You may think that driving a toy jeep around the drive-way and  developing the skills to write or draw have no connection but my two-year-old grandson would demonstrate that there is a strong connection between the two…
My daughter and I have been introducing crayons and other writing materials to my grandson for quite some time. Not in any kind of formal sit-down-and-do-it-this-way approach but through casual opportunities.  For example, while at a restaurant, we  are given kid menus and a pack of crayons. We will often sit and color and even invite my grandson to give it a try too. For the longest time, he preferred to roll the crayons off the table and quite honestly, he still prefers to roll the crayons off the table…
But now that summer time is here, pretty much everyday is all about playing outside so our drawing has focused more on drawing with chalk on the driveway. I keep a bucket of chalk by the garage door at all times and while my grandson runs around and plays, my daughter often naturally models the drawing process by doodling on the driveway…
By modeling the drawing process and inviting my grandson to join in, my daughter has been naturally and gradually introducing my grandson to the writing process. But in order for my grandson to want to draw or write, the motivation has to be there too. As for most young children, the best source of motivation is often times found through their play. Today, the motivation for my grandson was discovering that he could take a clipboard with paper on it outside and even put it in his jeep…
I’m not sure what was going on inside that little mind of his but I watched (mostly through the lens of my camera) as my grandson would drive around a bit then stop and make a few marks on his paper and then drive off again…
This was the first time I had observed my grandson take a genuine interest in the idea of drawing on paper or drawing anywhere else for that matter…
As my grandson continues to integrate mark-making into indoor and outdoor play experience, the development of his fine motor skills and his interest in the writing process will continue to be nurtured. And I have to tell you folks – watching a child develop new skills through play is super exciting stuff!…
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