My child doesn’t draw’… This is a comment that I hear often. Because yes, I tell you that you can get a lot of information about a child through a child’s drawing, but what if he doesn’t draw?! Don’t panic. Not every child likes to draw. And that is fine. Every child is different. Some children prefer to play outside, to run and climb. Also wonderful! Nevertheless, there are a number of things you can do to stimulate a child’s creative development. I have listed 7 tips for you below. And then that child’s drawing will come!

7 tips

1. Make it inviting; make sure it looks neat. Sort the materials. Lay them out. Maybe you have a corner in the room that is ‘spare’ where anything is possible. With a plastic rug on the floor and removable paint on the wall so that a child can focus on making instead of the “be careful, don’t spill it”.
2. Make it easy for them. The easier it is for children to get started, the better. Make sure materials are in sight, within reach. For example, at home and in my practice, I have a pile of paper, a colouring book and a jar of pencils on the table. A child is more inclined to draw ‘in between’ when it is at hand and is more likely to get the idea to draw.
3. Draw together. Together can be more fun than alone. Colour in a colouring page together (and don’t worry about whether your child stays within the lines ?) or take turns drawing something on the same sheet without agreeing on what it should be. It’s a great exercise in following your child.
4. Set a good example. Children copy behaviour. Show that you enjoy drawing. That it is not about being beautiful or clever, but about creating and having fun. This increases the chance that they will start drawing. Because let’s face it: how much fun is it when mum says ‘I can’t draw’ or ‘Well, this one was a failure’… Not very inviting, is it?
5. Back to having fun and creating. An important one: it’s not about the achievement, it’s about the fun and creating! Don’t put pressure on the child by telling them what you think, a child’s drawing doesn’t always have to have a value judgement. Look at the process instead of the result. Go back to basics; the joy of creating. Things you can do are: scratching, drawing with your ‘wrong’ hand, drawing with your eyes closed, colouring with two hands at the same time…
6. Stay away from value judgements, such as ‘how beautiful/clever/weird’, don’t ask what things mean. Rather ask ‘do you want to tell about the drawing?’ Give your child space.
7. Offer different materials. Every material makes a different appeal to a child. It differs per moment what it feels drawn to and then it is good that different materials are available.

All these tips are also included in my online course.

Good quality

Enough to get started with, I think. What are you going to try or do you have any tips? Please let us know, we can all benefit from it. And last but not least: no need to panic if a child still does not draw.
Often it comes naturally when they start school. With these tips, you can make being creative more fun AND easier. The fact remains that not every child wants to be quietly busy at the table.

BONUS TIP! Make sure you have good quality materials! Really; nothing is as frustrating as empty pens, broken tips and paper that runs out when you want to draw. Instead, pay a bit more for colourfast pencils, good sturdy markers, paper that doesn’t tear when you work with water colours.