As soon as your toddler can hold a chunky crayon comfortably, he's ready to scribble and color with it. Giving him plenty of opportunities to doodle to his heart’s content helps your tot develop strength and control in his fingers now — and eventually, helps him understand that marks and lines can represent objects, shapes and letters.
Here’s how to introduce scribbling and coloring to your little Picasso, plus why this is such an important milestone.Fair warning: He might get so excited about making his mark that he scribbles everywhereexcepton the paper!
When do kids start coloring?
Break out those chunky crayons around the 1-year mark. Most toddlers are ready to start coloring and scribbling between 12 and 15 months, but like all things child-related, learning to draw is a process that happens in phases.
Here’s a timeline of when your budding artist may take off:
- 12 to 15 months:When your toddler has mastered thepincer grasp (holding objects with his thumb and forefinger), he'll likely be ready and willing to grasp a crayon well enough to make marks with it. Around this time, toddlers will use crayons primarily for large random arcs, blobs and unintentional scrawling — a study in pleasure rather than technique.
- 15 to 18 months:Your toddler's scribbling and coloring will probably graduate to expressive interpretation. You may not be able to see the forestorthe trees in those swirls, but you’ll start to see blocks of color and more definitive marks and patterns.
- 18 to 24 months:His scribbles will likely fill up more space on the paper. At this age, every crayon stroke represents something to your little artist — those swirly loops may be a puppy or those vibrant stripes may be his daddy.
How to help your toddler start coloring
When it comes toyour toddler's art supplies, safety comes first. Because he’s likely to put whatever he’s coloring with into his mouth, make sure all supplies are non-toxic — luckily, most kid-friendly art products are. However, you’ll want to stay away from pencils and pens, as their sharp points can be a poking hazard.
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To make the most of scribbling sessions, tape a few sheets of paper to the tray of your child's high chair or the floor to reduce the odds that they’ll slide around and frustrate him. Offer a few chunky, non-toxic crayons (they’re easier for itty-bitty hands to hold and are harder to break), and let him go wild — chances are, he’ll quickly realize the simple cause-and-effect of putting a crayon to paper on his own.
A certain amount of crayon nibbling is inevitable at this age, and probably won’t hurt him, but it should be discouraged (and watch out for possible tummy upset).
With any kid-friendly activity, close supervision is crucial, but do resist the temptation to give your curious toddler direction when it comes to creating works of art — let him explore on his own as much as possible.
What not to worry about when it comes to toddler scribbling
If your toddler isn’t interested in drawing or scribbling, he may want to get creative with other mixed media and techniques instead.
For example, he might enjoy drawing and coloring with chalk on a chalkboard, construction paper or the sidewalk; using rubber stamps; making collages with glue and paper, fabric and feathers; or painting with non-toxic, water-based paints using a thick-handled paint brush or sponges. Your child also may have fun drawing with markers (make sure they're water-based and washable) and squeezing, rolling and shaping child-safe play clay.
If your child isn’t able to deliberately release an object he’s holding by 12 months, still uses a fisted grasp to hold a crayon or doesn’t use a pincer grasp at 18 months, or can’t imitate a drawing of a vertical line by 24 months, mention it to your pediatrician.
When do kids start drawing?
Once your little Leonardo has mastered the art of scribbling and coloring, he’ll start moving on to bigger and better things. At around age 3, he’ll be able to draw more recognizable shapes, including circles.
As for when kids start drawing people? Expect a family portrait sometime around the age of 4. His people might not look like anyone in particular, but they’ll probably have at least a face, a body, and some arms or legs (or both). At this age, children also start drawing other familiar objects, like the sun or flowers.
As he gets nearer to kindergarten, your child will know the difference between drawing and writing, so his pictures might have “words” underneath that describe his masterpiece.
From the What to Expect editorial team andHeidi Murkoff,author ofWhat to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading ourmedical review and editorial policy.
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FAQs
When is my child likely to start? Most children are ready to start their first scribbles between 12 and 18 months. By this stage they're able to sit up without assistance, pick up an object in a fist and move it across a surface.
At what age do kids start coloring? ›
Between the ages of 3-4 years an average child will:
Tracing lines – Trace on top of a thick horizontal line without going off of the line much. Coloring Shapes – By this age, children should be able to color grossly within the lines of simple shapes and forms.
