Art sparks creativity in children and preschool classrooms are bursting with vibrant colors, messy textures, and the joyful sounds of creation.
This isn’t just playtime – it’s also art time, and it’s much more than just finger painting and gluing macaroni. Art in a preschool can also be a vital tool for fostering creativity and laying the foundation for critical thinking.
So how exactly does getting messy with paint and exploring different materials benefit our little learners? Let’s explore the many ways creating art in preschool helps children blossom:
- Fine Motor Skills
Using pencils, crayons, chalk, and paintbrushes help children develop their fine motor muscles. This development will further help your child in writing, fastening buttons, tying laces, and other tasks.
- Cognitive Development
Art can help children learn about things like cause and effect. If I paint the brush with black color on a white paper, then the sheet gets dark. They can also practice critical thinking skills by making a mental plan of a painting.
- Math Skills
Children can learn, create, and begin to understand concepts like size, shape, counting and spatial reasoning. They can also start making comparisons based on things like size.
- Language skills
When children start to share their artwork they will also have to describe the piece.
This leads to development in language skills and also boosts their confidence.
You can also encourage the development by actively listening and asking open ended questions yourself. Encouraging children to create artworks boosts creativity and language skills of children. Preschool art helps your child develop invaluable skills, free expression, and it also helps them develop confidence. Giving your child a creative outlet helps them work through all the changes that are happening in their lives.
How can you support your child in their artistic journey?
You should talk to your child about their work and make supportive comments.
It is important for them to know that you see and support their artwork.
Creativity in children seems to work when someone is there to support them.
You should ask them open-ended questions like “What are you making.” You can also describe specific things or features of their artwork. “I see that you are using yellow paint.” You can also describe the actions of your child such as, “I noticed that you are using a soft paintbrush, I love that you are trying to draw a square, Oh wow, you are using two crayons at a time!”
There are also other things that you can do.
- Imitate your child: Sit down and start imitating your child’s actions. Don’t try to lead them into the art, but start painting your own picture. Creativity in children is encouraged when they think of parents and teachers as friends.
- Just be a supportive voice: Activities are not fun, when they are dictated by someone. This is true for everyone and not just for kids. So, instead of dictating your kids to draw. Participate in the activity as an equal instead of trying to lead them.
Let your child explore: Preschools should keep their art sessions open ended. Instead of saying that we will be drawing this today, teachers should keep the art sessions open ended.
