Your child has probably been enjoying scribbling with different art materials, such as pencils, markers, crayons, and paint. As her motor skills improve, you’ll start to see these scribbles turn into simple shapes and then simple drawings. She may show you a square with two circles on the bottom and tell you it’s a car, or you may see a series of colored lines that she says is a rainbow. She may even say that a bunch of squiggles is a picture of you! It doesn’t matter that it looks nothing like you; what does matter is that she is starting to understand how drawings can be representations of other things.

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

Play Tips:

How can you support your child’s development of this Art Appreciation and Creation skill at this age? It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Talk about her artwork. Even if you already know what your child has drawn, ask her to tell you about it. If she has trouble finding the words, help her come up with other descriptive language to describe her picture. For example, for a picture of a dog, ask, “Is it a big dog or a little dog?” or “What color is the dog?” If she’s not finished with the picture, encourage her to add detail, saying something like, “Where is the dog?” or “Does the dog have any toys?” Through this type of conversation, you’re encouraging her to think about her art as well as expand her vocabulary.
2. Keep plenty of art supplies handy. Encourage your child to create whenever the mood strikes by keeping plenty of art supplies on hand. You may even want to keep them in a location she can access on her own, or at least keep a limited supply within her reach, such as crayons and a few sheets of paper.
3. Look at the art of other people. Take a trip to an art museum or look at a book of paintings and sculptures. Talk about these other works of art and what your child likes or doesn’t like about them. You can also talk about how art makes her feel. If she seems unsure how to answer, tell her how different pieces of art make you feel, so she will have a model.

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Art Appreciation and Creation developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Uses writing materials, such as crayons, pencils, and markers for his scribbles.
• Drawings become more representational and recognizable.
• Draws simple shapes (e.g. circles and squares).
• Draws a person with 2-4 body parts.
• Creates art and drawings that begin to resemble people, animals, and objects.

• About
• Latest Posts

Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

Latest posts by Playful Bee (see all)

• Have a Super Fortune Cookie Friday! - February 9, 2018
• All Kinds of Shapes: Your Child Is Learning Simple Shapes, and Drawing Them Too! - November 13, 2017
• Fishing for Sneakers: Create your own Hand-Eye Coordination Fun - November 11, 2017