Picture Starters: How to Help Reluctant Artists

 My kindergarten child is a perfectionist about some things.  If Brickston thinks he cannot do something, he is very reluctant to even try.  This is particularly true when it comes to drawing or writing.  He is actually a wonderful artist, but getting him to do it is sometimes a struggle. Can you think of a child like this?

Maybe this trick will help you, too!  

Art/Writing Center Set up

In my centers, I have a shelf that houses all of the art/writing materials for the week.  This week, I placed these picture starters. 

I gathered old magazines, toy catalogs, and Scholastic news flyers.  I cut out a variety of pictures and glued them onto white paper. Super simple!

Invite the Children to Draw

Next, I invited my boys to add to the pictures by drawing whatever they wanted.  They were eager to grab a pen and crayons.

Brickston drew a cave for his dinosaurs to live in.  At the very top, you can spy an asteroid heading for Earth.

Zaven transformed the photograph into a picture of a construction worker building a house.  My favorite part is the lawnmower!

Fine Motor Skills

Writing and drawing is important for building fine motor skills.  It increases hand strength and small muscle control.  You can also ask your children to find their own photographs in magazines.  They can cut and glue them onto paper.