Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Creative Expression

Goal: Children demonstrate self-expression and creativity in a variety of forms and contexts, including play, visual arts, music, drama, and dance.

Skill Progression: Art

Age: 30-33 Months

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Provide paper and crayons or markers. Observe the child’s spontaneous drawings.

The child will likely draw spontaneously. The adult can say, “Tell me about your picture.” If the child’s drawing is mostly circles, the adult can elicit other types of lines by modeling on his own paper. Say, “I’m going to draw a rain storm. Here is the ground and some grass. Here is the lightning. Here’s another piece of paper so you can make a rain storm too.”

The child will use primarily circular forms, but will be motivated to draw the interesting shapes the adult is making. The child will be able to imitate many of the angled lines.

Encourage early childhood educators and parents to draw with the child. Children of this age love to tell the adult what to draw. They then want to give the more detailed drawing a try, often imitating what the adult drew. Let the child lead and encourage adults to avoid telling or demanding that the child draw certain things or imitate their lines. Drawing should be fun!