Drawing with kids!
Yes! It’s what we want all one to six year old kids to be doing with their parents and carers!
And why?
Research points to the importance of drawing for early years learning and development and school readiness.
Drawing is a tool for the development of verbal language skills in children. When children draw, they often talk. Drawing can help a child to express their ideas and identity both in the drawing itself and in conversation about it with an educator, parent/carer and peers. Drawing offers an extension activity to shared book reading.
Drawing is play with mark making tools and can be a stimulus for imaginative and social play experiences. For example, the creation of a shopping list or play money can be used in a game of “shops”. The creation of a hat or mask can be used in a role play.
Drawing is also a precursor to writing (a series of drawing patterns). Drawing helps children to develop the fine motor skills they need to write as well as visual skills and memory skills, which are also used for handwriting.
When done with an engaged adult, drawing also presents a wonderful opportunity to bond, for fun and play with your child and to teach your child about the world (colours, shapes, emotions).
Inspiring parents to draw with children
Through workshops and drawing activity books, Squiggle Kids aims to inspire shared drawing activities between parents and children.
We aim to give parents the knowledge, skills and ideas to stimulate and extend drawing and use it as a tool for learning and development at home. Our drawing books encourage kids to draw and build confidence drawing.
See below for more on our workshops and to see upcoming workshops.
For more on our drawing books and to purchase online, see here.
Catch the Squiggle Kids jingle - coming to a workshop venue near you!
Yes, we have our very own original Squiggle Kids music. Composed and performed by Anthony Barnhill, our Squiggle Kids song features in every Squiggle Kids workshop and incursion.
When we play this music we encourage kids and adults to warm up their arms, legs, necks, voices, eyes – in fact their whole body – with dance, singing and movement.
Why? Because drawing is a whole body activity. And because singing and dancing to this fantastic tune also helps everyone – busy mums, dads, carers and children – shift into the here and now!
We’re often asked if we can share the Squiggle Kids song so families can enjoy it at home. Here it is – to play and sing and dance along too!
Scribble: it's more than meets the (adult) eye!
Is there anything more memorable than your child’s first tadpole person or the first time your child draws their family?
But what comes before is also really important – scribble – and, in fact, if you look closely you may be able to see your child progress through different stages of scribble.
In this video, the Squiggle Kids team talk about the different stages of scribble and use original drawings to demonstrate some of the features of early scribble.
We hope you find that there really is more to scribble than “meets the (adult) eye”
Upcoming workshops
Creative Play with Squiggle Kids
at Craig Family Centre
Who: Children 2-5 plus a parent/grandparent/carer
When: 11am – 11.45am Tuesdays in Term 2 (6 weeks), starting 17 May
Where: Craig Family Centre, 7 Samarinda Avenue, Ashburton VIC
Tickets:Â book through the Centre, see here for more information and bookings
Testimonials
As a kid, I always felt bad at drawing. So when my daughter wanted to draw with me I’d suggest she draw with the ‘good drawers’ in the family instead. After speaking to Lauren from Squiggle Kids about drawing, I know how important it is, how good it is to do it together with your child and now I really enjoy drawing with my daughter
Sarah, mum of 1 and step-mum of 2
As a mum, I’ve always felt comfortable reading to my children – and we do that all the time. But… drawing was always a very different story. I never initiated drawing activities with my children and I just kind of hoped they’d enjoy art more than I did. My youngest (he’s five) has never shown any interest in drawing.
Thanks to Squiggle Kids, that’s all changed!
My five year old and I did a Squiggle Kids program and we both loved it. The sessions were planned with remarkable thoughtulness, care and creativity. My son was so engaged and declared multiple times (per session) how much fun he was having. Lauren and Debbie created activities based around his interests and gave him the space to take the lead. His confidence grew during each session and he’d always continue drawing after the day’s session had finished.
Debbie and Lauren, thank you both so much. You’ve helped me to see drawing completely differently and shown me how easy and fun it is to build it into our daily lives.
Thank you!
Susannah, mum of 2