Introduction Children's drawings
Children's drawings are a fascinating window into their thoughts, feelings and development. As children grow and develop, their drawings evolve, reflecting their cognitive, emotional and social growth. By understanding the different stages of children's drawings, parents, educators and caregivers can gain important insights into a child's development and well-being.
Stage 1: Scribble (18 months - 2 years) The first stage of children's drawing is scribbling, which appears around the age of 18 months. At this stage, children have not yet developed the fine motor skills or cognitive abilities to create representational drawings. Instead, they use doodling as a form of sensory exploration and expression.
At this stage, children's doodles are often random and unstructured, lacking any recognizable shapes or forms. However, as children become more comfortable holding a crayon or marker, their scribblings may become more directed and critical.
Stage 2: Pre-schematic (2 - 4 years) The pre-schematic stage, also known as the "pre-symbolic" stage, is characterized by the appearance of simple shapes and forms. Children begin to create circular, vertical and horizontal lines, as well as simple circles, squares and triangles.
At this stage, children's drawings are not yet representational, but they may begin to associate certain shapes with real-world objects. For example, a circle might represent a sphere, a sun, or a face.
Stage 3: Schematic (4 - 7 years) In the schematic stage, children's drawings become more representative and symbolic. Children begin to use simple shapes to represent real-world objects, such as people, animals, and vehicles.
At this stage, children's drawings may still be simplified and lack detail, but they become more recognizable and consistent. For example, a person might be represented by a circle for the head, a line for the body, and simple shapes for the arms and legs.
Children at this stage may also begin to use color and shading to add depth and detail to their drawings.
Stage 4: Realistic (7 - 11 years) The realistic stage is characterized by greater attention to detail and realism. Children at this stage are able to create more complex and sophisticated drawings, with more emphasis on perspective, shading and proportion.
At this stage, children may begin experimenting with different drawing techniques, such as cross-hatching and shading, to create a more realistic effect. They may also begin using props, such as photographs or real-life objects, to inform their drawings.
Deciphering children's drawings: what do they mean?
Children's drawings can provide important insights into their development, they may also present us with emotional states, messages about events they go through in their lives, various types of violence, power struggles within the family, fears, anxieties and everyday struggles. Children's drawings are not always literal or simple, and may reflect the child's feelings, fantasies or imagination, so we must be very careful when we decipher drawings. Deciphering paintings should be done by professionals with a lot of experience, ethics and complete confidentiality.
However, there are some common themes and symbols that may appear in children's drawings, such as:
People: Drawings of people may indicate a child's social relationships, family dynamics, or self-concept.
Animals: Drawings of animals may reflect a child's interests, fears or emotions.
Houses: Drawings of houses may represent a child's sense of security, stability or home life.
Vehicles: Drawings of vehicles may indicate a child's sense of adventure, independence or mobility.
Conclusion: Deciphering children's drawings can provide important insights into the child's development, feelings and well-being. By understanding the different stages of children's drawings, parents, educators and caregivers can support the child's growth and development, while nurturing his creativity and self-expression.
This article was written by Kobi Avraham (MA) kids drawing analyzer.
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