Stages of artistic development in preschoolers and toddlers

Art is an important aspect of learning in early childhood education and must be carefully designed to enhance their artistic development and nurture an appreciation for beauty in their world. Art enriches the lives of all preschoolers and toddlers as it provides experiences for them in finding meaning about themselves and the world around them.

“From the moment the child discovers what it looks like and feels like to put lines down on paper, he has found something he will never lose, he has found art” – R.Kellogg1969.

Rhoda Kellogg has studied 100,000 young children’s drawings drawn with pencil, pen, crayon or brush and this extensive study has helped significantly in our understanding of children’s artistic development. She was particularly interested in the scribbles of young children and she discovered that children progress from making scribbles to drawing pictures by using a built-in, spontaneous method of self-teaching and would continue until the children were 5 years old and only in the later stages of development that children’s artwork can be coached and guided by an adult.

Kellogg also identified various symbols that have been drawn by children across various cultures. The mandala design which is a simple circle or square divided by intersecting lines is produced by children in different parts of the world.

Kellogg also discovered that preschoolers and toddlers unlike older children are not concerned about their art pieces looking nice or resembling real things but they move their hands to express a feeling that comes from within them and are delighted in the movement and scribbles they produce. With this knowledge in mind, it is important not to force them to look at physical objects and try to copy it but allow them to experiment, create in their own unique way thus providing them an opportunity to express their own ideas and feelings.

The artistic developmental stages are the scribble stage, basic form stage and the pictorial stage. Although there is a predictable pattern to their development, preschoolers and toddlers move through the levels in different ways and at their own pace. These stages can assist parents or teachers as they work with young children and provide guidelines for planning for a specific group of children.

Kellogg’s developmental stages

1. Scribble stage
   These are the earliest drawings of young children. They are simple and random markings, made for the pleasure of drawing scribbles. During this stage, the young children have no concern in trying to draw to represent anything but rather are enjoying the process of making scribbles on the paper.
2. Basic form stage
   Children begin to draw simple lines and shapes. Kellogg identified several universal symbols that children use around the world. These include the mandala, sun, ladders, spirals, wavy lines and rainbows. These symbols were being used to communicate and were the beginnings of writing. Children in this stage continue to draw for pleasure.
3. Pictorial stage
   During this stage, children use the shapes from stage 2 to draw symbolic representations of real people and things such as houses, tress and windows. They begin to identify their drawings, tell related stories and expand their drawings to include new meanings and understanding.

Positive and appropriate nurture of preschoolers and toddlers beginning artistic efforts can provide a strong foundation for later development and enjoyment of artistic experiences.

Tags: kindergarten games, preschoolers activities, preschoolers and toddlers

Simple and Fun Brain teasers for kids

Brain teasers for kids can come in many forms. Encouraging them to play with puzzles develops their cognitive thinking skills. Riddles encourage them to think in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind.

1. Memory Brain Games
   These games challenge their memory, concentration and observation skills.
   Place a few picture cards and let the kids remember the cards for a period of time. Close the cards and ask them to remember the picture cards. The number of cards and the time will depend on the ability level of the kids. Another extension of this game is to take away one card and ask them which picture card is missing.
   
   
2. Visual brain teasers for kids
   These games develop visualization skill. Depending on the ability of the kids, have a puzzle set of 10 to 20 pieces. Take out several pieces and ask the kids to fit in the missing pieces.
   Another classical game is to spot the differences between 2 identical pictures but several items are missing from one of the pictures.
   
   
3. Sensory learning games
   These games develop their sensory and imaginary skills.
   This game develops their sense of touch. Show several toys to the kids. Let them touch, hold and explore the toys. It is best when the toys have different shapes and textures like smooth, rough, furry and leathery surfaces. Put the toys in a cloth bag.
   The kids have to put their hand inside the bag to guess what the toy is by feeling it. Encourage them to describe what they are touching.
   Another great game to improve their sense of sight is to describe an item in a room and ask the kids to find it.

4. Language brain teasers for kids
   These games develop literacy skills as the kids need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
   Write the kids names on the board and ask them to create words using the letters in their names. An example, Sara, John and Peter – the kids can create words like ran, hen, near or tear. Another fun game to practice spelling and vocabulary skills is playing the classical crossword puzzle. The kids will get fulfillment when they are guided initially so that they understand what they have to do to fill up the empty grid boxes.

5. Logic brain teasers for kids
   Riddles develop problem-solving skills as it trains the kids to see how making relationships between bits of information can help them solution-find and they engage the kids in a great deal of thinking activity.

When kids receive stimulation through positive interactions with caring adults during their early years, connections between neurons and synapses are formed as they learn and when appropriate brain teasers for kids are used, they are given the opportunity to develop their thinking and use their ability to question and reason when they learn and all these are important features of great thinkers.

