ART has AMAZING benefits for your child

A child’s first brush with fun is through colourful objects such as toys and anything the hands can grasp. They trigger its curiosity and journey of exploration. As the child grows, it doodles and scribbles with whatever it can get its hands on – pencil, marker, crayon and even their food such as ice cream and biscuits.

Art is a creative activity. It is fun and easy. It can be done alone or with a group. And it has tremendous positive benefits for young children, preschoolers and even teenagers.

Art is an essential complement to academic learning, providing every child with a well-rounded education and supporting their personal growth. It can begin as a hobby, and those who do well can even aspire to make Art their career.

You’ll be amazed how much your child can benefit from a regular art programme.

Creativity and problem-solving skills
Art sparks the imagination and creativity. It’s a great tool for your child to create something from start to finish with just an idea. Be it a painting or a craft. And it’s when right brain (visual, artistic) and left brain (verbal, analytical, and orderly) skills work together. It’s excellent for building critical and problem-solving skills for your child.

Self-expression & Confidence
During an Art activity your child does not have to worry about right or wrong, good or bad, they learn to trust themselves and their abilities. It builds their confidence to express their thoughts, emotion and experiences, which are very often seen in their artworks. The more your child can express himself/herself freely, the more confident they become.

Fine motor and visual-spatial processing skills
Simply by practising grip and control of pencil, crayon, brush and even plasticine regularly your child acquires fine motor skill quickly. Copying shapes, line and patterns in drawing, for example, helps to promote hand-eye co-ordination, further improving your child’s control over the artwork.

Observing and capturing objects (shape, colour, size) mentally in any environment allow children to develop their visual-spatial processing skills. Visual-spatial awareness also helps them to better comprehend and interpret the world around them, improving memory, as well as self-control.

Social Awareness & Character Development
Art is also a great way to introduce the unique customs and traditions of other ethnicities to your child.  This leads to more cultural awareness and helps your child to fit in with other groups at play or work. The sense of accomplishment through art – even one that might appear half-complete by an adult – can motivate your child to create more. As he/she delves into more creative pursuits, they further build on their self-confidence.

Better mental health, more positivity, better focus 
When left to work on an art piece, your child naturally relaxes to focus on creating what he/she loves. Stress level drops and anxiety goes away. The creative enjoyment activates the reward centres in the brain, releasing feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins.

Through reduced stress, your child can increase their understanding and retention of other subjects.  This further boosts your child’s confidence to perform better academically.

A study of over 10,000 third to eighth grade students by The Brookings Institution in the United States found that “a substantial increase in arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes”. It said students enrolled in art classes had their writing scores improved by 13%, while disciplinary issues dropped by 3.6%.

It is therefore important that children start their journey in Art early to enjoy overall development, especially their creativity and critical thinking skills, for a better future.

Check out Crestar Learning Centre’s variety of art programmes – ArtMazing Programme, Art-DSA Sec Prep Programme and Creative Art Competition Coaching Programme. Sign up for a trial class now to find out more on our art programmes!

*Data reference – https://www.brookings.edu/articles/new-evidence-of-the-benefits-of-arts-education/