The importance of art for children’s development
June 1, 2021
Art is a way for people of all ages to express themselves, however for children, art has even more importance. What not a lot of people know is that art actually helps develop the right side of the brain, and it also cultivates very important skills that will aid a child’s development. See which skills your child will develop through their creative studies below.
Self-Expression
First and foremost, art is about creativity and the physical process of this creativity is what highlights self-expression. Producing pieces of art in any form is a way a child can show what they are feeling, as well as allows them interpret things in a much more meaningful way through the exploration of their emotions. Unlike more academic subjects, in art there isn’t always a right or a wrong answer and this encourages children to experiment and really delve into their work.
Communication Skills
Although art is more of a visual subject, it is still a great way of encouraging children to communicate. Not all children learn and develop in the same way, and neither do they communicate in the same way. Some children find communicating visually much easier than those who do through verbal language. Through art, feelings can be expressed that may not otherwise be easy to describe and stories can be told through creativity.
Problem Solving
Through exploration of creativity and ideas for art, children are working through different challenges and overcoming hurdles in order to express what it is they’re wanting to. Like those who enjoy science will conduct an experiment to find a solution, children studying art will make their own assessments on what may work and what may not, the best tools they will require throughout the creating period and what colours may clash, finding an overall solution in a different way.
Social Skills
Some children find that art is a way of being in control with their own mind as well as their actions. Through encouraging children to showcase their own work and creativity, uniqueness is promoted which leads to success and accomplishment; all things which can be essential to a child’s mental health. They will learn more about other people through this too, as they openly discuss other people’s work, and why they did what they did.
Motor Skills
For younger children especially, art is a way of learning basic motor skills like how to hold a pencil or paintbrush, how to use scissors and how shapes are produced. Although they seem like minor things, all of these capabilities that they pick up through art will be carried with them through their entire life, making them an essential part of their development at an early age.