The Benefits of Artwork in Child Development
Art and craft seem like messy playtime activities, but there is more to that.
Our children might feel the most involved when they are busy exploring paints by putting it all over their hands, creating collages by tearing papers and exploring other materials to finish and create what they have imagined in the first place. Art and crafts usually bring joy and happiness to children. It is always accompanied by fun and excitement. Having these experiences help children develop many skills and grow mentally and emotionally.
Since art and craft promote creativity, they are crucial in children’s development. Read on to learn more about the benefits of art in child development.
Why Do Kids Thrive When They Make Art?
Art develops skills and improves academic performance.
Doing a work of art can dramatically enhance a child's motor skills and increase their problem-solving ability. Activities such as cutting and pasting pieces of paper, finger painting, and drawing can help improve our child's dexterity and visual-spatial skills.
Art can engage all the senses depending on the activity; sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Art encourages neural development and problem-solving skills. It can be used effectively to enhance children’s academic performance and better understand subjects such as match, reading, writing, and science.
Art helps with expressing emotions.
Children often use art to process experiences and express complex emotions. Art acquaints children with critical sensory inputs and helps them express their feelings multidimensionally. Since they don’t have an expansive vocabulary to express emotions during early ages, they can express them through art. Even if they are not artists, just being with art can give them enough sensory input to motivate their imagination and curiosity.
Art encourages Innovation.
Art fosters creativity and creative thinking. These skills effectively contribute to long-term success in their future career. Art forces children to think outside the box and helps them develop their problem-solving skills.
According to the International Child Art Foundation, “Research indicates that a child who is exposed to the arts acquires a special ability to think creatively, be original, discover, innovate, and create intellectual property—key attributes for individual success and social prosperity in the twenty-first century.”
Art boosts self-confidence
Art is nothing but an endless opportunity to make choices, second-guess decisions and assess results. Art helps children become more comfortable with uncertainty and help them become better thinkers; these are the main factors for creativity and confidence.
Once busy doing any type of art and craft, our children feel free to decide on materials, styles and anything related to the activity. These all help boost their confidence and know that they can believe in themselves to accomplish something great.
Art helps with building relationships.
Art can play an influential role in better and more effective communication between children. Art can act as an equalizer. Even if they do not know each other very well, art can be a common ground. Doing artwork in small groups can foster a spirit of collaboration in children, allowing them to practice social skills such as sharing, respecting and helping each other.
To summarize, art is not just a fun activity for children. The benefits of art for children go beyond just having fun and keeping children busy. Art is an essential tool for growth and development. By encouraging our children to explore art, we help them get to know themselves on a deeper level. We show them another way to express themselves. As parents, getting our children familiar and comfortable with art during early ages will help us raise more confident, expressive and creative children.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
– Pablo Picasso
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