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5 Benefits Of Painting For Toddlers

“Life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint on it you can.”
-Danny Kaye

Despite what others may think about how stressful returning to school can be, it’s always been exciting for me and my family. Partly because, up until this year, I was a preschool teacher. Every year around this time, I revert back to my fondest memories as a child going back-to-school. Every aspect of  it was exciting; from meeting new teachers and students, to receiving new clothes and shoes, and it was always something about the feeling of having fresh new supplies with a new backpack to put everything in. The same feelings stick with you as a teacher. Meeting my new students and their parents, setting up my classroom, buying new supplies and even receiving them, was all very exciting for me!

 My all-time favorite activity to share with my students (and now as a homeschooling mom), is PAINTING!

  1. Painting creates a fun and exciting learning opportunity!
  2. Bonds are formed. Painting activities creates time to bond with your child or your students. It’s always nice to offer a topic and see what they come with. Here we focused on what the kids loved most about this past Summer. I love to ask questions and hear the responses as they go along.
  3. Painting is therapeutic. It allows the child to express their emotions through color and storytelling. 
  4. Brain development. The act of painting uses both sides of the brain; using the right side of the brain for creative and emotional responses, while using the left side to analyze their artwork.
  5. Fine motor development. When a child paints, so many fine motor skills are being developed. Painting helps toddlers learn to grasp a writing utensil. It also encourages them to move their hands, wrists, and arms as they create their painting. 
My daughter attempted a rainbow in this picture. She also drew lines to indicate the Farmer’s Market setup, in which we frequented during the last two months. It’s amazing determining what’s what in these paintings, but hey- she’s the artist!

Here, my son says he’s created the sun, a rainbow, some flowers, and there’s a monster in there as well. Again, I am amazed when I hear the stories behind their artwork. 
The best part about it, the setup is so simple and because they’re a lot more independent at this age, they can pretty much pull everything out themselves. This Crayola Paint can is so easy to use. It comes with paper, brushes, an art palette, and of course, washable paint in a variety of colors. We use this can for every art project we come up with. Paint is in fact one of my favorite tools to use as a teacher. 
I love letting my children’s imaginations run wild- and once upon time, the imaginations of my students. With all of the benefits painting has to offer, it’s definitely a must-have at home and in the classroom. 
May you all have a safe school year!

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