This may be the best thing I have read in awhile.

I am always looking for ways to enjoy my granddaughter and sometimes I buy her a coloring book of her favorite characters…

Well… not that much any more thanks to reading this little tidbit.

I always hated coloring in the lines myself so why did I think that this was not the case with my little one here.

It does squash creativity … the fact that all the free hand work makes it to the fridge door should have spoken volumes to me.

So think about how to inspire your child or grandchild with doodles and enjoy the splashes of color and lines.

Get out those crayolas…

I don’t buy my toddler coloring books and here’s why:

Coloring books teach children to be passive about their art. Rather than drawing something themselves, they are coloring in adult-drawn images.

Coloring books teach toddlers to compare their art to an adult’s.

Coloring books set toddlers up for failure. Coloring inside the lines? How many toddlers can, or better question, should, do that?

Scribbling is linked to future literacy. The more toddlers scribble and draw, the easier it is for them to learn to write later. As toddlers scribble, they learn to make all the shapes necessary to write the alphabet. Coloring inside predetermined lines doesn’t allow this to happen.

via Why Coloring Books Aren’t Good for Toddlers | Toddler Times.