5 Reasons Why Arts & Crafts is Crucial to Your Child's Development

5 Reasons Why Arts & Crafts is Crucial to Your Child’s Development

Let’s think back on the common experiences that people usually gain while in their earliest arts & crafts classes:

  • The smooth, squishy feeling of paint between toes while crafting the very first of many “foot-turkeys” for Thanksgiving
  • The surprisingly refreshing minty taste of some off-brand glue sticks
  • The occasional argument of whether the sky should be blue, purple, or orange that day

It may seem like arts & crafts class was just a bunch of loveable memories wrapped up into one brief period of time, but the truth is that arts & crafts programs help children develop much, much more than just fond moments. Arts & crafts actually work to boost children’s social and professional lives as they mature. Let’s dive into each of the reasons why arts & crafts should be practiced both at school and at home.

1. Arts & Crafts Helps Improve Children’s Ability to Make Decisions

When you think about it, there are many points during the creation process of arts & crafts that make someone choose a decision. What to make, what color to use, how big to make it… Being confronted with these situations in a “fun” environment can strengthen critical thinking and decision making skills. Exploring and thinking of the different outcomes with each decision breeds creativity early on in your child’s life.

2. Fine Motor Skills are Being Used Each Time Children Create Arts & Crafts

2. Fine Motor Skills are Being Used Each Time Children Create Arts & Crafts

There’s a lot of talk of fine motor skills during infant and toddler years, but those motor skills still need to be exercised as your child ages. Arts & crafts are true “handy” jobs, meaning that your child must use more than their brains to get the job done. Using scissors, colored pencils, and stroking paint brushes using different techniques can fine-tune your child’s fine motor skills.

3. Diversity and Inventiveness are Encouraged During Creative Time Periods of Arts & Crafts

There’s no such thing as a “wrong answer” when it comes to arts & crafts. This is such a beautiful concept that can be reflected in many different avenues of children’s and adult’s lives alike. The earlier your child learns that there’s no wrong way of doing things, just a different way of doing things, the more enjoyable his or her experience will be. At the end of the day—or the end of the project—something unique and gorgeous is still created.

4. Cultural and Social Awareness are Supported Ideals in Arts & Crafts

As “hush hush” people try to keep cultural, social, and economic conversations, these are important discussion points for children. Arts & crafts introduce a neutral setting for people of all ages (especially children) to express their thoughts, concerns, questions, and opinions on these talking points without creating a hostile environment.

5. Academic Performance is Proven to Shoot Through the Roof with Artistic Stimulation During Arts & Crafts

Time and time again arts & crafts have proven to be important to the way the brain develops. Listed above, it’s easy to see that arts & crafts support the way the mind works critically, the way the body works physically, and even improves social skills by opening up avenues for difficult discussions to be had. On top of all of those positives, a report from the Americans for the Arts states that children who participate regularly in arts & crafts (at least 3 hours a day, 3 times a week throughout the course of a year) are 4 times more likely to be recognized as academic achievers.

With the decline of arts & crafts programs in schools, it’s important for parents to implement creative time at home. Let us know in the comments below if you have any fun and unique ideas about how to get children more involved in arts & crafts at an early age and if you can think of any additional benefits we missed.

 

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Econocrafts Who’s Econocrafts? Econocrafts is a manufacturer of unique and exciting arts and crafts kits and hobby supplies. They sell to Schools, After-School, Camps, Recreation Centers, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Government Agencies, and crafters all over the world. From the classroom to your home, for a party to a DIY project, Econocrafts has everything you need to keep you creatively entertained.

Written by: Maxine Parks
Maxine Parks is a creative freelance writer that is better known as The Curly Copywriter on various outlets. Ever since she was a young girl, she expressed her thoughts and ideas through various creative outlets like arts and crafts, writing, and painting. Now, she experiences great pleasure by introducing her son to the arts, writing remotely as her passion and fulltime work, and creating unique content for everyone to enjoy on the internet. If you would like to connect with her, feel free to visit her website www.maxinesamone.com, follow her on Instagram, or connect with her on LinkedIn

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2 Comments

  • Margo LCSW

    March 2, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    Arts and Crafts can also be therapeutic! I work with art therapists who always incorporate it into their work with children, I have even used it in my work with teenagers!

    Reply
  • jonathan

    May 5, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    There are so many social benefits as well as personal benefits to arts & crafts. It should really be more emphasized in schools and encouraged by parents at home.

    Reply

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