Let your child’s imagination soar (or swim!) as you present her with some blue paper and endless drawing possibilities. Your child is practicing important pre-writing skills as she scribbles and draws lines, shapes and pictures. Drawing opportunities allow her to work on the coordination she needs to hold a crayon, keep the paper still, and apply enough pressure to make her mark. The praise and acknowledgement you give motivate her to approach the activity with confidence and self-esteem.
- several sheets of blue paper, perhaps in different shades of blue
- crayons or markers
Step 1: Gather several shades of blue paper, and markers or crayons. Show the paper to your child and ask what the blue paper reminds her of. Offer suggestions of items like clothes or toys, or places like the sky or the ocean. Engage in conversation by asking questions that will have her describing her ideas in detail.
Step 2: Offer the crayons or markers and encourage her to draw her vision of what she thinks of when she see the blue paper.
Step 3: Invite her to write her name or any other letters she may know. Acknowledge and accept all efforts at drawing or writing. Display her work where others can see it, and encourage her to tell others about what she has done.
For under-the-sea adventures, read The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen.
For up-in-the-sky adventures, read Little Cloud by Eric Carle.
Show her the blue paper and tell her that it reminds you of the ocean. Ask her some questions related to the ocean and the animals that live in it. If necessary, use a book to help generate ideas. Encourage her to draw something that lives in the big blue ocean.
Use all the shades of blue paper to make a book based on your child’s ideas. Ask questions related to what your child is drawing, and encourage her to add details to her pictures. Let her dictate a story for each page. When she is done, read the story together.
