It is almost impossible to count the benefits that art has for children. In fact, it is probably the most important activity they can engage with in terms of their development and can help with anything from their problem-solving abilities through to their understanding of the world around them. Also helping to develop their early-years literacy and creativity, and develop their motor skills, encouraging play with paint and other art materials is probably one of the most important benefits you can give a child.
Not only is art a fun part of playtime, it’s an essential tool for young children who cannot otherwise articulate difficult emotions or situations to work through how the world appears to them, and to deal with their emotions in a way that makes sense to them. In the middle of a pandemic where some of the changes in our lives may be otherwise too difficult for them to process, this is particularly important.
Art is also important for art’s sake – helping children learn how to create is useful in helping them to develop skills for key subjects at school, and to understand connections between things. A creative child is generally a more engaged child – more able to learn, happier, and disciplined.
Learning Creativity
The ability to link unrelated concepts together is not something we are born with – it is an important skill that children need to learn, and creativity is the ideal way for them to pick it up. Linking shapes with colours, perspectives, and ideas are all excellent ways for a child to develop their creativity, especially when they are using art to work through things, they otherwise don’t yet have the cognitive skills to express.
Children who are allowed to explore play with colour and texture are better placed to develop the ability to think in a creative way, and to generally be able to think more clearly and fluently.
Learning Motor Skills
Even seemingly aimless fun from putting paint on paper requires a certain amount of dexterity from a child – they need to be able to grip a paintbrush and make shapes, whether abstract or definite. This is probably one of the most important play skills a child can acquire, as their co-ordination and ability to control their crayon, pencil or paintbrush will improve over time. It is fun for them too.
Scribbling also leads to writing, as the more a child does so, the more control over crayon they develop. With control, they learn to make shapes more easily, then letters, and then finally write.
Learning to Understand
Imaginative play with drawing and painting is very helpful in encouraging children to make choices and see where they will lead. It helps them to be more comfortable with things that they cannot necessarily predict, and to try out new ideas that might help them process their decisions.
Children are like sponges when it comes to absorbing new information, so it can lead to overload if they don’t have an outlet for making sense of the world in a safe way, especially if they don’t have the words to express how they are feeling. Even a seemingly abstract scribble can go some way to allowing a child to manage emotions and feelings.
Keeping Their Artwork
It can be very difficult to part with a child’s hard work, although the ongoing collection of art from school and play at home can start to take over not just the fridge, but every other bit of wall space in your home.
At My Little Da Vinci, we absolutely understand the need to keep and value their artwork, and to see their creative development, and the desire to keep your home from being taken over by their paintings and drawings.
We sell a variety of wooden picture frames which can store up to 50 of their paintings and drawings, allowing you to rotate their work and reclaim your walls! Available in either A4 or A3 sizes, and in black, white, or natural wood to tone in with your home décor, they are perfect for the most common paper sizes children are likely to be using for their artwork.
They are front opening, making it super easy for you to add new artwork, or to rotate the pictures so that you can have a new one every day. The picture frames can also be hung either horizontally or vertically, and the high-quality finish of the frames makes them perfect for home or office.
They really are the perfect way to protect their precious artwork forever.