Art is a place for children to learn to trust their ideas, themselves, and to explore what is possible.
-Maryann F. Kohl
Art can provide your kids with many benefits! Not only does it look great on your fridge, but it can help your children in several ways. Some of these benefits can include improving problem-solving abilities, creativity, literacy, fine and gross motor skills, making connections and understanding.
I often use art in my classroom to help develop my students’ fine motor skills, neural development and problem-solving capabilities. Art can effectively teach and help kids understand other key subjects, like reading, writing, math, and science.
Therapists say that art is beneficial because it gives children the opportunity to process their world, in a safe way, and deal with emotions that can sometimes feel scary. It can also give them critical input from their environment by utilizing their senses.
Children are naturally creative. It’s our job to give them the freedom, materials, and space to let their creativity blossom to its full potential.
-Jean Van & Hul
Artists inform us that art is simply valuable for its own sake; that it can be a valuable source of beauty and creativity and expression, as well as simply a good process for creating something incredible. Many of my students express that making art is fun and is an activity that they often enjoy. An increasing number of parents are also realizing that art can be vital to their families since it can also be used as a means to engage with each other. Art is linked to creativity naturally, which is an important attribute when it comes to the success of individuals, organizations and cultures. Art should be considered vital because it shows that if children engage in doing hands-on art activities, they will be able to improve across all disciplines.
Allows Children to Become Creative
Creativity refers to an individual’s ability to think outside of the box and connect two different ideas together in a new way. Creativity is important when facing major problems, and breakthroughs are linked to being creative. The ability to be creative is important for the success of our children and even the wellbeing of the entire world as we face incredible challenges, which need innovative solutions.
Art Uses All Senses
Art is an activity that employs all senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste – depending on the activity. Synapses in the brain fire when children explore using a variety of materials and engage with these materials in interesting ways. You can encourage them to squish paint between their fingers, experiment with new mediums, and allow their imagination to lead them to new places.
Art Can Promote Fine Motor Skills
Art encourages children to think, developing skills and confidence as they go.
Maryann F. Kohl
Holding onto a pencil or paintbrush, drawing lines and dots, mixing colors, cutting shapes out with scissors, using a glue stick or squeezing a paint tube, kneading play dough, tearing paper – these are all activities that require increasing amounts of dexterity and coordination; however, they are extremely fun and rewarding. As children engage in art activities over time, their fine motor skills will develop and rapidly improve.
Even Scribbling Can Develop Penmanship
As toddlers begin their art journey, they usually start by scribbling on a piece of paper.
The more they scribble, the more they learn how to control the crayon and move across the page. Art can make a world of difference and if you want your kids to thrive, Lightly Sketched can help you find the perfect activities. We have arts and crafts, coloring books and mindfulness activities for kids. Contact us today to hear more about our products!