These are Velvet Coloring Books that I found in the dollar section of Target recently. (Andrew also got one yesterday from a friend at school as a birthday favor.)
I have seen these many times before, I even remember coloring with them while I was growing up but picked them up because I thought they would be great for someone who struggles with fine motor skills of coloring. The velvet edges create a natural border around the space to be colored and since the velvet is black, any markings that go beyond the coloring space is not as noticeable.
This is something that I would incorporate into several different My Obstacle Courses knowing that coloring is not a preferred activity for Andrew but using this a little bit at a time, maybe one section at a time, to help build his coloring confidence. I have seen little glimpses of him wanting to color but also struggling with his thoughts that he’s not good at it.
To be completely honest with you, I don’t really care if he is a “good†colorer or not. What my intention with something like this is to give him an opportunity to practice this skill in a safe environment, allowing him to experiment and practice the coloring strokes without judgement or worry about what someone else might say or think. If it turns out to be something that he enjoys but just needed to build fine motor skills in order to do this, than great!
This thought process is not limited to coloring but is something I think is an important benefit of doing My Obstacle Courses with him at home. He gets opportunities to build strengths and weaknesses at the level he is ready for without the worry or pressure of judgement.
Engage, Encourage and Empower!