Do you have a child who loves to draw or doodle?
You know, the one who gravitates to crayons or pens and paper (hopefully not on walls) and enjoys making lines, dots, and squiggles?
Well, get excited because, even if you can’t quite identify what they’re drawing, it’s far from a waste of time.
Doodling is a wonderful art form enjoyed by many, and it significantly benefits kids in their cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Let’s dive into some of these advantages, along with some creative doodling ideas for kids to further extend their skills.
Doodling Increases Creativity and Imagination
There are no fixed rules in doodling, so kids get the freedom to choose what to do next with the pen in their hand. This allows them to exercise their creative muscles and bring their imagination to life on paper in whatever way they like.
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Tip: If your child isn’t sure how to begin, try these doodling prompts* to encourage imagination:
*best for ages 4 and up |
It’s important to gently remind them that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ method when it comes to doodling and that everyone’s doodles might look different because everyone imagines differently!
Doodling Improves Fine Motor Skills and Hand-eye Coordination
Children start developing their fine motor skills as young as two months old. This could be through picking up toys, pressing buttons, grasping their parents’ fingers, and eventually as they get older – holding a pen to make their first doodle!
The very process of doodling itself is a fine motor skills activity that helps train hand-eye coordination in children. Their eyes identify the task, their brain processes what their eyes see and sends instructions to the hands to make it happen, and their hands follow the brain’s instructions.
When doodling, this pattern repeats over and over again till the skill of steadily guiding a pen becomes muscle memory. With this foundation, they’ll find it easier to pick up writing and more complex drawing later on too.
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Tip: To help your child develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, incorporate a doodling activity from time to time with these fun little challenges:
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Doodling Enhances Concentration and Memory
Remember the time you had to sit through a long lecture in college? It was probably a real challenge to concentrate! Perhaps without realising, you started doodling while listening, and soon found it easier to pay attention and even remember what was said after.
This happens because doodling requires a certain degree of concentration. It grounds you, bringing your thoughts back to the present so you can focus on what you’re doing (and hearing) and retain the memory of that moment better. So the next time you notice your kids doodling while you’re talking to them, it could very well mean that they’ll remember what you said better afterwards!
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Tip: To help your child exercise their concentration and focus with doodling, try to give them a range of doodling activities that begin with something simple (ie. a 2-minute task) and slowly move up the range of complexity to prolong their full doodling session (ie. a 10-minute task). Try reading them a story while they’re at it, then ask them what they remember about the story later on. |
Doodling Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Some studies suggest art can calm the amygdala, reducing stress.
Doodling as a form of art, with its rhythmic and repetitive motions, can do the same for children too.
As children learn to regulate their thoughts and emotions, doodling functions as an outlet for their whirlwind of feelings. It is a simple task with very few rules, which helps bring their focus towards something within their control. This frees their mind so that they can recover and allow their emotions to settle into a neutral balance.
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Tip: The next time your child feels stressed or anxious about something, try having a little doodle session together. Once they have the space and time to wind down, it becomes easier to address issues calmly. |
Doodling Promotes Self-Expression and Emotional Intelligence
As adults, we’re familiar with articulating our thoughts and feelings using words, but this is a skill that children are still developing.
Instead, many kids find it easier to draw or doodle to express their feelings in a more concrete way. Even in the area of mental healthcare, psychologists often encourage children to express their ideas and feelings through doodling.
When this happens, it helps develop their emotional intelligence and provides a space to process their own emotions on paper. Over time, they learn to be more attuned to other people’s emotions too.
Doodling Encourages Mindfulness
I’m sure you’ve noticed – children are easily distracted and easily overwhelmed by their own emotions. With so much going on at school and at home with siblings, it can be tough to keep a calm mind and fully immerse in the moment.
Doodling, when done with intention, can be a powerful mindfulness practice. You’ll want kids to develop the art of mindfulness as it helps children take a step back in all the commotion, take note of how they’re feeling and thinking, and manage their emotions and thoughts better.
Just like how we mentioned doodling as a grounding tool earlier, doodling on its own allows kids to slow down and fully immerse in the moment.
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Tip: Try this mindfulness practice – sit with them while they doodle and encourage them to focus on the feel of the paper, the sound of the pencil or marker, and their breath as they draw. The process is what matters most, not the final result– the magic lies in the act of doodling itself! |
More Than Just A Time-Passing Activity
In conclusion, doodling is more than just a way to pass the time—it offers real benefits for kids.
It increases their creativity, improves fine motor skills, enhances their concentration, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes self-expression and emotional intelligence- making it a great activity for kids of any age.
Now, if you’re looking for new ways for your kids to explore doodling and colouring, HeyDoodle’s reusable silicone mats are the perfect option.
Not only are they good for the environment, but they also provide your kids with endless doodling possibilities that they can benefit from.
Try it out today and let the doodling fun begin!
