We Play: Let’s Play Together

I found it interesting that many parents struggle with letting go of the need for a child’s creative project to look like their own preconceived, adult ideal. To be honest with you, I think a child’s visual interpretation of their world is so much more interesting than an adult’s! This week I found Immy busy at her drawing table making drawing after drawing of trains (see above). Each train was drawn with a different coloured pencil to represent the different characters of Thomas the Tank Engine, a program which I don’t think she has ever really seen a whole episode of, but which had clearly captured her imagination on this occasion.

She kept asking me what the names of the trains were and which colour each was. And once we had exhausted all of the most obvious characters, we went online (thanks the the suggestion of friends of the C101 Facebook page) and looked at which we had missed. Which led to even more train drawings (I cannot show you them all because they are drawn very lightly with coloured pencil and are difficult to photograph en masse). Once all of the trains were drawn she  started drawing passengers, one for each train…

These were drawn in felt tipped pen so much easier to photograph 🙂 This one is my personal favourite…

Letting children have free, regular access to basic creative materials like paper, pencils and felt tipped pens encourages them to use these tools to express their own ideas, in their own time and in their own way which is why we have a small dedicated art space within our home.

If you are looking for more information on encouraging children to create art, check out my e-book, Art Not Craft: The Process of Learning Creatively. Use the discount code ‘KIDS’ for a $3 saving, only until the end of May!

Now it is your turn to share. What has been on the play agenda in your home this week…

To link up to We Play;
– Link to the URL of your individual post (not your home page)
– Be sure there is a link back to childhood101.com within your post
– And I would love you to show some playful love by visiting at least five links and leaving a comment!

If you are viewing this post via email or a blog reader you will need to click through to the post to see the links.



18 Comments

  1. My eldest daughter is currently loving to draw, cut and stick things! So I have set up a plastic box (which although very cute with pencils all around it is not so sturdy 🙁 I will have to investigate a stronger option, do you have any suggestions?) full of coloured pencils, her scissors and masking tape (the textas and coloured pens can’t always be out because of her younger sister!) and she will sit for ages creating her master pieces! She is still loving the “Royal Wedding” theme so we are getting a huge collection of Princess Kate and Prince William’s! Its so cute. Yes we end up with a big mess and are going through paper like you wouldn’t believe but I wouldn’t have it any other way! To see the development in her drawings and listen to her narrative of what everything is make all the mess worth it!

    1. I am not sure where you are located, Nic, but I recently saw a wooden bottle holder (at least I think it was a bottle holder) with different divided sections and a handle which I thought would make an awesome art caddy. If you are in Australia, it was in the craft section of Bunnings.

      1. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply Christie. I’m in Victoria so I will go and check Bunnings out today! Will let you know how I go!

  2. Adorable drawings by Immy. We have art materials available here all day long and the girlies just love to draw. I have a huge box that is filling up fast with pictures of elephants, rockets, people, the world and all kinds of other things. One day I think I’d like an art eater frame of them all. I still dream of having an collage/ art station trolley. The idea is there on how to go about it, I just have to find that perfect secondhand piece of furniture to make it.

  3. My son has recently found a keen interest in drawing. I need to set him up a box of supplies for his creative whims. He never really cared for coloring before now, either. Now, he wants to color all the time.

  4. Yes- I totally agree. Actually the post I linked to today is about one of the spaces we have set up in our house to do art 🙂

  5. Bernadette- Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says:

    I agree 100% We have an art area too with paper, notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, stamps, etc. My girls make use of it everyday. It is an area they know they can go to and just freely draw and create whatever they want. I love to see what they come up with. Seasonally I like to put different things in there – just to change it up for them & they love finding new surprises in their art area.

    Bernadette

  6. did i just read that bunnings has an art section….. dangerous….

  7. I love watching my son draw too. He’s totally got the smiley face down pat. He’s also into drawing maps and showing me where everyone lives. While the things he draws, like ears, nose, etc. are nothing like what we would expect it’s great to see that he knows what goes there and has the imagination to expand on them.

  8. Pingback: Play On: 7 Fun Hula Hoop Games | The BODY SMART Blog
  9. I am loving those leggy passengers. Might be time for Immy’s own blog?

  10. Pingback: Impromptu Art Table

Comments are closed.