Consider downloading “Mind Power Series” today with a 56 –day trial at www.gamesforfunkids.com and see for yourself why parents, teachers, child care providers, kindergartens and everyone who are interested in early childhood education are so excited and sharing about how the “Mind Power Series” has widen their knowledge on how to use very simple, fun, effective and fuss-free methods to develop their children individual gifts, talents, creativity, thinking and learning skills.

Tags: brain teasers and puzzles, brain teasers for kids, preschoolers and toddlers

Kid activities for living and playing together as one family

Most parents are so preoccupied with their work, business and other things to pursue financial stability that their family life is neglected. With this busy lifestyle, where then can quality time with the family fits? Is it an impossible mission? No, so please put down whatever you are doing and spare a minute to read this.

Even though both husband and wife work, they have to find time to strengthen their bond with their kids as often as they can. We must never resort to lame reasons like feeling too tired or too busy and neglect the family that you have created.

Quality time is where family members gather to share special moments to nurture their relationship and it can involve many activities to let each other know you are a family. Such activities need not always be outdoors as there are many kid activities you can do together in the house such as play board or card games or watching your favorite movies. Kids need to know and feel that they have parents who love and care for them to enjoy their childhood and grow up to be confident adults.

How do you have quality time with your kids?

When a family is committed to managing their lives well to raise a happy family, you have to make time to spend time with the family no matter how busy your daily schedule is or how tired you feel. This is a basic and important requirement to spending quality time with your kids. You can try the suggested kid activities which you can do with them –

1. Have a morning or evening walk in the park
   Learn to relax with your kids by having a leisurely 30 minutes walk in the park. You need not do this every day but have this activity at least once a week as the main purpose is for the family to be together. I like to pack a simple picnic lunch during the weekends and take my whole family out to the park.
2. Have regular “sit down” meals together
   Sharing a “sit down” meal together on a regular basis can do wonders for your family. Schedule two or three nights in a week for this special meal and give your kids undivided attention. Show them how interested you are in what they have been doing for the day or at school by listening emphatically to them. Kids are very sensitive as they know when you are genuine or just faking it, so turn off your cell phones and television and do not read the newspapers or magazines when you are having this “sit down” meals with them. I see so many parents doing this and they wonder why their kids are still not happy when they thought that they have  already spent quality time with them.
3. Have a fun activity night together
   Schedule a day to play some activities with the family. Take turns letting each family member choose the activities that will be played. I will usually plan this activity with my family a month before as this can build up the excitement in my kids.  The activities which we usually play are board games such as Monopoly, Risk and Scrabble. I still remember fondly one of the most enjoyable and fun kid activities which my youngest child organized for a particular month. It was the Easter month and she had diligently collected several empty egg shells for us to paint Easter eggs. Later she hid these eggs and gave us clues to find the hidden eggs. My whole family loved this activity so much that we promised to play it again next year and even name it as “The Easter Hunt”.
   
4. Read to your kids or encourage them to read to you
   This is one of the many kid activities which I encourage parents to start early with them, as early as while they are still infants. They may not understand all that you are reading but they will grow to love the sound of your voice. Choose storybooks with big prints and colorful pictures to read to your kids and it is always good to encourage them to read to you as this can nurture them to love reading.

Knowing how to spend quality time with your kids is like baking a cake, a lovely, time-consuming process that should not be hurried or it will a leave a nasty taste in everyone’s mouth – why?  try eating a half-baked cake!

Tags: family activity, kid activities, theme activities

How to match preschoolers activities to their learning styles

Every preschooler is unique and if they are guided or shown preschoolers activities that are easy for their brain to do, then they are most likely a good match to help them attain a higher level of outstanding competence.

The first step in the matching process is to identify their learning styles which can be categorised into:

 1. The Follower

Preschoolers falling under this category love routines, orderly and are thus very predictable and are self-organized.

2. The Dramatic

These preschoolers love to give, placing other people’s needs first over their own and are usually very sentimental.

3. The Inventor

Being imaginative their main trait, they abhor daily routines and repetitive tasks and are usually high spirited and love to reinvent the wheel.

4. The Thinker

 Preschoolers falling under this category like to be in charge and maintain order by delegating and in control by making the decisions.

Learning styles can overlap but observe which learning style is more dominant in your preschoolers.

The Follower

They excel in preschoolers activities which require using fine motor activities as they are very precise in coloring inside the lines, cutting along the lines but do not rush them as they are cautious and careful in what they are doing. They are best when the activities have step-by-step and how-to instructions and they may need a bit of coaxing before they are willing to try anything new. Explain to them what is to be expected from them and you can then leave them alone as they will know what to do and will complete them in time and exactly what is required of them.

