Art Projects for Toddlers: My Son and His Markers

The other day I decided to give my toddler son a new set of markers to play with while I let dinner cook on the stove. I figured that it would be good for him to get involved in some art projects to balance out his usual repetoire of playing various sports and pushing cars around. Dinner was heating without much help from me, so I sat down on the floor and showed him the new marker set I purchased for him. These special markers color only on a particular (expensive) kind of paper, so it was designed to be a "no mess" art project.

He was very excited to see me open the package and get out the six brightly colored markers, which go on clear and rapidly change to their designated color. "Open! Open!" he said, gesturing to each marker in turn.

He took every marker and made one or two lines on the paper. After he finished drawing with each one he carefully placed it next to the paper and reached for a new marker. While I encouraged him and discussed the colors and so on, he replaced one of the marker's caps.

"Are you done with that one already?" I asked.

"Yes," he decisively replied.

Then he rolled the marker across the floor, and it stopped a few feet away. He capped the next marker and did the same. When it stopped directly next to the other one he shouted, "YES!" and pumped his arm up in the air.

After that, the art project deteriorated into his newly invented game of "bowl the markers." Direct hits were accompanied by cheers of "I did it!" and other forms of self-congratulation. If he missed his target he scurried across the floor to try again. "I miss," he would say, as a fact, not in disappointment.

All-in-all, Hayden spent more time on his marker bowling game than on the art project itself. Although I plan to continue encouraging him to draw, manipulate Playdoh (which currently lends itself to a great "roll the Playdoh ball" game), and color, I guess I shouldn't expect Hayden to be a mini Picasso. He's an athletic kind of guy. And though I'm sure there are toddler boys who like to draw, I do wonder if a girl would focus more on the artwork and less on making a sport out of the project.

I guess it doesn't matter. Perhaps tomorrow Hayden and I will try for a game of Crayon baseball.