Encouraging kids to draw in class

Encouraging kids to draw in class
Most kids in class love to draw and paint, but what can you do with young children who seem reluctant to work on drawing-related skills? Sometimes their reluctance is down to a lack of confidence, so a little gentle encouragement can work wonders, but you may need to work harder with kids that just don't seem to have any interest in picking up pencils or crayons to begin any art work. Printable colouring sheets could be one key to getting reluctant children involved in class art sessions and the following discussion highlights other ideas. (Pickelbums,2015)
Art class ideas for reluctant kids
Think of alternatives to traditional pens and pencils for novel art class
ideas. You could offer different materials for drawing with or drawing on.
Suggestions include:
- chalks
- oil pastels
- watercolour pencils
- marker pens
- white markers on black paper
- drawing with felt tipped pens on balloons
- draw on silver foil
- using a long roll of paper and getting the whole class involved in a drawing
project
There are many ways you can make drawing activities interesting and hopefully
motivate children that are reluctant to participate. Giving every child a
clipboard, paper and pencils and taking the class outside to draw from nature
can be an interesting activity that motivates children to draw.
If you ensure that all the tools for drawing are easily available in a
highlighted drawing basket throughout all lessons, children may be more
encouraged to take opportunities to add drawings to any written work they are
doing.
You can incorporate drawing activities or sign making into other lessons, such
as dramatic play or building play. Letting the kids make posters or signs for
shopping drama activities or making signs for buildings in Lego construction
activities, is another great idea.
Make drawing worthwhile
Give practical reasons for drawing, for instance creating a sign for bedroom
doors or designing a postcard or greetings cards for celebrations. You might
want to consider creating a book with your class and let everyone contribute to
writing and illustrating the content.
Kids enjoy messy play, so painting with finger paints or in sand trays might
provide motivation for children who need encouragement to join in artistic
play.
Rhino Stationery stocks a wide range of art materials for
schools and preschools. Take time to browse our entire selection of school
stationery and supplies online.