The Developmental Benefits of Coloring – Part 1

According to psychologists, educators, and developmental specialists, there are many unique developmental benefits associated with coloring. The developmental advantages of coloring are cognitive-based, psychological-based, and physiological. Nearly all children love coloring. This activity allows for self-expression through creativity and sparks the imagination of kids. Kids are enthralled with the smell of crayons, excited by the level of creativity in which they may indulge by using the various colors, and absolutely love the thrill of creating something bright and beautiful. Coloring equals happiness. In this brief guide, you will learn about the top developmental benefits of coloring. By the time you get done reading this, you will be stocking up on art supplies and coloring pages for your child!

Coloring Builds and Improves Motor Skills
A motor skill is a special type of function that involves the unique and precise movements of muscles, with the specific intent to perform a certain act. When a child engages in the act of coloring, they are developing the fine motor skills. Coloring requires certain actions, motions, and a very precise-based grip. All of these activities have the ability to develop the muscles within the wrists, the hands, and the fingers. Enhanced motor skills will help to develop handwriting skills and the ability to successfully manipulate small objects, such as buttons and zippers. Additionally, as the motor skills become more pronounced, the child will be able to engage in sports activities, typing, and similar activities with ease.

Coloring Aids in Coloring Awareness and Recognition
When a child enters school, they must learn the various names of the colors, as well as the hues associated with each. Not only will coloring aid in helping a child develop an awareness to all of the colors that are currently taught in school; but, the child will be introduced to the less-common colors. Coloring provides a kinesthetic approach to developing skills in coloring awareness and recognition. When a child colors, they will also learn about creating hues with primary colors by learning to apply more or less pressure on the crayon.

Coloring Aids in Improving Hand-Eye Coordination
The next developmental benefit to coloring is the improvement of hand-eye coordination. It is a known fact that the ability to focus and the skill of coordination is only just developing in young kids. While there are numerous activities that may be used to strengthen these skills, coloring is the most exciting for a child. When a child colors, they are able to select the colors they want to use, hold the crayons, move the coloring page and/or coloring book around, pinpoint where they want to apply the color, and sharpen the crayons that they dull. All of these unique activities aid in improving the hand-eye coordination of the child.

Thank you for concluding Part 1 of our multi-part series, The Developmental Benefits of Coloring. In this first installment, you have learned that coloring helps in improving motor skills, increasing color awareness and recognition, and improving hand-eye coordination. As we continue with this series, you will learn about numerous other developmental-based benefits associated with coloring. If you would like to give your child a head start in life, you can start today by downloading one of our many coloring pages!