Unlock Your Child’s Potential:The Amazing Benefits of Art!

Listen to the podcast version:

Art Unleashes Confidence and Creativity

If you have been paying attention to public education the past ten years, you know that it is always looking for ways to meet the bottom line or make a budget.
This usually means cuts.

One of the first programs on the chopping block is art, especially at the elementary grades level.

A few weeks ago, I did a brave thing.
I looked at our “new” world.
This world of Artificial Intelligence or AI.

And then I asked a question that I feel should have been asked in education decades ago.
What do our children need to learn to be successful in life?
Are we teaching the skills, resources, and knowledge to be independent and to be able to learn whatever comes next?
I addressed this question in regards to how we teach writing.

So, now I am going to ask you, do we need to teach art?
This is the subject that keeps getting cut, so do we really need it?
When faced with the many new skills and subjects that our children need to learn, do we sacrifice a “fun” one like art to make room for the serious and important?

Just like in writing, we need to go beyond the question and look at what we learn when we learn art; how does it actually benefit our children?

That is where I want to go with this – and I will go one step further and give you specific art mediums and the ways they bring well-being.

How does art benefit young children?

Encourage Creativity:
When children are given a plethora of art supplies and just allowed to “create,” their young minds not only learn to be creative, but they also learn steps of order, they learn to observe and project, and they work on early decision making skills.

Think of a basic paper plate craft.
Will they use glitter, markers, paint, etc?
Will they decorate both sides?
If so, they realize they need to let one side dry.
Then, do they want to create an effect and make “eyes” for example, or find googly eyes.

All of these decisions were not only theirs to make, but led them towards independence and problem solving.

Develop Cognitive Skills:
This is exciting! If you ask any parent, “how do you develop cognitive skills in your child?”
Chances are you will get a blank stare.
However, developing cognitive skills is important!

A quick recap, what are cognitive skills and why are they important?

They lead towards thinking, reading, learning, retaining information, and paying attention and are used to solve problems, remember tasks and make decisions.
When children learn to paint, draw, and create collages, they work with colors, shapes, and sizes.
When they work with markers or glue, they are experimenting, planning, and problem solving.

Often, with paint, they are mixing colors.
They learn about cause and effect when they mix colors, or when they glue a piece onto their work of art and later want to move it.

Self Expression:
It sounds so cliché, but haven’t your heard of the young child drawing pictures of someone being violently harmed?
Sometimes, art is an expression of emotions.
Whether it is actions they wish they could do because they are feeling powerless, or emotions that are overwhelming them and they have no idea how to verbalize them, art allows an outlet.

Physical Development: 
It is the biggest joke on me, a former teacher, that both of my boys basically “flunked” the kindergarten entrance exam because of their lack of scissor skills.
I was the mom who did not want to put scissors in her young boys’ hands.
However, there is no denying that my boys had excellent gross motor skills and were both a little behind in the fine motor skills department.

Art, like cutting, drawing, finger painting, or weaving with your fingers develops those little muscles in your hands and helps with fine motor skills.

While many of the benefits are categorized similarly for older children, they look just a little different.
So, I am going to outline those as well.

The Benefits of Art for the Elementary Aged Child

Creativity and Problem-Solving: 
Art encourages young minds to think outside the box and envision possibilities.
These new ideas often create challenges, which teach children how to see and solve new problems.

Critical Thinking: 
Art often involves making choices regarding colors, shapes, and compositions.
This decision-making process fosters critical thinking skills as students analyze various options and determine the best way to convey their ideas visually.
You can “naturally” develop this in Math when children are learning bout shapes and patterns.

Communication Skills: 
Art is a form of non-verbal communication.
Students learn to express themselves visually, conveying emotions, stories, and ideas through their artwork.
This enhances communication skills and can be brought into a language Arts program.

Cultural Awareness: 
Art provides a window into different cultures, histories, and traditions.
Students can explore art from various regions and time periods, fostering an appreciation for diversity and a broader understanding of the world.
I love integrated teaching and learning.
Art projects in a Social Studies unit would naturally have the effect of deepening cultural awareness.

Persistence and Patience: 
You have heard of the “Now Generation?”

The parenting lessons we were taught of this generation was to create opportunities for children to be involved in activities that could NOT be finished right away.

Delayed gratification is your friend.

This helps teach persistence and patience.
Creating art often requires time and effort. 
Students learn the value of persistence and patience as they work through the different stages of a project, from conception to completion.

Cause and Effect:
These are crucial concepts for children to learn.
We actually start teaching them with stories, for example, this happened because who did what in the story?
This kind of thing.
It leads to children understanding that their actions have an effect on others in their world.

Art shows cause and effect beautifully when you use different types of materials.
If you want to “marry” it into your curriculum, think science boards!
Art activities in science often help children learn about cause and effect and even hypothesis!

Self-Expression and Confidence: 
Art offers a safe space for self-expression. 
As students see their ideas come to life, it boosts their confidence and self-esteem. 
I cannot express deeply enough, the wonder I experienced when I would see a student who had classified themselves and chose to “fail to thrive” in academics.
Only to have an assignment in our Language Arts room where the representation of their thoughts could be whatever form they wanted, and they simply bloomed.
Being able to show what they read, thought, or learned in pictures transformed some of the students.

Self-Esteem Boosting
Confidence Raising
Positive Affirmations for kids

• The are 36 heart cut outs.
• You can choose the ones you love and use one each day of the month.
• Each one starts with Today... to center your child on what to focus on this day.
• Example: Today... I am good at solving problems.

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Self Esteem in a Minute!

36 Self-Esteem
Boosting
Positive
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Emotional Well-Being
Have you heard of art therapy?
There is a good reason that therapists have taken art into a counseling session.
Art therapy, when done in a clinical way, has three components:
The patient creates the artwork, reflects on said artwork, and then connects to it by personally reflecting.
All of this is done with the guidance of a professional.

Art therapy is used for all ages.

Art can also be therapeutic.
This is not the same thing as art therapy.
Coloring has actually been found to improve our mood.

• Attention flows away from ourselves.
• It relaxes the brain.
• Low stakes make it pleasurable.

In addition, if you look into color psychology, you will learn that specific colors can affect your mental health and well-being. 

Specific Art Forms and Their Benefits:

Sculpture

• Tactile and Motor Skills
• Spatial Awareness and Visualization
• Problem-Solving through Tactile Manipulation
• Attention to Detail and Focus

Painting

• Creativity and Imagination
• Emotional Release
• Cognitive Development
• Fine Motor Skills

Drawing

• Communication Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Problem-Solving
• Self-Esteem

Photography

• Visual Literacy
• Perspective and Focus
• Observation Skills: 
• Technological Proficiency

Woodworking

• Practical Skills
• Patience and Perseverance
• Safety and Responsibility
• Creativity and Innovation

Murals

• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Community Engagement
• Large-Scale Planning
• Public Speaking and Presentation

Art empowers children with the ability to navigate their inner world and communicate it to the outside.
It’s a language that transcends words, fostering their emotional growth, self-confidence, and cognitive abilities.

In fact, many child development experts believe that creativity is just as important as learning to read and write.
Nurture the artist within your child, for it carries immense benefits beyond paint on canvas!

“Not everyone can become a great artist,
but a great artist can come from anywhere.”
– Anton Ego, Ratatouille