I hinted about this is my second blog. The size of the paper that you use when working with a young child is significant. Working too large can intimidate the child (think of all that empty white space) and affect the outcome. The question you need to ask yourself is "what muscles are you trying to exercise?"
EXERCISE? Yes, exercise. Art making helps develop both gross motor and fine motor skills and aids is the development of coordination and muscle control.
For example, if your child is painting at an easel while standing, he or she is more likely to use gross motor skills, longer movements using the entire arm, shoulder and elbow. If your child is sitting and drawing or coloring with a crayon, then he is more likely to use small motor movements, using the hand, wrist and fingers. Gross motor skills are the kind you need to throw a ball, jump rope or swing a bat. Small motor skills are the kind you need to work scissors, string beads or write words. Knowing what your motor skills you are working on can help you decide what size paper to use. Of course, with small children any thing can happen. You all have seen a child painting at an easel making very small brush movements and a child swirling the crayon around the paper with the entire arm moving. Let the child go but offer suggestions about how to move the tool that is in his or her hand.
As a general rule, a large piece of paper encourages larger movements and a small piece encourage small movements. So you see, size does matter.
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