Vertical Painting

Painting on a vertical surface has a whole host of amazing benefits 

 Strength and flexibility 

While practising activities on a vertical surface, children will move around and use their whole body to go from one side to another.

The use of larger vertical surfaces allows your child to use bigger arm movements that encourage strength and flexibility of the arms and shoulders.

Midline crossing

If a child paints on an vertical surface, in order for them to paint on the whole surface, they will cross the midline several times. Anyone who has heard Kate talk about developmental movement play will have heard her mention crossing the midline but what is it? 

The body’s mid-line is an imaginary line down the centre of the body that divides the body into left and right. Crossing the body’s mid-line is the ability to reach across the middle of the body with the arms and legs. This allows children to cross over their body to perform a task on the opposite side of their body.

Visual attention

As children are closer to the surface they are working on when vertical painting this will foster concentration, visual attention and hand/eye coordination

Wrist extension

Vertical surface mark making and writing naturally puts the wrist in an extended position which encourages hand stabilization for better pencil grip and control of writing utensils.

Spacial awareness

When working on a vertical surface,  children will have a more hands-on understanding of directional terms such as up and down, high and low.

Core strength and posture

Working standing up, moving from one side to the other, squatting and going on their tiptoes to reach some of the surface area they are working on will engage Children’s core muscles. 

And here’s us just thinking it’s fun…….