How To Teach Your Kid The Art Of Pookalam?

Kids

oi-Anwesha Barari

By Anwesha Barari

Thursday, September 8, 2011, 16:47

If you want teach art to your child then choose something traditional to begin with. These days kids hardly have any connection with their roots. They grow up on foreign comic books and cartoons. They learn to appreciate exotic artist so if you want to tech art to them, it should have the smell of culture in it. So when you are teaching your kid art, start with Pookalam, the famous Kerala floral rangoli. It is one of the most beautiful forms of traditional art you will find.

Make use of these parenting tips to teach your child the best way to make Pookalam.

How Teach Traditional Art To Children?

• The most important part of this floral art of course is flowers. Kids usually get distracted by flowers and their mind wanders off. You have to keep their noses solidly to the task at hand or else they won't be paying any attention.

• For teaching your kid art, teach them to draw the basic design structure first. That is the core of the art. If the skeleton is not solid and perfect, then the body built on it will be haphazard too. You can take this opportunity to explain this important concept of art to your child. Build a strong base and everything else will be fine.

• The basic design is usually drawn with powdered rice but a kid won't be able to control it. So let them use a piece of chalk to draw. However, make sure they don't inhale too much chalk powder or put any in their mouth for fun.

• The next important step to teach this art is the shredding of the flowers. You need to shred flower petals of different flowers to get different colours. Teach your kid the art of shredding the petals without damaging them. Kids usually get all excited about shredding petals. It brings out more of the destructive elements of their character than the creative ones. You have to handle the excited child tactfully.

• A harsh rebuke will dampen their spirits. So keeping with the festival mood, kids should be gently corrected and cajoled back to learning the art.

• Once the flowers have been shredded, you have to teach them where to put them. Here the concepts of colour and contrast will come into picture.

• You have to understand that the child's perception of design and colour is different from yours. You cannot expect it to be perfect. You can only guide the child with some basic ideas but don't interfere with their creativity. If they want to put green next to pink, get them do it.

• You should always start with a modest design that is not too complicated so that the child is not scared of the challenge you are setting. If the design is too large, there are chances where the kid may smudge it.

Teach the art of Pookalam to your kid and pass on your cultural heritage.