Colour vision development is one of the most important aspects of a kids’ growth and it’s immensely affected by a number of different factors, such as a child’s ability to learn early colouring. We’ve formulated a detailed guide regarding the process of colour vision development and the impact of children’s colouring activities on their vision.
Development of vision in babies
The vision of babies goes through many transitions in the first few months after their birth.
1. Focusing and tracking
Newborn babies possess peripheral vision i.e. the ability to see to their sides. The babies develop the ability to focus on any object placed in front of them within the first few weeks of their life. At the age of one month, a baby can briefly focus on objects placed up to three feet away.
By the age of two months, the babies are also able to follow the moving objects as their visual perception and coordination improves. A baby acquires arm and hand control required to grab at close-ranged moving objects by the age of three months.
During the early months of a baby’s growth, the distant vision continues to develop. At the age of four months, a baby can spot their parent across a room and look at objects outside the window.
2. Images and light
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Babies are highly sensitive to bright light at the time of their birth; hence, their pupils remain constricted in order to reduce the amount of light entering their eyes. The pupils of a baby begin to enlarge at the age of two weeks and babies are able to see a blur range of shades of dark and light. With the development of the retina, the baby’s ability to recognize different patterns improves. During the early weeks, high contrast images such as a bull’s eye, black and white pictures, or simple shapes can attract the attention of a baby.
The visual span of a baby immensely improves during the first three months and they can recognize familiar faces and become responsive to different facial expressions.
3. Development of colour vision
The colour vision of a baby matures and develops at almost the same rate as the development of other visual capabilities. At the age of one month, the babies become sensitive to the intensity or brightness of colours and they will spend a great deal of time in looking at bold colours and different contrasting patterns as compared to the lighter tones.
At the age of four months, babies are able to distinguish and respond to the entire range and shades of different colours. By the age of six months, a baby’s vision can be as good as a perfect 2020. The eyesight of your baby will become a crucial element in their ability to coordinate different body movements like sitting, standing, and walking.
Colour vision development in toddlers, preschool and school-aged kids
Different aspects of vision such as tracking, focus, and depth perception continuously develop throughout the kid’s early and middle childhood years. At the age of seven years, the kid’s ability to focus both the eyes on a single object simultaneously (convergence) develops significantly. This is why any problems with regards to eye alignment or focus must be treated before this age.
At this stage, visual diseases such as Hyperopic or farsightedness, Myopia or nearsightedness, and Astigmatism also become pronounced. Colour blindness i.e. the inability to differentiate between different colours, also become prominent during the early to middle childhood period.
Mostly, the kids are able to start colour naming by the age of 36 months and they can fully name different colours by the age of five to six years.
Benefits of colouring on children’s vision, psychology and motor development
Colouring pages are a highly beneficial activity and greatly help in the development of kids’ vision, psychology and motor abilities. Given below are some of the most significant benefits of colouring pages.
1. Colour recognition, awareness and discernment
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Many kids receive their first exposure to the art and colour wheel through the use of markers, crayons, and coloured pencils. The kids who colour with markers and crayons in the early stages of their childhood can easily distinguish between different bold colours such as red, green, blue, yellow and so on.
Colouring also helps the child in understanding the makeup of secondary colours and in comprehending the art of mixing different colours.
2. Improvement of motor skills
Colouring can immensely improve the motor skills of young children. The motions, actions, and precise grip, which is involved in colouring, can help in the better development of the muscles of the hands, fingers, and wrist. Fine development of motor skills can help the kids in writing more skillfully and they can become better at different activities such as typing and sports.
3. Better hand-eye coordination
The kids involved in the act of holding crayons and coloured pencils, choosing different colours, implementing colours in their ideal spot, and even sharpening the crayons and pencils, greatly strengthen their hand-eye coordination.
4. Stimulates creativity
Colouring brings out a creative spirit in young kids and they develop profound interest and appreciation for visual treats. Colouring potentiates the imaginative skills of a child and inspires them to brainstorm and think about new ideas and techniques.
5. Self-expression
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Some kids like to express their feelings through words, while some take help from art. You can comprehend a lot about your kids’ personality and frame-of-mind through their artwork and use of colours.
If your child is drawing disturbing images such as a skull or a crying face, then they need your attention urgently. Whereas, if your child draws cheerful objects such as hearts, suns, sceneries and so on, then it displays their contentment and satisfaction.
6. Improved confidence and self-esteem
Completing a colouring activity successfully fills your child with an exhilarating sense of accomplishment and it’s extremely important in building up their self-esteem in their early childhood days.
Hence, it’s recommended to encourage and assist your child in different colouring activities in order to ensure better growth of their vision, motor skills and overall personality.