At the Zoo

Finger painting is available to a child as early as 1 year old. It wonderfully develops fine motor skills, coordination of movements, speech, imagination, intelligence, and creative abilities. While painting, the child gets acquainted with colors and learns to distinguish them. Read a poem to your child, name the image, and suggest drawing together. If your child is finger painting for the first time, take their hand in yours, dip their finger in paint, and show them how to make fingerprint spots on the picture, filling in the outline of the image. Very soon, the child will learn to paint independently with their fingers. Be sure to praise the child and show their creations to family and friends. The finished picture can be cut out and placed in a frame as a keepsake of your child's first creative successes.