Photo by Amaury Salas via Unsplash
With new advances in technology, many kids spend the day on mobile devices with touch screens and voice recognition. And while tech comes with benefits, parents tend to forget about the importance of encouraging kids to participate in art.
From improving academic standing to promoting expression and creativity, here are seven important reasons why your child should be creating art.
1. Improve Literacy
Illiteracy is a big problem, with more than 30 million people in the U.S. who can't read or write above a third-grade level. Through art, you can encourage your children to speak, read, listen and understand. When a kid makes an art project, ask them a question like, "Why did you choose the color red?" In turn, they must comprehend the question and come up with an answer.
Painting is an excellent medium for literacy, as you can encourage your kids to be as creative as they feel. With a variety of different colored paints and a blank piece a paper, a kid's imagination can run wild. Afterward, review their thought process by asking questions or having your child tell you about what they've made.
2. Encourage Creativity
Art allows a kid to tap into their creative side. By encouraging your kids to make arts and crafts, you allow for self-expression, enabling children to understand themselves and their feelings better. Kids also have the opportunity to try out and test new ideas.
A good medium for encouraging creativity is foam crafts, which involve using a variety of shapes, colors, and styles to create something entirely new. With foam, your child can make a pencil topper of their favorite animal or even a faux flower wreath.
3. Develop Motor Skills
When kids use the small muscles in their hands to work and manipulate art materials, they develop fine motor skills. Through the use of both hands at once, they also improve their bilateral coordination.
All of these beneficial developments can happen by creating art. One ideal medium for improving motor skills is polymer clay, where kids can make new creations with their own two hands. What's cool about polymer clay is you can also create custom colors by blending clay together, allowing your kids to learn about the color wheel.
4. Boost Self-Esteem
Anybody will feel a sense of achievement after they accomplish something. The same goes for kids after they create something new. By encouraging your kids to make art, you give them something they can later take pride in. Kids can try out new ideas and learn about patience and self-regulation, all while having a good time.
One great medium for this is paper and glue, including glitter glue. You can add in an assortment of craft accessories, like pipe cleaners, pompoms, and macaroni. This lets kids use their hands and get messy, encouraging them to think outside the box.
5. Aid Math Concepts
You wouldn't think school subjects like basic math could be taught through arts and crafts. But kids use these skills frequently when working on arts and crafts. With art projects, kids can learn to identify and name shapes. They count art supplies to ensure they have enough materials. They can use rulers to measure and identify lengths.
One great project you can set up to help aid academic concepts like math is compass painting. This is where you dip a circle compass in paints to create artwork filled with perfectly round designs.
6. Facilitate Bonding
Art is an excellent way for children to develop and strengthen new bonds. If you want to share interests with your child, join them in a project where you can talk about what you're working on. Or, have your children work on a project in a small group setting where they can practice social skills, take turns and work together.
Hands-on activities, like a homemade slime creation, are the best mediums for bonding. Kids will have a blast with their new invention, and you can teach them about safely mixing ingredients, including compounds like borax.
7. Promote Problem-Solving
Art projects allow kids an endless opportunity for making decisions, a crucial skill that needs to be developed. As kids create art, they learn to assess problems, think up solutions, make mistakes, evaluate new changes and so much more. While kids may seem uncertain at first, the more they tap into their creativity, the more their confidence will grow.
One medium to promote problem-solving is origami. Origami requires following directions and working with your hands. At times it can be tricky, meaning kids will need to assess which step went wrong and how they can fix it. But in the end, they will be proud of their 3D paper creation.
Encouraging Your Child to Create
From improved social abilities to enhanced math skills, the benefits of encouraging your child to create art are endless. As your child grows and develops, art can encourage them to express themselves better and be more confident in the person they're becoming. On top of that, art is also a great way just to have fun.