Why painting is great kids activity!

Even though painting might be a bit messy it is a great tool to improve your child’s fine motor skills. Painting doesn't have to be limited to a paintbrush and we can use pegs and pompoms, mops, hands, sponges, and straws.

Giving your child a paintbrush or asking them to pick up a pompom with a peg provides them with a great opportunity to use their pincer grasp so necessary in handwriting. The process of stamping or painting with a paintbrush strengthens your little one’s fingers and allows them to practise hand-eye coordination.

Plus dipping their painting tool in paint, holding paper down or an item with a less dominant hand and stamping/painting  with the other is a bilateral activity; moreover creating a design or pattern awakens creativity. 

If you're feeling brave you can also use a wide surface area and large painting tools. For example:

• take it to the garden, tape a huge sheet of paper on the fence and ask your child to paint something beautiful.
• or if you have a big glass garden door why don't you ask them to do hand painting on the  glass just to hand them a mop later on to clean it up.

Painting on large surfaces supports gross motor skills -larger muscles of their body. Efficient control of them in the neck, shoulder and trunk is necessary to keep stability in order for the fingers and hands to move to do handwriting. A good development of gross motor skills helps mastering balancing, sports and dancing.