Children are naturally fond of art; such as painting, singing, drawing, acting, etc. However, when schools curtail their annual budgets, the arts are always at the receiving end and typically are the first to bear the blows. It seems that the significance of art in shaping a child’s brain is not appreciated by the schools.
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have discovered a compelling association between childhood engagement in one or more creative arts disciplines and measurable or quantifiable success later in one’s life. Kids who were introduced to a large number of arts and crafts lessons were to invent patent-worthy unique innovations, come up with potential business ideas that are good enough to receive capital investments or publish thought-provoking papers on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects with a higher likelihood. The study suggested that kids introduced to arts and crafts activities have the ability to think differently, i.e., out of the box; for the reason that a lot of engagement with hands necessarily means chalking out feasible solutions in a creative fashion for any given definite problem. After studying a wide number of scientists, co-authors Michèle and Robert Root-Bernstein concluded, the most innovative and eminent among the practitioners of science are pretty much likely to involve in avocations like the arts and crafts are in comparison with the average Joe.
Arts appreciation and education are also beneficial for young people, as such activities render many positive effects on their brains. Researchers at University of Kansas (UoK) found in a study, learners who were selected for a visit to the museum exhibited stronger critical thinking abilities, demonstrated higher amount of social tolerance, displayed superior historical empathy, and developed a likeness and taste for cultural institutions and art museums.
Also, exposure to humanities and the arts is one great way to nurture creativity in kids.
Top benefits of art appreciation
Art Promotes Creativity
The out of the box approach of one’s thought process, and the unique ability to fuse two unrelated ideas in a whole new way can be rightly summarized in just one word – creativity!
All kinds of breakthroughs and solutions to critical problems are associated with creativity. And ingenuity is crucial to the success of all the kids. The unique ability to be original is vital to maintaining this world’s well-being, now as much as never before, as people continue to face pressing challenges; such as global warming, racial discord, and mass extinctions. Concerned individuals, organizations, and the governments worldwide are seeking innovative answers every passing day. The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) states; research suggests that exposure to arts helps a child to hone an extraordinary set of skills to remain original, think in a creative fashion, innovate, discover, and produce intellectual property; most significant pre-requisites for social prosperity and individual success in the present era.
Art helps to encourage neural connections
Art is one such activity that can put to work all the senses; namely, sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell; depending on the very nature of the given task. The synapses inside a child’s brain fire away when they choose to experiment and create, mixing paints and materials, squishing water color between their fingers, or drawing from what they are visualizing or their imagination.
Art aids in developing fine motor skills
Gripping a fine brush, drawing lines and dots, mixing paints, using a scissor, squeezing a bottle of gum or gliding a glue stick, tearing paper, kneading and rolling the play-dough; all these activities need increasing amounts of coordination and dexterity. Nonetheless, they are such funny and rewarding that kids want to perform those tasks again and again. And as they participate in art exercises over time, the fine motor skills of those children improve.
Scribbling acts as a precursor to writing
Babies and also toddlers start by scribbling back and forth, i.e., randomly. The more they do so, the better they are capable of controlling the crayon as well as its motion across the sheet. As kids learn to fine-tune their scribbling, they draw more different types of shapes, eventually creating all the forms required for writing all the letters of any given alphabet.
Art hones problem-solving skills
Process-oriented and open-ended art is essentially an endless opportunity to make choices, arriving at conclusions, double-guessing decisions, and evaluating outcomes. Kids become flexible thinkers and learn to manage uncertainty more comfortably, which is vital for fostering creativity and confidence. And the more they are exposed to a variety of techniques and materials, the more likely those children are to experiment with new ideas and combinations.
Art helps children understand themselves as well as their very own universe
Kids ingest phenomenal amounts of first-hand knowledge and new information; and furthermore; they require to analyze what they have imbibed in a secure, reflective way. The art supplies offer a safe exit route for emotions and art itself allows the children to discover feelings and manage the complex sequence of day-to-day as well as significant events. Ideas and feelings can be down-sampled to a manageable volume and altered as desired. Image, line, color, movement, and imagination; all of them encourage kids to speak for themselves in such a manner that can be aptly called as being multidimensional, a manner that mere words are incapable of doing such feats, or that could very well be more comfy for the children than bare naked words.
When kids are encouraged to discover art, they are encouraged to master and govern themselves, their bodies, and also a plethora of techniques and tools. The parents and the teachers can offer the children a wide variety of procedures to express themselves; they can provide the kids with such an atmosphere that is conducive enough for creation and experimentation, where questions are appreciated and encouraged, the place where those ignited young souls will have unrestricted access to all the staff they require and enjoy. The father, the mother, and the educator should clearly remember; they will not be doing this to produce art professionals, but to raise offspring who are self-assured and at ease with their gift of creativity, in whatever way it takes.
Art helps children relate and associate
Art is a perfect equalizer that helps to build a melting pot for kids who are not familiar with each other and also who do not share a common interest. It can encourage people of all abilities, races, ages, and even languages to engage in a collaborative activity and a commendable manner. The top-secret recipe of an art-oriented life involves a few uncomplicated tools, an open mind, a little bit of preparation and planning, and also an analytical approach; all of them blended in appropriate quantities.
Conclusion
The various kinds of arts and crafts activities parents can plan for their kids are based on many factors including their interests, attention span, and also learning requirements; the areas where they are supposed to concentrate more. Nonetheless, it is vital to expose the child to various projects of arts and crafts, which can impart a multitude of skills and ensure one’s balanced development in the formative years.
Summer workshops and short-term courses in baking, photography, making cards for others, drawing, painting, arranging flowers, scrapbooking, and sewing is worth considering, and every child should give all or at least some of them a try.
Each of the activities mentioned above calls for the exercise of various motor skills, and thus, allows the kid to be more self-dependent; as one learns to perform such tasks without taking any assistance from the peers and others as well.
The underlying objective of each project is to develop the kid’s feelings, the thought process, and also their coordination skills. The parents are supposed to offer guidance and lead the child by example in the very beginning. But, eventually, they should allow the kid to finish the project without seeking any help from them or any other person; as it will inculcate the young learner with a spirit of independence accompanied by a real sense of pride and also the joy of doing things on their own.