Why Art is important for early Childhood Development.

---

1. Motor Skills

2. Language Development

3. Boost Brain Power

4. World and Cultural Awareness

5. Life and Social Skills

6. Improved Academic Performance

7. Effects on Personality and Identity

8. Emotional Well-being

1. Motor Skills

There are a few types of motor skills that benefit from arts and crafts. These include:

· Gross motor skills: These are the movements of the large muscles of the arms, legs, and torso, which aid balance and coordination with our nervous system. Art activities such as painting, drawing, crafts, and scribbling encourage the connections between the brain and these muscles. 

· Fine motor skills: These involve the smaller muscles in the fingers and hands. 

· Hand-eye coordination: When drawing, painting, it’s our eyes that guide our hands to do our bidding. Playing with different shapes, tracing, connecting the dots, and even coloring within lines, help hand-eye coordination.

2. Language Development

Different types of art can help our kids develop their vocabulary and communication skills.

· Language skills: Art gives kids an opportunity to talk about colors, shapes, and what they are doing. They can describe what they have painted, scribbled, or created, helping them to communicate. Art appreciation can help younger kids describe what they see, learning to put their thoughts into words.

· Comprehension skills: Arts can help kids understand the world around them in many ways. Reading directions for how things are done, or working out how to do something, can aid their comprehension. 

· Literacy: Art can help develop writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills, making a child more literate. 

3. Boost Brain Power

Art can help our brains develop in many ways. These include:

· Improve problem-solving and critical thinking skills: Give two kids the same challenge and see how they will each approach it differently. It could be making something from an array of items, like rubber bands, paper towel tubes, cotton balls, or paper clips. They will learn to think constructively about what they are doing and work out ways to help them achieve their goal (8).

· Visual learning: Looking at art can help a child interpret, criticize, and process what they see. 

· Improve creativity and individual craftsmanship: Kids will learn to be original and innovative when using art as a medium from a young age. They will be able to express themselves and will work out which type of art they prefer.

· Imagination: Art in all its forms encourages a child to use their imagination. Escaping reality and entering the world they create can help with their well-being and mental health. Looking at and describing art can also promote a child’s imagination as they create their own stories about what they see.

· Improve concentration: Arts and crafts often lead to an end product. Following steps in sequence to complete a drawing or craft project can help a child focus and concentrate. This is especially the case if it’s something that interests them or is new to them.

4. World and Cultural Awareness

Using arts and crafts can help develop an awareness in children of the different traditions and cultures around the world. 

It will help them understand and accept those who are different from them, and will be more likely to accept them.

5. Life and Social Skills

Life can be tough sometimes, and anything that helps a kid develop skills which benefit them in their journey is essential. Some of these can be provided by art, and include:

· Teamwork and collaboration: Whether it’s creating or appreciating art forms, it gives kids a chance to connect with their peers or adults who might not share the same interests. Talking about art or working together to create something that provides common ground.

· Improved social skills: Joining an art group, or even just collaborating on an art project in school, helps kids communicate. It’s also a great way for them to expand their social circle and make new friends.

· A sense of responsibility: Participating in arts can help give kids a sense of responsibility. They might have their own piece of the project to look after and know that they are crucial to its successful completion.

· Ability to resolve conflicts: Art can help kids understand there is more than one way of looking at something. Conflict can be seen as a chance to learn and grow.

· Handling criticism: Although there is no right or wrong with art, constructive criticism is a way that can help kids accept there is another point of view. This may be someone assessing their art, or them looking at the art created by others.

6. Improved Academic Performance

One thing that is agreed, though, is whether or not art improves academic performance, it still has a part to play in a child’s life.

· Influence on general school performance: Academic performance can be influenced by taking part in the arts. It doesn’t necessarily mean that art makes your child better at other subjects, like math and science. However, all the added benefits art provides can help a child achieve in other areas.

· Art can reach students with different learning styles: Kids with special needs, like ADHD, dyslexia, and sensory disorders, might not learn in the same way as other children when it comes to core subjects. With art, the field is leveled, as it’s subjective and doesn’t follow set rules and expectations. It can allow children with learning difficulties to match the performance of their peers, building self-esteem and confidence.

7. Effects on Personality and Identity

Art can have beneficial effects on a child’s personality and sense of identity.

· Confidence boosting:  Feedback from peers, and learning to accept as well as give criticism, helps build self-esteem.

· Teaches perseverance: Art can help a child stick to something and see it through to the end.

· Teaches patience: Waiting for things to happen can be challenging for kids. Learning to hold back teaches them the value of patience.

· Emotional intelligence: The highs and lows that a kid experiences when creating can help them control their own emotions and be empathetic with others. 

· Encourages reflection and introspection: Life is busy, even for kids. There’s school, after-school clubs, sports, and more. Art is a way of getting kids to have some quiet time and gives them a chance to think.

· Promotes self-expression: Art can give a kid an outlet to express themselves. Whether it’s choosing what color to use on a painting or which fabric to pick when crafting.

· Allows for exploration and healthy risk-taking: Experimenting during art is a great way for kids to learn what works and what doesn’t. Maybe they decided painting something a particular color didn’t work and will change it next time. Seeing as there’s no right or wrong, they learn from what they might see as mistakes.

8. Emotional Well-being

Art can benefit kids emotionally and contribute to making them feel good about themselves.

· Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression: Art of all kinds can help people feel happier and calmer. Interestingly, it’s not just while they’re doing it either. The effects can last into the next day.

· Relaxation: Taking time out to concentrate on nothing else apart from creating what’s in front of you can be a great way to relax. It can distract kids from the ups and downs of everyday life and is like a form of meditation.

· May discover a lifelong passion: Although it’s not always the case, many kids who love art go on to become professionals in one of the fields they choose. 

Statistics show that art benefits children’s academic achievements. Those students actively involved in the arts are:

· Three times more likely to have good school attendance and win an award for it.

· Four times more likely to be recognized and acknowledged for academic achievements.

· Likely to have higher SAT scores.

· More likely to gain employment after school due to their creativity.

While we have established there are different types of art, we will concentrate on the benefits of fine/visual arts and crafts for kids.

It’s important, as parents, we make sure that our children have access to the arts, both in and out of school. You never know, it might be the path to a career later in life. Even if it isn’t, it will ensure our kids grow up well-rounded.