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How Tracing Household Items Can Inspire Creativity in Kids

Hillsboro tracing art lessons
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Welcome back to Golden Road Arts in Hillsboro for another free art lesson. Last time we were here we looked at mixed media painting. You can watch that video here – Mixed Media Painting with Carolyn Pettitt.

Today we’re looking at one of the most popular ways to create art at home – tracing.

How Tracing Encourages Creativity in Children

Tracing is an important step in the development of a child’s artistic abilities. Before kids can draw objects they see in front of them, they need to understand how they can translate this into two dimensions on the page. Tracing is a straightforward way to begin the process with objects to guide them.

As one of the most popular types of art for kids, tracing can be as simple or complex as the child can handle. Younger kids could begin tracing shapes using a cup for circles and a book for squares. When they have become familiar with simple shapes, they can start to add more detail using some accessible lessons.

  • Trace a circle and add detail to make a face.
  • Draw squares, triangles and rectangles for a house.
  • Draw the alphabet with lines and circles.
  • Trace numbers from 1 to 10.
  • Trace a leaf or flower and add detail.
  • Use fruit to create interesting shapes.

Why Tracing Is So Important for Kids

Tracing is one of the best ways for kids to learn techniques for creating art. The act of tracing simple lines and shapes improves fine motor skills while also developing visual-spatial skills – these allow a child to analyze what they have created. This is important for art education, and also benefits math and reading skills. Over time, a child will be able to leave the assistance of tracing behind and create shapes, faces, animals and more from scratch.

Tracing also leads children to more advanced styles of art, such as printmaking. For example, you could first trace around an apple, cut it in half, apply paint to the inside and use it to create a print. Or why not trace and then print a leaf, pinecone or button?

As a child progresses with their tracing skills, blocks of color can be used to bring the outline to life. Why not trace around a banana, then encourage your child to add some yellow paint within the lines? Gradually, kids will experiment with more intricate details that make the drawing more true to life.

If you need some extra tracing ideas, we are always happy to help at one of our free art events in Oregon. Summer is right around the corner, and now is the best time to start scheduling activities at school or in the local community.

Access Our Other Free Art Lessons

At Golden Road Arts, we create high-quality art lessons for children. Parents and teachers can use our art literacy and instructional tutorials to deliver a comprehensive art education. To get started, you can watch our free art lessons now. You can also support us by making a donation or buying art from our online art gallery.

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