April showers bring…Rainbows!

Fun motor coordination and body awareness sensory activity 

Rainy spring days got you stuck inside? Add color to your day with this fun sensory activity! Create a masterpiece with your child as they use all of the colors of the rainbow to produce art you can admire for years to come! Whether you’re trying to cheer up from a rainy day, or you just want to add some new decorations to the house, you’re sure to have a great time doing this activity with your child. 

Here is what you will need:

-Large piece of cardboard, cardstock, or paper (large enough for child to sit in the middle)

-Markers, crayons, or colored pencils, finger paint, etc.

-Difficulty alternatives: Scooter, Bosu Ball, Finger Paint, Chalk

 

 

 

 

 

 Instructions:

Have your child sit cross-legged or on their knees in the middle of the drawing area. Placing the drawing utensils in reach, have your child pick one of the colors and begin making big, sweeping curves that start on one side of the body, and finish on the other. Encourage your child to not switch hands as he/she crosses the center of their body!

 

 

 

 

 

After they have gone back and forth with the first color, encourage them to pick other colors and create a beautiful rainbow that they can enjoy for days to come! If this becomes an easy task, have your child lay their stomach on a Bosu Ball or sit on a scooter to amp up the challenge of balance and coordination.

 

 

 

 

 

Activity Benefits

Not only will this activity give you timeless art work, it is also packed with sensory benefits!

1.  Proprioception: Your child will learn what the appropriate force is when using markers, colored pencils, and crayons. For example, pushing too hard on the marker may make it bleed; or pushing too hard with a colored pencil on paper may make a hole.

2.  Motor planning: Your child will become familiar with the action of making curves and may even begin to plan where they want the next line of color to go.

3.  Gross motor skills and core strength: The arms and core will be working hard in this fun yet challenging drawing activity!

4.  Balance and body awareness: Whether sitting on their bottoms, or up tall on a scooter, your child will have to control their balance so they do not tip over. This is also working on body awareness as they have to draw around themselves without marking on their clothes.

If your child bores with the traditional markers and colored pencils, have them use finger paint instead (as demonstrated in the pictures). This is a great way to include a manageable, yet fun mess. Another way to change up the scenery is to take this activity outside with chalk. Drawing the rainbow on the sidewalk or driveway. (Weather permitting of course!)

Want to learn more about improving your child’s sensory preferences and how occupational therapy at Kinetic Edge can help? Call us at 866-588-0230 for more information!

Share: