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Anyone familiar with pre-schoolers and art?
Our grandson is 3. When he draws or paints, he will put his brush in one spot, the size of a quarter, and rub there until it's all brown with the paper sloughing off. He seems to be "stuck" there. After a few minutes, he will ask what the little rolls of paper are that are pilling up from the marks he is making. I have never seen children do this. He is not impressed with colors and doesn't really care which color he uses. He is mesmerized by the almost hole he's making in his paper, plus he loves watching the paintbrush in the cup of water when rinsing the brush. I just don't remember our son doing anything like that at all. He is "speech delayed," if that means anything. Also, our son (his dad) has full custody and has remarried a wonderful girl with a 5 year old son -- a really nice blended family. Our grandson has not seen his mother since he was a year old. Don't know if that means anything or not. Thanks!
1 Answer
- ?Lv 56 years agoFavorite Answer
At age three, most kids are more interested in the physical process of using the art materials than in making something representational. He's enjoying the physical sensation of the brush on the paper and the way that the paint flows into the water in the cup. The repetitive nature of his work (doing the same thing each time) is also very typical for his age. Kids who experiment with "cause and effect" with art materials in this way during the preschool years almost always go on to be quite strong in the sciences later - physics, etc.
It's possible that your son also experimented with his art tools, but in different ways. Perhaps he filled every inch of the paper with thick paint, enjoyed watching the paint drip down the page, or liked making long brush strokes up and down the page. Maybe he liked pounding his playdough out as flat as possible, or snipping paper into tiny bits with scissors.
As long as your grandson doesn't seem distressed and isn't being destructive, let him explore the art materials in his own way. There's no cause for concern unless:
1. He seems bothered when he notices that other children can draw and paint "things" but he can't. (Typically, around age 4 for boys, so no worries yet!)
2. He seems physically stiff or seems to have trouble moving his arm and wrist in other play activities. For example, does he have trouble stacking a few blocks or turning pages in a picture book?
3. He often seems to get "stuck" in one play motion with toys, such as running a car back and forth in a small arc for a long period of time, without playing in more complex ways.
4. He can't seem to differentiate between colors in daily life. For example, if you begin to make a pile of red toys and a pile of green toys and ask him to help you, but he seems confused, this could be a first indicator of color blindness.
As long as those things check out, relax and enjoy letting your little scientist experiment! You might model for him by painting alongside him sometime - just to see if he gets curious about how you're moving the brush - but avoid telling him how to make his own painting. He'll figure it out in time!
