Children are the future, so we should give our future every opportunity to grow, learn, and develop their creativity and individualism.
To help a child’s development, it’s important to cater to their needs of creative outlets.
With that being said, many individuals are concerned with what outlets are being offered. Many of us grew up using colouring books, but the negative effects of “staying inside the lines” have been brought into consideration.
It’s been researched that colouring in pre-drawn pictures hinders children’s creativity, and stops them from thinking for themselves.
Tina Bonnet is a faculty member in the Early Childhood Leadership program at Fanshawe College, and says it’s important to focus on self-expression, and says free-handed drawing is best for children. “We really 
encourage children to use art mediums in a way that they envision, looking sort of at the process as opposed to product”.
Home daycare owner, and mother of two, Deb Farr, believes colouring books are beneficial for development and offers things free handed drawing cannot, and is less stressful. “I think colouring a picture would improve a child’s ability to solve problems”.
It’s been proven colouring books help children improve fine motor skills and precision, improve handwriting, and learn obedience.
However free-hand drawing gives the child a chance to express how they feel, and access the more creative part of their brain.
Different children need different nurturing, so what Deb Farr recommends is supplying both options for the child, so they can choose how they want to colour.
