Benefits of arts and crafts’ activities with children

Mums Tips

Get Creative

Published on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 17:01

Last Updated on 24 March 2020

Monica Costa

0 Comments

Arts and crafts aren’t just a fun way to distract the kids, there are plenty of benefits to letting them get messy with some paints. By promoting the use of arts and crafts, you’re providing them with a healthy way of developing some essential skills.

Why not get stuck in yourself and enjoy bonding with your little one while exploring their creative side? Here are just a few of the many reasons why arts and crafts can benefit children of all ages.

Motor skills

An important part of any child’s development, motor skills are defined as actions that use and improve muscles. Crawling and jumping are great examples of gross motor skills, but it’s the smaller actions that improve the equally as important fine motor skills.

Crafting projects are a fun way to strengthen them, as most require them to use safety scissors, grasping pencils or twisting items such as pipe cleaners. This also improves their dexterity, helping them develop faster and gain more independence.

Self-esteem

By producing their own decorations or practical crafts they can then use from scratch, they’ll gain a sense of pride, thus improving their self-esteem and confidence. It gives them a sense of control, allowing them to produce something that they’ll be happy to show off.

You could encourage this further by entering them into competitions such as the Education Art Prize, which is a great way to boost their interest in crafts while uplifting them. By getting your little one to indulge in arts and crafts, you’re instilling a sense of pride and achievement, which is incredibly important when it comes to their confidence and mental health.

 

Self-expression and creativity

Creativity is a valuable skill to have and crafting is the perfect way of encouraging your kids to explore it further. By encouraging your child to express their imagination through art and reaching for the craft supplies, you’re offering a channel for them to healthily convey their emotions.

This, in turn, will help them as they grow. They will likely be able to develop these skills further when they reach school. It is particularly useful for children who are shy or have trouble expressing their emotions, crafting offers a safe space to wear their heart on their sleeve.

Critical thinking

What colour to choose? How should I draw a house? Questions like these are examples of critical thinking in children, which assists in decision making and confidence in making their own mind up. This, in turn, improves their confidence and independence in a creative manner.

Promote this further by exploring different types of crafts, materials and colours when helping them with their projects. By offering them different choices of materials and colours, they’ll have to think about what may be the best option, thus helping them think more independently and make their own decisions.

 

Bonding with others

Starting a crafting project with a child is a great way to bond with them. Not only is it beneficial for parents, but for siblings and classmates once they start school. It can also encourage them to share their crafting supplies with others, teaching them the importance and benefits of being kind and generous.

 

There are a plethora of different crafting projects for little hands. From painting to pottery, there’s something to suit all interests and personalities, allowing them to explore different types of play. As well as having a number of benefits as listed above, crafting will keep them quiet and give you time to relax – a win-win, in our book.