The Dramatic

Preschoolers falling under this category are rather dramatic as they are very expressive and emotional children. Preschoolers activities which are a match for them are those which have finger plays, pretend plays and storytelling as all these activities help them to connect with people and an opportunity to express themselves.

The Inventor

 Preschoolers of this style find repetitive routines boring and stifling. They are imaginative and innovative and brain boosting preschoolers activities like puzzles, quiz, and mazes will definitely intrigued them. Challenge them to invent new games from old, for example the traditional game hopscotch as they are great at creating and imagining new and exciting games to play.

The Thinker

 These preschoolers excel in mathematical preschoolers activities as they can think logically, accurately, analytically and decisively. Jigsaw puzzles are also great for them as they like to take things apart and put them back again.

When you understand and recognize your preschoolers learning style, communicating and nurturing them will be more pleasurable and enjoyable. Focus on their strengths and abilities and help them to become the masters of their own thinking.

Consider downloading Mind Power Series today with a 56 –day trial and see for yourself why parents, teachers, child care providers, kindergartens and everyone who are interested in early childhood education are so excited and sharing about how the Mind Power Series has widen their knowledge on how to use very simple, fun, effective and fuss-free methods to develop their children individual gifts, talents, creativity, thinking and learning skills.

Tags: funny for kids, games for fun kids, kindergarten games, preschoolers activities

Amazing preschool books – “Mind Power Series”

You can find many preschool books in the market but to find one which not only keeps your children happy and busy but at the same time nurture their development in terms of their motor, cognitive and creative skills is not an easy task.

I would like to share with you a series of new and innovative preschool books which do more than developing the children intellectual gifts but realizes the importance of the element of fun and has creatively woven humor into their games.

“Mind Power Series” has been inspired by parents who are concerned and worried that they are not providing appropriate, adequate and suitable learning materials for their children during this vital developmental growth.

“Mind Power Series” has been created from a burning desire to help and guide these parents with powerful knowledge on how to nurture their children to unlock their individual gifts, creativity, thinking and learning skills.

“Mind Power Series” has three preschool books titled “Brain Power is Fun”, “English Power is Fun” and “Math Power is Fun”.

“Brain Power is Fun” is packed with 120 fun and challenging activities which train the children’s ability to think and find the solutions themselves independently and when they are lost in the process, parents will be guided on how to teach effectively by asking appropriate questions using very simple and effective techniques to lead the children to the solutions. These activities range from puzzles, mazes, riddles to number and code-cracking games specially designed to develop the children’s ability and growth of skills to think and develop their natural creativity and curiosity.

“English Power is Fun” has 127 activities using poetry, finger plays, nursery rhymes, riddles, tongue twisters, jokes and storytelling to cultivate the children’s love for language. Nursery rhymes are fun and enrich a child’s vocabulary through their short, simple texts. Rhymes stay with us throughout our lives as they are passed from one generation to another and they have a musical quality incorporating language rhythm, patterns and rhymes in every verse which fascinates children to develop their language. Language is perceived to be logical and orderly and sentences do not usually rhyme but when rhymes are used to teach literacy to children, they find them hilarious and funny.

“Math Power is Fun” has 121 activities to build the essential knowledge of basic mathematical concepts. Most of the math preschool books in the market only teach basic arithmetic concepts but in this Math Series, rigid and difficult mathematical concepts are taught by creatively disguising them as play games which the children will enjoy. They will be introduced to the following concepts -

• classifying -the ability to group like objects based on their characteristics
• seriation – the ability to sort objects in a logical series according to size, shape or characteristic
• numbers – learning about quantity, amount, addition and subtraction
• symbols -learning how to us symbols to solve a problem
• spatial relationships – children with well developed spatial skills are very creative, dramatic, artistic an musical
• time – understanding time which can be a Herculean task for some children
  reversibility – the ability to understand that numbers can be changed, then returned to their original state such as 2+4=6 and 6-4=2
• de-centering – the ability to find a solution to a problem

All of the activities are in black and white which is great as they can be used as coloring books for the children. Children love to color. Coloring encourages children to plan, make decisions on what colors to use and stimulates their creative skills by thinking how best to make their pictures beautiful with colors.

“Mind Power Series” is one of the preschool books I would recommend every child to have as all of the activities encourage fun and at the same time teach them essential developmental concepts. The only setback of these books is that they should create more activities than what they already have to continuously stretch their imagination, think outside the box and training them to solve problems in different ways. Well, maybe they will follow-up with another edition, which I hope will be soon.

Click the picture below to read more of “Mind Power Series” and claim your FREE e-book “Train Your Child to think like a Genius by putting 10 essential thinking skills into fun action” before it closes.

Tags: coloring for kids, games for fun kids, kids math, preschool books