Drawing Favorite Toy for Keepsake by Preschooler

We wish happy new year to all the followers and readers of this blog. We wish this year fills your life with more things beautiful, makes you more creative. I do have a lot of posts in the pipeline which I do want to share before any new ones but I could not resist posting this one first. This is so special.

This is a drawing made by my soon to be 5 year old daughter. This is one of her favorite toys since she was an infant. When you pull the bee the music of "You are my sunshine" comes. Somehow it used to calm her. This is one of the toys I saved and now my son loves it too. My daughter woke up on Jan 4th 2013 and the first thing she did was take the toy (my son was playing with it) told me I still love it mommy. Can I have it for sometime. I have to do something really important and I have to do it now. As usual I was telling, you can do it later,he is little, let him play with this. After she was done with explaining why she needs it a number of times she said, I promise I will give it back to him and share this one but right now I need it. Finally, I said o.k., go ahead.

15 minutes later she said I am done. He can have it now. She went and gave back the toy to her brother who is 4 months old. Then came the real surprise. I saw she was doing something. I took a picture also. I thought this will be another of her stick diagrams that kids this age keep doing. I was busy in finishing my routine household work and was not paying much attention. I was not sure she could do such good work in observational drawing.I have never told her to do one, thinking she is too small for this. This is her first one. I looked at it and was amazed at the details in her drawing. She even drew the Velcro of the toy.

This is one of her independent creations. I didn't help with anything. I didn't tell her to look at the toy and draw. I didn't tell her which medium to use. I didn't even tell do it in your sketchbook. In fact I was wondering she might be thinking( now even if the toy breaks I have a drawing to know it was my favorite toy), but she said I just felt like drawing this so much that I could not do anything else before doing this.That's why mommy I needed it just then.I hope her passion continues.

 The self esteem boost that results from accomplishing a drawing like this goes a long way. I could see it in her eyes.I truly believe that it does transfer itself to other subjects a child learns and definitely provides passion for learning anything. Parents should always motivate their child to do independent crafts, I know I will. I wanted to share this idea as it does make a wonderful keepsake.  

Supplies:
 - Favorite toy
 - Paper
 - Pencil colors or color of choice

Let your child look at the toy and draw. If possible let the child use his imagination. You may help the child if he seeks help, else let the child develop his ability through free expression. Believe me, whatever the child draws, it will be the most precious thing for him and he will have a feeling like no other. Do date the creations and name it. Save it in your child's portfolio.  

Take Away from this Observational Drawing Craft:
- Improves observational skills
- Processing the information and attempt to put on paper
- Plans on how to draw what he sees
- Independent execution
- Increases Focus and expression power
- Self-esteem boost
 PS: Came across good book for teaching children how to draw Drawing with Children- A creative method for Adult Beginners too by Mona Brookes. I did read some excerpts and found it very interesting. I plan to read it, guess I will learn lots of things from this too.