The importance of drawing for child development

In addition to being a super fun activity, drawing is a way of communicating, being very important for children's development, as when they draw they create bridges between the imaginary world and the real one. Through drawing, children express feelings, desires and ideas that they are often unable to express through oral or written language, especially if they are still very young.

The act of drawing is common to all children. Generally this practice comes through imitation of adults, when they observe their parents or siblings writing or drawing. In the beginning, children's relationship with drawing happens for the simple pleasure of executing the movement and producing lines on a surface, occupying empty spaces.
The scribbles

Children begin their drawings between 18 and 24 months and these first manifestations produced by them are known as scribbles. These are traits that are initially disordered and that adults cannot understand, although they have meaning for them. Over time, the scribbles evolve, making it possible to understand their intentions.

The scribbles surprise children, who are enchanted by the movement of the pencil in their hands and which leaves a mark on the white sheet. The ideal is to offer them paper and pencils or else they will use other surfaces such as furniture, walls and even their own bodies to satisfy this desire.
How do drawings help child development?

Children's drawings reveal the different sensations and feelings that the child is experiencing and can be used to better understand what the child wants to express. Furthermore, drawing helps the child development process in several sectors:

Emotional

Through drawings, children can express their emotions such as joy, sadness, fear, anguish, insecurities and even feelings that they do not yet understand or know how to express. As they grow, they create other mechanisms to express their emotions, however, when they are very young, drawing is a tool for emotional reactions, as they cannot yet express themselves orally or in writing.

Cognitive

Children, by creating images of the real world and projecting them into a drawing, express their knowledge about the world around them and, in this sense, it is possible to observe their cognitive development through their productions. Cognitive structures are the result of interaction with their environment and vary from child to child.

Psychomotor

Drawing promotes motor skills, as as the child creates strokes they have control over their movements and also develop spatial awareness. Little by little, the child is able to manipulate pencils or brushes firmly and precisely, in addition to developing more defined lines and strokes.

Social

In his drawings, the child portrays his experimentation in the world, his personal relationships, his sociocultural context. When drawing, she strengthens her knowledge that she is a social subject, with rights and duties and begins to understand the events in her life and what happens around her.

It is very important that parents encourage their children and that they have space and materials for drawing, as this is an important tool for developing creativity, curiosity and imagination.