The coloring is a very popular activity by children and this from their first months : you have probably already seen your baby enjoy spreading his yogurt on the tray of his high chair, making sure that not a single square millimeter remains untouched!
A little later, it's the sofa, the walls, sometimes even your child's body that pay the price - with a permanent marker, it's always better!
Coloring has multiple benefits:
• From an engine point of view , the child can practice holding the pencil in a situation other than writing.
Prefer, moreover, thick and short pencils at the beginning for a more suitable clothing.
Coloring calls upon fine and precise movements , we come to request all the muscles of the wrist and hand which allows the fine motor skills to develop.
• We also work impulsiveness . Yes, you have to be able to inhibit and control one's gesture when approaching the edges of the drawing so as not to go over the edges.
It is a skill that requires a lot of training , it's not no need to insist on it too soon at the risk of taking away all the fun of coloring from the child. It is considered that between 4 and 5 years old Children are able to fill a square by more or less 1 cm.
• The child develops his concentration , his patience And learns to plan his actions : "I'm going to start by coloring the hat yellow, then the buttons green." Suggesting a drawing to color ensures a few minutes of calm.
• Coloring promotes the expansion of creativity and the sense of beauty of the child.
He will often want to use unconventional colors , of to test , of play with the color combinations : the dromedary will be colored purple, the zucchini pink and the characters will sometimes have original clothing sets!
Leave it explore and experiment, And ask him for his opinion : "What do you think of this blue salad? Does it look appetizing? And this black and green house? Do you think it exists somewhere?"
The goal is not to judge his artistic choices, but to give him the freedom to express himself.
• Coloring also gives the ability to express one's emotions : anger can be translated as a large, dynamic and well-supported scribble, joy through a choice of bright and vivid colors, etc.
Adult coloring books are very popular because coloring helps to calm down , to focus on oneself, to no longer think about our to-do list, coloring brings a certain well-being.
• Finally, draw and color strengthens self-esteem : how proud you are when your child has finally finished coloring their favorite character, and they rush to show it to everyone: parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, teachers, etc.
And what a joy for him to hear those he loves rave about his latest work!
Inasmuch as psychomotor therapist , coloring is a mediation that I often use in sessions and very regularly, I offer to my young patients to color lying on the floor!
Here are some benefits of a floor coloring session:
• That reduces the visual field to what is found immediately in front the child, which helps those who are easily visually distracted to focus a little more.
• This position brings stability at the shoulder level , allowing free movement at the wrist and fingers .
In psychomotor jargon, we say that proximal stability promotes distal mobility .
Concretely, as the child is resting on his forearms , his shoulder and his elbow are fixed and do not move, to color it will therefore be necessary to do movements at the level of the fingers and wrist.
It is a very useful tip for children who draw or color with movements of the entire arm.
Likewise, the positioning of the fingers in tripod pincer is facilitated by this position.
• Coloring, drawing or writing on the floor promotes muscle strengthening notably at the axial level : you must keep your chest off the ground, keep your head high, adjust your support, position your body weight so as to be comfortable … We work like this the stability and strength of the cervical muscles and scapulars as well as spinal extensors.
To top it all off, we also come strengthen postural endurance .
• Finally this position brings proprioceptive and tactile feedback .
The children in search of sensations, who like to move, touch things, who have a appetite for the sensory, often like lie down on the floor due to the contribution provided by the pressure of the ground on their stomach .
If some of my patients show up agitated while coloring, I add some weight on their backs (a weighted blanket or a couch cushion), this will add sensory feedback in addition and the help to channel oneself.
Here is a preview of all that can be done to work an activity as simple as coloring !
So the next time you offer your child felt-tip pens and colored pencils, remember to vary the positions - standing, lying on the floor on your living mat and even on your back (tape a sheet of paper under the coffee table for example) - for more challenge and fun!
Marie Vallet - Psychomotor Therapist DE
