Hi,

If you have been a regular reader to our blog, you must have journeyed with us through so many children activities. They ranged from art, craft, reading, pretend play, toys and games to activity books.

Today, we are specifically writing about how art and craft activities help your children in their early years of development. 

Builds imagination

When a child is left to explore different colors, different mediums and different textures, it helps them understand the world around them.

It helps them imagine it in their own way. A child would be contentedly drawing on his page. To you he might be just scribbling but, ask him and you will know. There is a story behind every picture and every craft. I am amazed each time when I ask.

Helps in self-expression      

Today my almost 4-year-old daughter and her friend made the paper bag puppets of a lion and a mouse. Guess what? They quickly enacted the story of “The Lion and the Mouse” within minutes. It was my idea but they immediately agreed and played out the story in front of their two dads.

It ended with the lion & mouse hugging each other and also the two friends.

Gives a sense of achievement.

When they complete the activity, for them, they have completed an important task. Naturally, they are happy and their confidence has soared. It has given them a sense of achievement. This is precisely the reason why children love showing their work of art to older people.

I urge you to have a display board for your child. It could just be two nails and a string.

Develops motor coordination        

When the child is cutting or pasting or painting or coloring or sticking, he is using his motor skills. The refinement of these skills will help him do any future tasks confidently and may help improve his writing.

Builds self-esteem

Remember to choose activities suitable for your child’s age. When you do that, you are ensuring that the child is able to do the simple steps.

When a child is happy doing that activity and completes it, praise him. It boosts his self-esteem and next time he is happy to take on a new activity.

Teaches patience

In a creative activity, it’s very important to proceed step by step. The child cannot directly jump to further steps.

Also some of the steps require waiting after sticking for the glue to dry off. All these small things teach them that they need to proceed patiently to reach their goal of end result.

Improves social skills

When the child does the art and craft activities with their friends, they learn to share that box of crayons and the single bottle of glue.

They learn to appreciate another child’s work and follow the others. Naturally, it improves their social interaction. Even a shy child has now got the freedom of expression as mentioned above hence sooner or later, he will be more comfortable in such a group.

Helps enjoy learning of concepts

Integrate art and craft into academics to teach concepts like colors, numbers, alphabets, seasons, environment, Festivals and so on. Children are very happy to learn in this enjoyable way because this is not studying, it is not education. It is having fun making something or drawing something.

Have you visited our show & tell posts? Click here.

Helps to spend quality time with parents.

Art and craft are so versatile that you could use even the basic materials available at home and create so many different activities with them. These activities when done with a parent or with a teacher or with friends helps bonding. They are a medium to spend quality time with your kid. Check out our gems ball activity.

For such young minds, the most important reason to do art and craft activities would be simply to have fun.

As a parent, I would urge you to approach art and craft activities as not something you BUY for your children but something you DO with your children. We often do not mind if we spend huge amounts of money on good quality food, clothes, books or even toys but many times when it comes to such one time activities we may think twice.

The reasons are simple. We don’t know the benefits these activities offer our kids but, now you do.

Also like I mentioned before we can use simple ideas, simple materials and yet create lovely memories for ourselves.

This is the time when your children are young and are off to school only for a few hours. Once their school time increases, they would be busy in their own world and also big enough to do many such activities on their own too.

I really feel from my heart that kids should enjoy this beautiful phase when they are so connected with their home, their parents and their friends.

I wish you lots of good moments with your little ones.

Love,

Poornima