Aussie Childcare Network Forum

I am a Family Day Care Educator. Our scheme has recently been told that we are now longer allowed to use colouring pages as part of our art activities--even when a child specifically asks for them. We have been told that they stifle a child's creativity and so I googled some information re. the advantages and disadvantages of using colouringbook/pages. I have been unable to find any information in the negative but there is a lot for the positive such as early maths skills, fine motor skills, creativity etc.
Does anyone have any thoughts about this topic? I would be very interested to hear what other childcare professionals feel about this subject.
Jenma

Most centres I have worked in discourage the use of 'templates' for colouring or anything for the same reason you have been given.
I use templates because sometimes I find if I give a 2 year old a piece of paper and say draw a fish I will get scribbles, even if I show them a pic of a fish.
They would probably do the same thing no matter what I asked them to draw. I find giving them templates solidifies what a fish, crocodile etc is.
As they get older I feel template usage can decrease as by then the children have the techniques to be able to try and draw a cat/dog/fish etc.
In Montessori we learn that in the 0-3 yr stage you give the child the techniques ... drawing a straight line, curved line, etc etc. In the 3-6yr stage you teach them creativity as now they have the techniques in place in order to use them to create.

Thankyou fefe76 for taking the time to post a reply to me. I understand completely what you are saying. Children need to have a basis before they can start to create their own drawings of ......(whatever!)
The research I have found encourages the use of colouring pages as, among other things, a basis for reading and maths skills, fine motor and also for therapeutic reasons.
Thanks again, Jenn

I think (my humble opinion) that colouring templates certainly have a place in developing skills in children, however most places frown on the usage as it "stifles" creativity.... but how can a child create if they have no idea of what they are "creating" looks like etc
no point me saying to a 2.5yr old "Draw me a sailboat" when they have no concrete understanding of what a sailboat actually is and is showing the child a photo of the boat so different to having them colour a template of a sailboat??
Honestly sometimes I do not understand who makes these rules and regs and why and what is the basis of them... if they can provide me some concrete scientific evidence of why template usage is not beneficial then fine...but just saying they do not "approve" of the use of colouring templates with no explanation further than they want the child to create, is unacceptable to me and I use them regardless and am happy to fight my case to my superiors!(and have done!)heehee

Kids love to color in and as long as it is not done all the time , surely there is no problem. I recall being told many years ago when I first began teaching not to show a child how to draw as that would be the only way they would. To each his own. Our children really enjoy coloring in early am and late PM and we always provide a variety of templates ( also theme based according to date) and lots of plain paper . We also encourage them to copy and draw. Great fine motor skills as well

I agree, I do not use colouring templates all the time and the children always have paper and crayons and colour pencils + other mediums to freely express themselves readily available so I do not see the issue. The children enjoy colouring sheets and talking about what they see and are colouring.
Sorry but I am going to keep using them regardless of what anyone says!

Pros and Cons both sides I think.
I use them if I feel they are appropriate to the learning.

Most of the Institutes where I have worked they don't encourage to the
usage of templates for the coloring.
But sometimes
I use templates because when I ask to draw an elephant I don't get the
same result even I show him a pic of an elephant.
My child probably does the same thing many times when I asked them to
draw.
But with the passage of age, I am also watching the improvement in his
drawing because in the starting age a child learn how to draw a straight
and curved line.
After the 4-6yr stage I teach them creativity because they have also
techniques of better drawing.

When I was a kids my parents always teach me by you are colouring your books instead of painting book. But that time we don't know what we do, now my kid's colouring on the wall of the house I don't know what to do. All I do is paint my wall after every 3 or 4-month thats it.

Don't worry Sir, my kids are also using coloring pages or books and there is no negative impact on their creativity.
It gives a lot of new to my kids as Improves Motor Skills, Stimulates Creativity, Better Handwriting, Color Awareness, Improved Confidence and Self Esteem. Now my kids are at the age of 6-8 and they are learning something new every day.

Hello,

Everyone above has answered so nicely and described various angles of using colour pages for children.

I just want to tell you perhaps the authority thinks that children are very creative in nature. So, they can create their own thing before colouring. Giving something means to your authority perhaps limited the scope of exploration to their own creativity. It is something like blocking their thoughts or buckling up their imagination. That is why I think, they are against providing a colouring book for children to colour. Otherwise colour makes a child stressed-free, and also improves fine motor skills.

Hope this will help!

Thank You

Nandita

Coloring is a favorite pastime for children, and as long as it is not done constantly, there is probably no issue. Many years ago, when I first started teaching, someone advised me not to teach a child how to draw because it would be the only way they would learn it.