Children are often very anxious to begin using a drawing or writing implement at a very young age because they like to mimic their parents and older siblings. When you notice that your child wants to draw or "write", one of the best implements you can give them is a big, fat crayon. A child's hand and finger muscles are not developed until at least age five or six and their fine motor skills are not yet fine tuned. And so, the bigger the tool, the easier it will be for your child to have control of his or her drawing and writing.
It is quite a project to find big, fat crayons. These crayons are often called "Primary Crayons" but they are not as plentiful as they once were. I have found them at WalMart but they are expensive. If you live on the West Coast of the US, and have a place like "Scraps", you may have more luck getting these crayons at a bargain price. Another tool to try is a large paintbrush; not one like you would use to paint the house but one that you might use to paint a canvas--a paintbrush with a substantial, round handle that your child can wrap his or her hand around. Fill a bucket with water and allow your child to "paint" with water on the sidewalk or some other safe surface.
Manipulating a large crayon or a large paintbrush is a precursor to writing and will help develop your child's fine and gross motor muscles. Stay away from traditional pencils. They are too small and not intended for the hands of a young child.
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