Do you remember how happy a new box of crayons made you when you were a child? There was always a lot of “hope” in those sharp, new crayons. I was never a great artist, but I was thrilled with the “possibilities” those crayons offered!
*A good rule of thumb for encouraging children to use many colors in their drawings is to ask them to use as many colors as they are in age. If they are four years old they should use at least 4 different crayons; if they are five years old they should use five colors, etc.
*As you read books to the class, explain the illustrator’s name. Have children notice details in illustrations. Why is it important to add details? Remind them when they draw pictures they are illustrators, too, and they should add lots of details to make their pictures more interesting.
*Encourage children to close their eyes and think about what they want to draw before they begin coloring. “Get a picture in your brain and then you’ll know what you want your picture to look like. It’s like telling a story with your crayons.”
*Keep a box for “lost crayons” on a shelf so children have a place to put crayons that get misplaced.
*Use mint tins to store crayons when boxes fall apart.
A Coloring We’ll Go
(Tune: “A Hunting We Will Go” – ALL DAY LONG CD)
A coloring we’ll go.
A coloring we’ll go.
Hi ho, it’s fun you know,
A coloring we’ll go.
Use straight and curvy lines.
Use straight and curvy lines.
With yellow, purple, green, and orange,
We’ll make our picture fine. (Chorus)
The details we will draw.
The details we will draw.
Imagine all the little things.
The details we will draw. (Chorus)
We’ll fill in the page.
We’ll fill in the page.
Use as many colors
As you are in age.
A coloring we’ll go.
A coloring we’ll go.
We’ll put them in the box and close the top
When we’re through, you know.
Here's a song to help children learn color words.
We’ll put them in the box and close the top
When we’re through, you know.
Here's a song to help children learn color words.
Color Box
(Tune: “Happy Birthday” MOVE IT! LEARN IT! CD)
Here’s a crayon for you. (Pretend to hold a present in your hand.)
It’s a blue one for you. (Hold up a blue crayon.)
B – l – u – e.
Here’s blue for you.
Continue singing and spelling red, yellow, orange, green, purple, brown, black, white.
*Have children take their box of crayons and hold up the appropriate color as you sing.
*Let children walk around the room and touch objects that are the color you are singing about.
*Have children stand up when the color that they are wearing is sung in the song.