What age does a child start to scribble? ›
Most toddlers are ready to start coloring and scribbling between 12 and 15 months, but like all things child-related, learning to draw is a process that happens in phases.
Can a 1 year old use crayons? ›
One Year: Holding a Crayon
Around 12 months, your baby may start holding a crayon using the whole hand or fist. They may also switch hands and even hold crayons in each hand while trying to color.
Can 2 year old do coloring? ›
Exploring colors with toddlers is a fundamental aspect of their developmental journey, influenced by their age and stage of cognitive growth. Toddlers typically start recognizing colors around 6 to 12 months old, progressing to naming colors between 2 to 3 years, and categorizing them around 4 to 5 years old.
What should 2 year old coloring look like? ›
Controlled 'Scribbling' (2-3 Years) Children's drawings during this period tend to include horizontal and vertical lines, circle shapes (not perfect circles but approximations), loops, loose spirals, crosses and dots. They'll make these types of marks repeatedly, on purpose.
Is coloring good for 1 year old? ›
Young children learn about the world through their senses. Coloring book is a great gift for such a child, because it develops motor skills needed for later learning of reading and writing, stimulates creativity and imagination, allows to get to know the world in an interesting way and is simply good fun for a toddler.
What is the milestone for scribbling? ›
Stage 1: Random Scribbling (15 months to 2 ½ years) Stage 2: Controlled Scribbling (2 years to 3 years) Stage 3: Lines and Patterns (2 ½ years to 3 ½ years) Stage 4: Pictures of Objects or People (3 years to 5 years)
Should a 2 year old know colors? ›
Between the ages of 2 to 3 years old, children begin to learn the names of colors. It's necessary to remember that every child develops at their own pace, and some may only be able to name colors once they are closer to 4 years old. Signs of progress include correctly naming at least three colors.
What age is scribbles and ink for? ›
Based on the popular book series by author and illustrator Ethan Long, Scribbles and Ink is a unique, new interactive game for children ages 4 to 8 that puts their creations straight into the animated series.
Developing a pencil grip
Typically, a child will develop a whole hand grasp known as a palmar supinate grasp around 1-1.5 years of age. By the age of 2-3 a child will develop a digital pronate grasp where the writing utensil is held in the hand with the tip of the crayon being help on the thumb side of the hand.
When should I buy baby crayons? ›
Some children are ready to use art products at a very early age, while others may not show an interest until later. Crayola offers a range of art supplies and creative activities designed specifically for children ages 12 – 36 months.
What age should you start coloring? ›
The toddler years, for from 12 months to 2 years, is a great window to introduce coloring. It's during this age that toddlers show interest in coloring and develop skills needed for motor development. This is a great time to explore how to teach coloring skills at an impressionable age!
When should I introduce coloring to my child? ›
You can introduce coloring to your child as early as 18 months, with simple scribbling and doodling. By age 2, most toddlers are eager to explore colors and begin controlling their hand movements to create basic shapes and forms.
When can toddlers draw circles? ›
At two and a half, children will start crossing midline and creating a horizontal line. At three years, they start to draw a full circle. At two and a half, you might see circular scribbles, but you see a perfect circle at three years. At three and a half to four years, they can make the two steps of the cross.
Are 2 year olds supposed to know colors? ›
Between the ages of 2 to 3 years old, children begin to learn the names of colors. It's necessary to remember that every child develops at their own pace, and some may only be able to name colors once they are closer to 4 years old. Signs of progress include correctly naming at least three colors.
What should a 3 year old be able to draw? ›
At three years, they start to draw a full circle. At two and a half, you might see circular scribbles, but you see a perfect circle at three years. At three and a half to four years, they can make the two steps of the cross. Four years old is when they can start to really draw an accurate square.
What age do kids start color matching? ›
Your child may be able to consistently and accurately identify colors sometime between the ages of 3 and 4. But children have a receptive understanding of color from an early age. Research suggests that babies may be able to distinguish between colors as early as 4 months.
At what age should you teach colors? ›
Generally speaking, 18 months is a great time to begin teaching your child about colors, but it's not uncommon for children between 2 to 3 years old to be in the beginning stages of learning these concepts.
