The Important Benefits of Arts & Crafts for Children’s Development

Many parents turn to electronic devices as a means to keep their kids entertained and occupied. There’s no clean up, and kids can remain quiet for hours on end as you do the dishes, wipe the dust and even have some time for yourself. Sounds like a fairytale, right? Although technology can indeed be educational if used the right way, parents must not overlook the benefits of good old arts and crafts. While getting stuck into an art project can mean scratches and marks on your kitchen table and a huge mess to clean up, it has numerous benefits that can’t be replicated by any electornic device. As they’re making things with their hands, kids learn valuable skills and lessons. Here are some of the ways engaging in arts and crafts can be beneficial for children’s development.

It Improves Coordination and Fine Motor Skills

Besides being lots of fun, painting, drawing, cutting, or simply tearing a piece of paper are also demanding tasks in terms of children’s dexterity. They require kids to use both of their hands in sync and perform a variety of motions. By repeatedly doing so, children get to exercise their fine motor skills and improve their hand-eye and bilateral coordination. And having strong muscles and good coordination is crucial for tasks such as writing, eating and dressing. However, since arts and crafts activities can be demanding, it’s important not to your child into something that they aren’t able to handle yet. For instance, if your kid is too young to be able to fold paper precisely, don’t force them to do origami. Any activity which the child doesn’t have the physical and mental ability to perform can only cause frustration and aversion towards it. So, make sure to pick art kits for kids specifically designed for your child’s age. If your child’s very young, try introducing them to arts and crafts with something simple such as play-doh and finger paints.

It Sparks Creativity

There’s certainly no limit to children’s imagination once get to use it. However, technology and most toys today present kids with a finished product which leaves little room to the imagination. On the other hand, art kits for kids allow them to think about all the ways they can take a certain item, such as paper or play-doh, and transform it into something completely different. There are many materials, colours and shapes they can choose, which means that they can explore hundreds of different options and never get bored. They can even develop a talent for something like drawing that can later become their favourite hobby or even turn into a career in the future, like graphic design.

It Promotes Focus and Self-Control

Most toys and electronic gadgets today can lead to short attention spans. For instance, children watching a cartoon on Youtube, can simply skip to the end to see what happens. However, with arts and crafts projects there’s no option of skipping. To reach the final result, children need to go through several steps. They need to work patiently, take their time and pay attention to every detail. And this can help kids learn how to become immersed in the task at hand, thus promoting important life skills such as focus and self-control. With that being said, art kits for kids can have beneficial effects even for adulthood.

It Boosts Self-Esteem

You know the pride you get from finishing something? Well, children rarely get to experience this as we tend to do most of the complicated tasks for them. But allowing them to independently complete an activity can have a huge boost for their confidence. And arts and crafts is a safe way to do so. Plus, art kits for kids can allow children to a have physical evidence of their accomplishment which they can proudly showcase in their room, like for instance a sculpture made from play-doh, a framed painting or an origami bird.

It Helps Children Express Themselves

Young children do not have the vocabulary and emotional maturity to express how they feel. But they do have rich inner emotional lives and absorb everything that happens around them. While it may be hard for kids to put into words how they feel, art can be a visual outlet for expressing themselves. The things that children draw and the manner in which they take up an arts and crafts project can give parents a better insight into how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking.

It Helps with Decision Making

Art allows for endless possibilities and choices. When colouring, children have to decide whether to use red or black on a house’s roof and similar choices. As a result, children are encouraged to evaluate the situation before them and recall past experiences. For instance, if they mostly saw houses with red roofs, this will lead them to pick red as their colour of choice. As a result, kids can learn the basic process that goes into making a good decision.