Whether they’re scribbling on paper with crayons or expertly folding origami shapes, kids love making things. They find it fun, challenging and rewarding – and they’re also developing important skills that will help them throughout their lives. From developing fine motor control, to enhancing their creativity, to learning how to express themselves, the benefits of art and crafts for children are numerous.
What is another word for preschool?
Too many young Childcare centre in Chinderah lose their artistic confidence early on, which can follow them throughout their lives. To avoid this, she recommends incorporating art into everyday life and taking children outside to look at nature or the urban environment for inspiration for their creations. She also suggests providing engaging, inexpensive materials and letting children create their own masterpieces – not putting too much pressure on them to produce a perfect product.
Kids’ visual-spatial skills are becoming more and more important, as they navigate the digital age of computers, tablets and smartphones. They are constantly taking in cues from images and three-dimensional objects from TV, books and magazines – as well as their surroundings at home and at childcare centres. Drawing, sculpting with clay and threading beads on string all develop these skills.
However, the dichotomy between what is deemed a ‘good’ piece of artwork and a ‘bad’ one, means that many teachers have a limited understanding of how visual arts can enhance children’s learning. They may favour activities that have a clear outcome and step-by-step instructions, such as prefabricated projects from websites like Pinterest, which can result in all finished products looking very similar and which require the teacher to ‘fix’ children’s mistakes.