International Scribble Day: 5 ways to celebrate with your kids
Today, March 27, the world is observing International Scribble Day. On this occasion, why not spend some quality time with your children and let your creativity flow by getting out the colors, crayons, and pencils? Sit down together and enjoy the process of making colorful and imaginative scribbles on paper. Grab some art supplies and let the scribbling begin with these fun games.
How did this day come into existence?
International Scribble Day was founded in 2019 by Diane Alber, the author of "I'm NOT Just a Scribble." The book features a character named Scribble promoting kindness and acceptance, while encouraging children to explore creativity through art, regardless of their ability. A crucial stage in children's development, scribbling gives them a visual means of communication and helps in the development of coordination and creativity.
Blind scribbling
Give each child a piece of paper and some crayons. Instruct them to close their eyes and start drawing a picture according to your verbal directions. For instance, you could say "draw a large circle in the middle of the paper" or "draw a zigzag line on the corner." Once they finish, let them open their eyes and check out their masterpiece.
Color it
First, make a random scribble on a piece of paper. Then, give the paper to your children and ask them to fill in the space within the scribble using their preferred colors. You can also challenge them to create a particular object within the scribble. For instance, you could ask them to turn the scribble into a flower, a tree, or a cartoon character.
Roll, scribble, and pass
Gather a large piece of paper and a dice. Take turns rolling the dice and making a random scribble on the paper. After each roll, the next player must find a way to incorporate the previous scribble into their own drawing. Once the paper is full of scribbles and drawings, take turns adding details and colors to the picture to bring it to life.
Scribble and stick 'em
Start by making a random scribble on a piece of paper. Next, gather some old magazines or newspapers and cut out pictures that you like. Paste the cut-out pictures onto the spaces within the scribble. Try to fill in as many spaces as possible with interesting pictures and textures. Once you've finished pasting the pictures, step back and admire your collaborative work of art!
Memorize and recreate
Create a random scribble on a sheet of paper and show the scribble to your child for a few seconds. Cover up the original drawing and ask them to recreate it from memory. Once your child has finished their drawing, compare it to the original scribble and see how close they got. Celebrate their creativity regardless of how similar the two drawings are.