As parents, we understand these activities are important to our kids development, but I think we’d be hard pressed to describe why. Just what are the benefits of arts and crafts for kids?
Arts and crafts usually involve children working with both hands, and involve them moving their hands in a particular manner. This helps them develop their bilateral coordination and fine motor skills, which will help them learn and get used to a variety of other daily activities such as dressing, showering, tying their shoes, and so on. It may also help them in sports when they are old enough to play.
Fine motor skills are nothing more than small movements. When you pick up tiny objects, hold a fork or spoon, or manipulate a pen or pencil to draw, you are employing fine motor skills. And with your child colors, makes a craft project at school or creates a macaroni and glue art masterpiece, he is improving his fine motor skills.
You notice patterns, colors and physical improbabilities without thinking twice. That is because when you worked on crafts and your artistic efforts were promoted as a child, you were improving your visual processing skills. This cognitive development is very important in your child’s early years. And when you help your little princess create a construction paper tiara while reinforcing the names and identification of primary colors and objects, you boost your child’s visual processing capabilities both now and later in life.
I am not referring to your child’s ability to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Not yet anyway. Executive functioning means focusing attention, controlling impulses and using working memory. All of those skills are effectively promoted when you break out the crayons, craft paper, scissors and glue and sit down with some arts and crafts quality time with your child. These skills guide planned behavior, and are very predictive of later professional and academic success.
Arts and crafts are a great way to allow children to express themselves, as children tend to be very visual about the things that happen around them and in their heads. For children who are shy and reserved, parents should have even more reason to encourage them to carry out arts and crafts activities as this will give the parents some insight into what their child is feeling, thinking, or experiencing.
A child’s imagination has no limits, and arts and crafts are a great way for kids to explore their imagination and turn it into something productive. Arts and crafts encourage kids to be creative and innovative, which could further nurture other artistic talents down the line.
Arts and crafts are an activity that can be done both alone and with company, so kids can do it whenever they feel like it. It can be a great bonding activity between your kids and their friends or even your kids and you, and also be a hobby which your kids can pursue when they need to entertain themselves when they are on their own.
All these benefits should have convinced you by now that it is worth it to encourage your kids to pursue arts and crafts as a hobby. So, go ahead and get your kids some material they can use for their art projects, and do the projects together with them if you can. Art materials can be extremely affordable, and they are well worth the investment. You never know, you may have a Picasso in the making right in your home!
I think that one of biggest benefits that come from doing arts and crafts is how it can help your kids express themselves. It’s also very interesting as a parent to be able to take a peek into how they depict their feelings and experiences. This is especially useful for parents of a child who is shy and reserved. Thanks for sharing!
My kids definitely express themselves through their art! Once in a while they surprise me in what they throw into the mix… always makes for a good discussion.
I love arts and crafts just because they’re fun, but these are great additional reasons why we should all break out the paint, glue and glitter more often!
I’m really glad that you mentioned how art classes help children feel good about themselves and develop their self-esteem. My cousin really likes drawing and has expressed his desire to try out sculpting this summer. I’ll be sure to share this article with his parents so they can understand better how art classes help child development.
I love what you said about arts and crafts being a great way for children to express themselves. Art classes are beneficial when it comes to skill development for artists of any age. I am thinking about taking an art class, so I’ll make an effort to locate a business in my area that offers quality courses.
I find it cool when you said that letting kids play arts and crafts can help them improve their bilateral coordination and improve their recognition of patterns and colors. Learning about this convinced me to look for a preschool that features a lot of creative activities like this for my aunt’s youngest son starting tomorrow. Doing this will help her harness his love for playing with clay into becoming a sculptor when he grows up.