to teach your toddler to paint as soon as they can grip a felt marker.