Children of every age love to color, paint, draw, cut, and glue. Oftentimes, the more messy the project, the more fun children have!
Is all this just a mess, or is there a developmental reason for the chaos?
Luckily, research shows that children love to create, and channeling their creativity has many positive benefits. Here are just a few.
Art and Fine Motor Skills
Children begin to develop fine motor skills around twelve months of age when they develop a pincher grasp. As they grow, children fine-tune their motor skills, but it takes lots of practice before children can draw or write effectively.
Art gives children the motivation to develop fine motor skills. Creating a colorful project–even if it begins as just scribbles–gives the child a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Scribbling is a precursor to handwriting, so it’s vital to allow plenty of time for children to experiment by scribbling. Over time, the intrinsic muscles needed for handwriting will mature and strengthen, making handwriting easier in kindergarten.
Art and Problem-Solving Skills
Art is open-ended: there’s no right or wrong way to create art, which provides endless possibilities to express imagination.
During the creative process, children use problem-solving skills to make choices of color, texture, and proportions, and how to all fit together. They learn to adapt their project, either to hide or highlight a mistake or because their creative vision changes.
These problem-solving skills aid children in social and educational situations. They learn to persevere and concentrate, make the best of mistakes, and learn how to do things correctly the next time.
Art and Self-Expression
Children experience a gamut of emotions and must learn to control and channel these feelings. Learning art is one of the best tools a child can constructively express their emotions.
If a child is feeling angry or anxious, an “art timeout” will allow them time to focus on something else and return to their situation of frustration or anxiety with a calm spirit.
Art and Academic Performance
Believe it or not, art can improve academic performance! Studies are being reviewed that show a correlation between creativity and higher IQ. Learning shapes and space helps children master early math skills and learn about ideas such as bigger and smaller, opposites, and spatial awareness.
Art and Language Skills
Art offers a peek into the child’s perception of the world. Teachers can also let children observe other artists’ work and the message conveyed in their pieces. Communicating about art builds language skills as the child tells about their art or asks questions about a peer’s art.
Art Creates a Well-Rounded Person
When we reduce education to factual memorization, we cut children off from the beauty around us. Art helps children delight in the small areas of beauty, experience pride in their work, and value another’s art.
How to Incorporate Art
Art is easy to incorporate into your daily routine! Start with crayons and paper or a coloring book and talk about each color and shape. Some basic paints (or pre-colored paint with water pictures) are sure to delight your child and have very little cleanup. Paint sticks are another easy clean-up craft!
Older children can improve their fine motor skills by cutting with blunted children’s scissors or using stickers. Glue sticks can bring a new dimension to their cutout creations.
Art at Bright Start Louisville
At Bright Start Louisville, we strive to provide many opportunities for various art forms on a weekly basis. From infants to older ages, we include age-appropriate crafts, activities, and art appreciation so children gain all the benefits of art.
It can be hard to include your child’s art skills during a busy day. Thankfully, you can rest assured that your child receives age-appropriate and fun art skills at Bright Start Louisville.
Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.
If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!