Little Hands Try a Paintbrush

1. 1

   Set out a large sheet of paper and several washable drawing tools with thick and thin barrels. Let your child choose one and begin making marks.

2. 2

   Dots, firm taps, back-and-forth strokes, and short lines are all part of an 18-month-old’s early mark-making.

3. 3

   These experiments help your child discover how to hold a tool and make it move across the page.

4. 4

   If your child keeps using the same tool, demonstrate with a different one or simply offer it and wait. They may try a new kind of mark or switch hands.

5. 5

   Invite your child to feel the thick and thin barrels and notice how each one sits in the hand.

6. 6

   As they change tools and movements, their hands learn to adjust the grip and control each tool in a different way.

What to notice

• Holds a drawing tool and moves it back and forth on the paper Fine Motor
• Stays focused while creating on paper with you Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

• Tools of different thicknesses and lengths create different grasping experiences. A thick barrel is easier to steady, while a thinner one requires more precise control.
• At this age, holding a drawing tool with the whole hand or sideways is common. These are normal stages of learning to control it.

Developmental benefits

• Movement: Scribbling with different drawing tools gives your child practice adjusting their grasp and controlling a tool across the page.