Colouring in books

I've started re-reading Pennie Brownlee's "Magic Places" I didn't get very far last time as I was pregnant with my son and a little bit preoccupied reading other books.

This book Magic Places is part of Playcentre's ideas on how we work with children. So full of ideas and tips to look for.

I was talking with a friend the other day about colouring (a.k.a. as color) books about it keeps creativity back. How we should offer paper and pens to watch what our children can do rather than keeping within the lines.

We've been given heaps of colouring in books...so I don't feel that I can take them away.

This morning my daughter started using one of her books in a new way that I'd not thought of. There was a picture of a Giraffe and a Koala Bear (together I'm not sure how that would happen but oh well)....she drew the sun into the picture and some bugs and a tree...so she added to the picture.

We talked about the different animals and where they came from. The Giraffe came from the zoo...oh dear. The Bear she had no clue about and we talked about Australia. We talked about what they liked to eat....hence the tree.

I'm not sure if anything really went in but it was an interesting lesson of colouring in books if anything.