Father’s Day Coloring Book

Coloring Book Tall2



 

Post by Contributing Writer Amy

 

“Daddy, will you color with me?” When your little one is looking up at you with hopeful eyes, what daddy could ever say no? Coloring is a daily activity around here and Daddy has been no exception. As the dad of three little girls, my husband has colored many Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse masterpieces. For Father’s day, the big girls and I decided it’s time for a more “manly” Father’s Day coloring book, made just for him!

 

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We used black markers, white paper, two pieces of daddy’s favorite color of paper, letter stickers, and a stapler. A new box of nice, sharp crayons for daddy is recommended as well!

 

1. First, we brainstormed things daddy likes and made a list. Even though my twin girls are only three and can’t read yet, making a list together is a great way to model the authentic use of reading and writing.

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2. We read over the list and they took turns writing their first initial by the ideas they wanted to draw for the book.

 

 

3. We looked at one of their coloring books for a model. We noticed how all the drawings were done in just black, took up most of the page, and there was a lot of space to color. I wanted to remind them of our purpose before we began drawing so they didn’t get off track. We should have also noticed that the drawings were done vertically, since they made all their drawings horizontally. Opps! Daddy won’t mind, I’m sure!

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4. Let the drawing begin! They referred back to the list often to remember their ideas for drawing. I think it’s important to encourage kids to do their own drawings, so I rarely draw for them. My first line of support when they were frustrated was to help them find a starting place. When Julia didn’t know how to draw daddy’s favorite food, nachos, I said, “Well, chips are usually triangle shaped. Can you draw a bowl with lots of triangles in it?” Both girls were usually able to continue on their own with only some discussion on the shapes of objects they wanted to draw.

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At one point, we got out a hammer to help draw the idea of  “tools” from our list. Transferring a 3D object to a 2D drawing was a challenge she readily took on. I was surprised at the amount of learning and problem solving going on during the drawing process!

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I should not have been surprised by what baby sister was doing while we were busy. Thank goodness for washable markers!

 

We were too busy learning and problem solving to notice her giving her baby some new ink, too. :)

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5. I asked them for the title of each drawing and wrote it along with the initial of the child who drew it.

 

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6. Using letter stickers on the cover was a good opportunity to practice letter recognition and sounds

7. Staple it all together!

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8. We tied on a new pack of crayons just for daddy. He shouldn’t have to use broken nubs on his special day!

 

 

Father's Day Square 3

 

 

 

Amy 125 by 125Amy is a former reading and third grade teacher as well as a mother to three little girls with big personalities. She believes joy can always be found in playing, learning, and ice cream.

 

 

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