My littlest gal is so happy. She got to review something for the blog. Timberdoodle sent us Usborne Little Children’s Drawing Book ($6) for us to review. It’s a good thing too. With her big sister taking on Artistic Pursuits this year, she’s going to want some art lessons of her own. Long story, short, she didn’t want to stop doing her art.
What Is Little Children’s Drawing Book?
The Little Children’s Drawing Book has fun activities that build your child’s fine-motor skills. Make spots on a giraffe, draw lines to show falling rain, jellyfish tentacles, and more. The book says ages 2+, and Timberdoodle includes it with their Complete Preschool Curriculum Kits. It is 48 pages long, and the paper is a smooth, matte surface upon which to draw.
What We Thought
Little Miss Ladybug LOVED it. WE did two pages – the giraffe page (pictured) and a page with rainclouds (not pictured). Well, to be honest, SHE did two pages. I just read the directions for her.
We chose to use colored pencils because we had them handy. The pages are not glossy, so the colored pencil showed up well. You could use crayons, and the pages are sturdy enough to be able to handle markers if your little one prefers to use those. I did not do a bleed test with markers, but I would be surprised, unless a child heavily saturates the page, if the color ran through on the other side.
(She was really intense). There are samples on each page to illustrate the idea that preschoolers are to copy in creating their own art. I like that the activity is structured while still being open-ended. It gives preschoolers a sense of control while also encouraging skill-development.
The pictures are bright and colorful, and that’s great for preschoolers. She didn’t want to stop, so I let her continue to the next page. I think she probably would have sat and completed the whole book if I’d have allowed her to do so. It was definitely a big hit, and now she’s very excited about starting her “learning” as she and Mr. 4 call school time.
Ideas for Using This Resource
As you know, I like to create a list of suggestions for stretching the resource. You can, of course, use Little Children’s Drawing Book as it stands. Here are some ideas if you’d like to stretch it a little bit:
- Prior to starting the page, practice making the shape/lines on a separate piece of paper to demonstrate (especially if your child is younger).
- Have your child create their own picture inspired by the page in the book they just completed.
- Use the animal/image on the page as inspiration for a unit study (i.e. learn about giraffes when doing the giraffe page – read giraffe books, make giraffe crafts, watch a video with a giraffe, etc.
- Practice counting – “Can you make 5 spots on the giraffe’s neck?” or “How many spots have you made? Let’s count them!”
This is a fun resource for those who are homeschooling younger children or for those who need something for younger siblings to do when older siblings need instruction.
Purchasing Information
You can purchase Little Children’s Drawing Book at Timberdoodle on its own for just under $6 or you may purchase the preschool curriculum that it is part of.
