When your kids happily dip their fingers into colored paints and enjoy doodling on walls, you sometimes see it as just another messy playtime. But if you look closely, your child could already be creating an obra maestra. Your young one’s interest in creative arts, or arts and crafts, is just as important as learning academic skills to promote their development, especially since art can be beneficial for kids in many ways.
Support your budding artist and nurture their creative side by following any—or all—of these tips:0
Set up a dedicated space for their arts and crafts activities
Whether it’s to nurture their love for sketching or painting, it’s important that your future Picasso has a space to unleash their creative side. If space at home permits, convert a small corner of the room and turn it into their arts and crafts section.
Arm them with the right tools
Even if you provide them with lots of exposure to the arts, they will not be able to create masterpieces if they have no basic arts and crafts supplies on hand. Fill their mini “art studio” at home with the tools of the trade: an art smock, washable paints, paint palettes and brushes, colored pencils, crayons, and more.
Create together
Creating art together is one of the most amazing ways to reconnect with your child. It shows that you’re interested in what they want to do. As a result, they learn from you and you get to know more about your child’s preferences, too.
Recognize their work
Sincere compliments and kind words go a long way in encouraging and supporting your little one’s artistic interests. In fact, these also boost their confidence.
Step back and give them the freedom to decide for themselves
Art is more than just strokes and lines. For some people, it helps them better express themselves. For a child, art can help them figure things out and provides an outlet for self-expression. Let them be the creative director, deciding what to paint or which hues to use in an art project.
Encourage them to join an arts and crafts class
Lastly, encourage your kids to join an arts and crafts class. Art classes offer more than just an outlet for imagination and play. They help kids understand different perspectives by learning about various artistic styles and modes of expression. You can lovingly encourage your child to try different things until they discover on their own what they are passionate about. By exposing them to various art classes, they get to know which one catches their interest the most.
Here are some classes your young artist can try:
- Black & White Pencil Art (Sketching) by Sprout Art
- Graphic Design with Photoshop by The Coding School
- Acrylic Painting by Sprout Art
- Draw and Paint by KidzArt Philippines
Learn more about Toddler and Preschooler Growth and Development here.
This story originally appeared on Edamama and is re-used with permission:
https://www.edamama.ph/discover/play-learn/tips-to-cultivate-your-child-s-love-of-the-arts
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