Getting your child interested in the arts is easy because kids are imaginative by nature. While not all will become professional artists, arts in education inspire children to better express themselves. This can help them have healthier self-esteem in the long term.
The benefit is actually two-fold – children get emotional benefits and at the same time stimulate their natural intellectual abilities when they learn to focus on creating artwork that’s meaningful for them. Below are the top reasons why the arts is a must for children, especially if you are homeschooling.
The Arts: Its Benefits for Lifelong Learning
Whether you employ simple creative craft and arts projects or let your children apply for advanced lessons, the arts provide avenues to increase physical, mental, social, and emotional skills that can set your children up for life. Kids do not need to be the next great artist to appreciate the essential gifts that the arts can bring.
Here are 5 compelling reasons why arts in education is important for children:
1. Enhances Motor Skills and Improves Focus
Small children can fine-tune eye-to-hand coordination and dexterity while participating in simple crafts projects. As they visually organize shapes and colors, they feel motivated to concentrate on a design until a task is finished. It is important to note that a real arts education will have more structured activities with goals to solidify these skills.
2. Provides a Healthy Outlet for Distracted Kids
High energy kids especially benefit from the calming effect of doing arts and crafts. This provides a healthy platform for self-expression so that they can feel more relaxed. Many vulnerable youth find art therapy to be a positive experience. It creates a structured environment for them to express themselves in a safe and welcoming space.
3. Stimulates Creativity to Boost Problem Solving Skills
While art inspires kids to use their imagination more, this enables them to use that same creativity in other situations as well. Art requires resourcefulness and a fine eye for detail. Kids are challenged to create something that’s not only visually appealing, but serves an intended purpose or meaning for both the creator and the audience.
4. Trains Kids in Art Appreciation
Having your child become familiar with artistic environments like museums and exhibits helps them notice and appreciate art forms all around them in everyday life. Critiquing art teaches kids how to evaluate different artwork, as well as to receive feedback for their own work. Kids then learn to identify the factors that make an art piece beautiful.
5. Helps Children Improve Social Skills
The great thing about arts education is that it fosters inclusivity. Bonding over creative projects can be a way for a shy child to reach out to his peers and the adults in their environment. Doing artistic pursuits can be a solo effort in some cases. However, there’s a joy to be found in sharing your work with friends and family.
Even a child with no artistic inclinations who is unlikely to sit down with coloring books can still enjoy the process of creating art pieces. Art can be a source of accomplishment which can give others in the community a chance to appreciate his/her work.
Arts Activities You Can Do
You can encourage your child to dabble in the arts through simple arts activities like:
- doing clay figures
- making shapes with scissors and paper
- sketching
- storytelling
- play acting characters from storybooks
- seeing art exhibits or museums
- participating in online art classes specific to their age group
Advanced arts training can include:
- lessons in what art is and what art is not
- painting or sculpting lessons with formal techniques
- playing instruments and performing with formal techniques
- lessons in interpreting art
- art history and art appreciation
- lessons in critiquing art and as well as evaluating criticism for their own artwork
Encourage a Child’s Artistic Expression Today
Studies show that art has invaluable benefits for children’s overall growth that goes beyond developing artistic abilities. Children focus well and handle emotions better, which promotes healthy self-esteem.
The social benefits are priceless – art therapy supports vulnerable children to be more resilient. You can get the full value if you make efforts for more structured arts activities that use goals to improve your child’s skills and improve your teaching skills.
Parents who encourage their children to have an appreciation for the arts allow their kids to enjoy the creative process, which teaches them to use creativity in many other aspects of life. Using arts in education is crucial to your child’s progress. If you feel that you are not “artistic” yourself, this can be a perfect time to bond with your kids and inspire the inner child in you to discover what art has to offer.
