3 year old has no interest at all in mark making. Any tips?

[summ3rs]

Hello. My son is 3 and a half and has no interest at all in mark making. He refuses to hold paint brushes, crayons, felt tips, chalks etc and has no interest in making marks. He will play with play doh, Lego, Stickers, peg things up etc (all activities that can help strengthen the muscles needed for mark making). In the summer, I got him painting the fence and the patio with water (but that only lasted a few minutes). I’ve tried bath crayons (that he just snapped) finger painting, making marks with his fingers in different materials but just no luck. I understand it’s a developmental thing but I was wondering if anyone had any tips at all? I’ve even tried getting him to drive his cars through paint to mark make (with limited success). It’s not a sensory issue as he’s got no issue with the feeling of different textures. Just out of ideas now.
Thank you.

Brilliant question. I have the same issue my DS just a few months younger. He will only "write" a shopping list ( stabs pen at paper. Makes a few dots, pushing in pen
Nib )

I've done similar to you, even fence painting. He doesn't hold the brushes or pen probably yet. So I guess just give opportunities. I'm sure I read something about needing shoulder strength before you can write, so it's not all about fine motor. My DS is poor on upper body strength actually thinking about this.

I hope someone in the know answers this for you.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, absolutely right. I’ve read children need to develop their larger muscles first too. I would have thought my son was ok in regards to his upper body strength. He can certainly climb things, balance and jump about well enough.

Just like adults at this age they will have interests and dislikes. I highly doubt it's his upper body strength at 3YRs old. Maybe he just has no interest in painting or drawing, why would you insist on him doing something that he is clearly not interested in doing? you have encouraged him and hopefully with time he might get more interested but at the moment I think the message is quite clear :)

Fine motor skills stem from gross motor skills and a developing muscle core.

I am not ‘insisting’ on him doing something he is not ready for but asking for suggestions that have helped other toddlers mark make.
Maybe some activities or exercises that have helped?

Following, although I have had some success this year and my DS (4 at the end of this year) can now draw a basic person, on paper with a pen or on a chalkboard. He can also copy basic drawings I do when guided eg a spider. These are few and far between though! He has zero interest and never gets involved in painting/drawing etc at nursery unless it's a group activity that everyone is doing eg Christmas cards.

He's always been on the late side with gross motor so I do think there's a link.

Aw, I think that’s great that he can draw a basic person and shapes!!
My little man also has zero interest which wouldn’t bother me in an ideal world but I know what the expectations will be when he starts school.

Mine was similar- was not interested at all, did not enjoy it, but was good with lego, etc. We got a whiteboard/chalk board and he would sometimes be interested in drawing there or copying - I would draw on the left side, he would try to copy on the right. He started reception not interested in writing but did well, picked it up ok and was on the expected level by the end of the year. Reception teacher advised the parents to work on children's motor skills in general, playing with ball, climbing, swinging, monkey bars, rather than try to sit them down to write.

@AladdinMum surely with your supposed background, you understand some children need to encouraged to learn certain things. I think you need to do a bit of research before you start criticising. We are asking questions to learn.

Swinging on monkey bars is a great suggestion. If he's a bit too little for those, the semicircular bike racks you iften see are really good as they're not too high (amd the child has to use their arms and core to lift their feet off the ground). Watching with interest as my 2.5 year old is not very into drawing.

Gosh I don't think my almost 4 year old could do monkey bars! Can others' kids? He's always been on the late side with gross motor, walked at 18 months, but I didn't think he was awfully so...

Some great suggestions. Thank you all. Never thought of monkey bars!! I’ll try and find a park that’s got some

@lookingforahappyplace I wasn't trying to criticize and if it sounds that way I apologize! my intention was to just say that toddlers at this age are sophisticated enough to have preferences on what they like and dislike. I have seen toddlers being taken to swimming lessons or music lessons (because they are 'expected to like it') where the child is miserable and literally trying to escape - yet the parents persist. The same child can be moved to a different class like athletics and they love it. The point I am trying to make is that a child can be encouraged to try new things but if they clearly have no interest (or purposely try to avoid it) then I feel that the best way is not to continuously persist but to wait for a while and then try again when they are older. A child that hates swimming or drawing at 3 might just love it at 4 :)