Mark making refers to the process of making physical marks. It is a natural and instinctual way for children to express themselves. They understand their world better by testing it through their mark making. Mark making is step one in the child’s development of writing and drawing.
Children require ample opportunity to try themselves in mark making in their early years that will contribute to them becoming confident communicators as they grow. They need to be encouraged to explore and be provided with rich opportunities. The quality and variety of these opportunities matter in order for the child to effectively be able to experiment. Various tools can be offered for this including pencils, crayons, dough and paint along with different surfaces like pebbles, paper, board and sand.
A child’s interests can often be seen in the marks they make. While some marks are simply for sensory enjoyment, some others carry more meaning, especially as the child grows. Some even have a story behind waiting to be explained to an eager adult.
Mark making aids the important function of strengthening the child’s larger muscles which in turn aids the development of the finer muscles. This process helps the child be able to carry out tasks which require fine motor skills.
The more emotionally secure a child feels, the more dynamic of a mark maker she will be. The freer the child feels, the better she will express himself through sounds, movements and mark making. Hence mark making is a powerful way that even nonverbal children can use to express themselves. Mark making encourages problem solving, storytelling and self-expression.
If you looking for a safe and gentle way to start your child with mark making, our Toddler Fingers beeswax crayons are the answer! Made using pure and natural ingredients and in shapes suitable for the prewriting child, our Crayon Fingers are ideal for a cheerful start! Handmade in warm, vibrant and engaging colours, the set will draw baby in for some highly focused mark making, be that the mere joy in using our honey-like crayons or drawing up a sophisticated story on her paper!