“Stay in the lines”
“Please fill in all the white spaces,” Johnny.
Susie, next time “ try to stay in the lines.”
How many times have you heard this, or has it been said to you or your child. Colouring is a complex fine motor skill. It also takes practice, patience, endurance, effort and attention to detail. These are a lot of things and most of us do not think about them when we start a colouring activity.
For some colouring is just too tiring. It is too exhausting and they either give up or avoid the task all together. Yet for many colouring is therapeutic and relaxing. In schools, kids are provided with mindful colouring exercises and as parents we see adult colouring books in the grocery store. Colouring can and should be enjoyable but let’s face it, if it is hard, it is no fun!
As a fine motor skill colouring requires hand strength, finger dexterity and finger control. To become more efficient and “accurate” at colouring, children often need to use a tripod grasp and isolate the muscles in their wrists and fingers ( as opposed to the elbow and shoulder). To limit fatigue and frustration the arm needs to rest on the writing surface.
Assuming that the arm is resting on the table and the tool grasp matches the age and developmental abilities (see pencil grasp resource) of the child, here are a few things to consider when working on the skill of colouring.
First focus on developing comfortable and consistent strokes. We want to teach children to move the tool with ease before we teach them to control the tool.
Try this progression.
Have the child colour (back and forth) all over a large piece of paper. The aim is to get the child moving the tool with big, smooth back and forth strokes. They can use their elbow for this task as big movements are required.
Next reduce the size of the paper and have the child colour on the paper again. The movement should be the same but less arm movement required. We are looking to establish consistent patterns ( back and forth, up and down, side to side). We are encouraging efficiently and coverage, focusing on how do we fill a space.
Now keep to a shape. This continues to be an opportunity to let the student develop their grip and tool movement without any concern for staying within the lines.
A great activity to work on colouring single small shapes is to create a gum ball machine. NB: The gum balls that make it into the machine have to be filled in completely so they have the best and most delicious flavour. BUT because they need to be cut (often by an adult) it doesn’t matter if we go out of the lines.
Once a good colouring pattern has been established it is time to focus on control and staying in the lines.
Continue to gently cue the student to use their wrist and fingers by placing a hand on the student’s forearm. Pair this with the verbal cue: “use your fingers” or “keep your arm quiet”
Pair colouring practice with lots of verbal reminders and imagination. Pretend to go really slow like a sloth at the edges and then have fun and go fast like a cheetah in the centre space.
Draw thick borders around shapes or picture parts to define a definitive boundary to colour within or find colouring pages/books that have simple pictures and thick lines. A favourite is My first BIG BOOK of COLOURING.
To draw visual attention to a line or edge consider making a border around a shape using “ wikki-stix” ( bendable wax sticks) or coloured glue. This will make a physical border, providing the student with lots of tactile feedback when they get to an edge.
Connect with Path
If you and your child would benefit from other colouring activities or strategies to make pencil control activities more rewarding and enjoyable please be in touch. We would love to help you find a playful path to improve colouring skills.
References: The strategies and information discussed in this article are a summary of the years of learning and growing with fellow occupational therapist.