"At my child's 1-year-old well check the doctor asked if my child is scribbling. I cannot give my toddler a crayon, they will just put it to their mouth!"
Before age one, we want babies to watch adults or older kids scribbling, writing, and drawing. Around age one, we want kids to begin making marks themselves. It is common for small children to explore items by putting them to their mouth, but there are ways to teach children how to use items and avoid "unwanted" items from going to their mouth.
Strategies to Try:
Choose safe and engaging tools:
Opt for chunky crayons, thick markers, or washable chalk. Colorful and textured options pique their curiosity, making the experience more fun.
Try going outside with an open cup of water and a paint brush. Your child can "paint" the sidewalk or outdoor items with the water. The sun will dry the water, and there is no mess! This is a great strategy for families who don't feel ready for writing utensils, and for kids who love to move.
If drawing inside- Set Up the Environment by using a high chair, booster seat, or a table & chairs. Have only 1 or 2 crayons (or other writing utensils) out. You can have others where YOU can reach them, but your child cannot. Model how to make marks, hand your child the writing utensil, and give them a chance to try. Go back and forth with you making marks, and pausing to let your child try. If they communicate they want a different color, trade for the color. This keeps only 1-2 items out, helps you keep control, and avoids utensils from getting lost or left out when you are not monitoring the routine.
Focus on large surfaces: Provide surfaces like an easel, chalkboard, or even sidewalk instead of small pieces of paper. This gives them ample space to move freely and explore, reducing the urge to put the tool in their mouth.
Distract and redirect: If you see them reaching for their mouth, offer an alternative like a teething toy or snack cracker. Gently redirect their attention back to the drawing surface by making exciting marks yourself or narrating their scribbles as a story.
Make it messy and sensory: Let them explore different textures! Engage their senses with finger paints, edible dough, or textured paper with sand or stamps. This provides alternative sensory experiences while satisfying their natural curiosity.
Positive reinforcement and modeling: Show genuine enthusiasm for their marks and scribbles, no matter how abstract. Positive reinforcement encourages them to continue exploring and builds confidence. Model proper tool use yourself, writing or drawing alongside them to demonstrate its purpose.
Tips for going from scribbling to pre-writing strokes:
Remember, the goal for this activity is for your child to imitate you when you draw
Your child will watch you breifly, then take a turn
Avoid focusing on your child vocalizing the first few times you do this activity
Sit down at a table letting your child stand or sit at the table.
Have 1 writing utensil out. If you have many out, it can be difficult to keep control of this activity.
Make a line down while making a silly sound like "zip"
Hand the writing utensil to your child, let them make a mark.
Your child may not make the same line down you did, at this point we are getting your child in the zone for turning taking (going back and forth with you).
Take the writing utensil back, and repeat making a line down with a simple sound ("zip"). Hand the writing utensil back to your child for their turn. Repeat this step many times. If your child does not start making a line down like you after 3-5 turns, start saying "down, zip" when you draw your line down.
After line down is going well, move on to a line across, a circle shape, then a cross or X. If all of these are going well, you are ready to move on to letters in your child's name.