In selecting appropriate art materials for scribbling, it is important to provide children with a medium that enables them to easily gain control of the marks they make. Watercolor paints, on the other hand, are difficult for young children to control and should be avoided. Tempra paint can be used provided it is mixed to a fairly thick consistency so that it doesn't run down the page. Color does not play a particularly important role in scribbling. The colors offered should be few in number and provide good contrast with the paper on which the children will work.
Children can work on the floor or any other horizontal surface when scribbling.
For instance, notice how fast the child's arm is moving or how big the child's movements are. As the child gains control of scribbling, comment on the variety of movements and different marks the child has made. Just as the babbling child makes the sounds that will, in combination, becomes words, the scribbling child makes the lines and shapes that will, in combination, become recognizable objects. Encouraging the child to verbalize his or her thoughts, feelings and experiences independently shows the child that you value what he or she has done. This sort of thoughtful praise will help children to be enthusiastic and imaginative in their future art encounters.