4 Tips to Stop Your Child From Drawing On Walls (If You Don’t Want Them To)

Picture this: fluffy soft carpet, pristine shiny windows, gleaming white walls…wait…are those…squiggles on these perfect white walls?  That adorable tiny tot with the blue crayon in her hand is looking mighty suspicious for this.  Beware her chubby smooth baby cheeks and wide eyed innocence, you must not give in and let her turn your immaculately crisp walls into a graffiti mural.  Below are tips for getting your toddler to stop using your walls as an art project and instead channel their creative expressions in less home-damaging ways:

Tip 1.

Talking to them with direct, short sentences and emphasizing that drawing is for paper only can stem some of their wandering tendencies.  If the child starts to deviate from the paper again, repeat the warning, and if it occurs again, perhaps take away the art supplies for the time being.

Tip 2.

Set aside special art time when you can draw and color together.  If you are participating with your little one, they won’t run over to make a Picasso on your elegant walls.  This also establishes that there is a time and a place for art, which doesn’t include finger-painting on the wall.  When done doing this together, put away the supplies in a place that they can’t reach.  This also cuts down on the chance that they could munch on the crayons and get sick.

Tip 3.

Take them outside to use chalk on the sidewalk.  This is a fun activity and let’s them get some fresh air while expressing themselves.  Quite hard to ruin the living room wall from outside!  Bonus: draw a hopscotch grid and get some exercise while you’re at it!

Tip 4.

Provide a mini easel for your tiny tot so that they can feel like a real painter and I guarantee that they won’t even want to color on the walls instead.

The key points are to let them express themselves creatively, just not in a way that makes you pull your hair out.  Establish rules, provide fun materials for them to get imaginative with, but most importantly, spend some quality fun time with the little one because they grow up fast and mainly want your attention anyway.