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Their little brains need this type of exercise. I recently read a study done by Michigan State University on honors college science and tech grads whose lives included STEM studies as well as some sort of art or creative study. The results were somewhat surprising! The study showed that grads with arts and crafts experiences had a higher likelihood of producing patentable inventions and founding new companies. Many stated that their innovative abilities were inspired and stimulated by their crafty knowledge. In a nutshell the study revealed that continued participation and exposure in arts and crafts yielded the most significant impacts for innovators and entrepreneurs (MSU ArtSmarts Among Innovators, 2011)
Wow! Doesn't that convince you of the importance of art and creativity.
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10 Reasons Why Art is Essential for Successful Childhood Development
1. Development of Fine Motor Skills
Holding a paintbrush, scribbling with a crayon or squishing a lump of clay are all essential to the growth of children and the development of their fine motor skills. Letting a child explore the tools used to create art and the cause and effect of those tools when used is all part of the process of honing their fine motor skills. Discovering that more pressure put on a crayon results in a darker or thicker line (OK, scribble) is mind blowing to a child!
2. Healthy Brain Development
Think of your child's brain like you do a healthy diet with a variety of different foods. Our brains consist of two "sides", the left side where analytical and logical functions take place and the right side for emotional perception and intuition. To have a healthy brain we must exercise and feed both sides! Seems pretty logical doesn't it? When we expose our children to the rigors of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) directed education but neglect the arts (dance, art, music, drama) that portion of their brain doesn't get the same stimulation as the side processing difficult analytical skills. When a brain's left and right sides are "fed & exercised" the two hemispheres start to work together to function at a much more efficient level. The skills for science and math can greatly benefit from the skills we learn pertaining to art, dance and music.
3. Increase A Child's Ability to Focus
Being creative and artistic requires some focus on the part of the artist or crafter. Obviously in young children their attention spans are short but as they get older their attention spans will increase. A healthy way to guide them along and learn how to focus for longer intervals is by providing them with a creative outlet. Today your youngster may only be able to paint a picture on one sheet of paper but I guarantee that shortly you will have enough "masterpieces" to cover your entire fridge!
4. Outlet for Creativity and Ideas
Providing a variety of ways for your child to express themselves through art and creativity gives them an outlet for all of these ideas. All kids have BIG imaginations so why not give them an opportunity to use that imagination and see what they come up with. I bet they will blow you away with their creations.
5. Improved Communication
For some children putting words with their emotions is difficult. Drawing their emotions or picking colors to show what they are feeling expands their abilities to communicate reducing frustration.
6. Art Is Fun
Who doesn't love having fun? The process of creating something is just plain fun! Watching a blank piece of paper turn into a colorful picture or a lump of clay take shape into an ashtray for Great Uncle Bill is a blast. Art is fun and fun is good!
7. Learn About How the World Works
Allowing a child any amount of time to watch and observe something helps them figure out how it works or what various properties it is composed of. Children who are engaged in art and creative exploration learn how things work, feel and function. They start learning about how our world works through the exploration of art.
8. Boost Math Skills
Art can be a doorway to introduce your child to simple math concepts like shape, size, making comparisons, counting and spatial reasoning. These are all necessary math skills that can be reinforced with art.
9. Teach Children to Have A Good Work Ethic
"All hard work brings a profit" is a Bible verse that I tell my kids when they are starting a new project. Learning to work hard to make something is an important skill to teach our kids. Learning this through an art project is a fun way to teach work ethic to your child especially since they end up with a finished project they can be proud of.
10. Self Confidence Boost
My fridge is covered in various projects my kids have created. Each time they look at the picture they drew or the paper weaving project they gave me I can see how proud they are of their work. They put a lot of time and effort into making something and they should feel proud of their hard work and finished project. Doing art or crafting is a great way to boost a child's self confidence!
How to Encourage Your Child Through Art and Creating
Ask Open Ended Questions
Ask your child to tell you about their picture rather than ask "What is it?". Open ended questions allow your child to explain to you what they created. These types of questions show your interest in what they created and most kids are excited to share.
Instead of trying to figure out what they drew or painted describe the specific things your child is doing by saying things like " I see you are using purple, orange and brown to make those squiggly lines" or "I see many different shapes in your creation like circles, squares and triangles." These types of comments show your interest rather than your judgment in their artwork or creations.
Provide A Variety Of Supplies
Providing your child with a variety of materials to use like paint, playdoh, clay, oil pastels, crayons, markers, chalk, scissors, stickers, ink and stamps. Show them how to use each media but then back off and let them take the wheel. Throw in some surprising materials like Q-tips, glitter glue, dry pasta, clear glass stones, beads and beans.
Let The Child Lead
Like I mentioned above, once you show the child how to safely use the materials you as the parent should step out of the way and let them create. Allow the child to explore the materials as well as decide what they want to make. Let your child use their imaginations and come up with their own project instead of having them follow a strict list of instructions.
Be OK With A Mess
Squash that urge to tell your child not to get messy. Messy is a perfect place for learning to happen so don't stop your child from learning because you are scared of them getting dirty. Grab an old shirt from Dad's drawer to use as an apron and let the creativity begin. When they are all done with their project have the child help clean up their materials. Show them how to properly rinse out a paint brush or how to put oil pastels back in the box. They will learn how to respect the materials they use and how to clean up properly.
Focus On The Process
The goal here isn't a perfectly shaped vase or a Van Gogh worthy painting. The goal is the process not the product. Praising your child and focusing only on the end result may cause the child to begin creating things just to get your approval instead of doing what they want to do. The unstructured process of art allows your child to express themselves freely. They shouldn't be worried about what others think, so remember to praise their hard work, effort and the process they used to create something amazing.
Don't Sweat The Small Stuff
So you carved out a chunk of time for your kid to do art but all they want to do is sharpen the new box of colored pencils! Don't worry, to them this is part of the fun. Instead of getting frustrated that they aren't "making anything" ask some questions to get them curious. For example "I see you are spending your time sharpening pencils, I wonder what a dull pencil mark looks like compared to the razor sharp edge of the one you just sharpened?" Or "It looks like fun putting the crayons in the box in that organized order, I wonder what colors look best together when you draw with them on paper?"
Art Project Inspiration
The web (Pinterest) is chocked full of ideas to get you and your child started introducing art into their regular schedule. Please don't feel overwhelmed - remember start small and simple. A great place to get supplies is the Dollar Tree! No need to buy professional grade materials right off the get-go. Don't forget to look in your recycle bin for inspiration too! Empty toilet paper rolls, newspaper and cereal boxes are wonderful art materials.
Here are some great projects I've done with my kids that should help you get inspired:
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What types of art materials do your kids love to use? Got an easy art project idea you want to share? I'd love to hear from you - comment and share with everyone.
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