In this decade, many parents resort to technology as a way to keep their kids entertained and occupied, completely forgetting the benefits of arts and crafts. True, technology is extremely useful, and kids should be introduced to it, but it should never come at the cost of them playing and making things with their own hands. There are countless benefits of arts and crafts that go beyond simply allowing your kids to express themselves in a more creative way, and here are some of them.
1. It improves their coordination and fine motor skills.
Arts and crafts usually involve kids to use both hands in a particular manner, which can help them develop fine motor skills and bilateral coordination. For instance, drawing dots and lines, cutting with scissors, and even simply ripping a piece of paper are all quite demanding tasks in terms of dexterity – and kids love doing them. This can help them develop quicker and become more skilled in other daily activities such as tying their shoes, dressing, using kitchenware, etc.
2. It helps them express themselves.
Kids tend to be very visual about everything that goes on around them, and they usually absorb lots of information every day. However, there will always be kids who are naturally shyer and not that comfortable with expressing themselves in words. For these kids and arts and crafts can give them what they need to express themselves in a visual manner. It is a safe environment that they can control and shape in any way they want by using any materials they like. This is why parents might get a clearer insight into how their child is feeling or what they are thinking by encouraging them to participate in arts and crafts activities.
3. It makes them more creative and productive.
There are no boundaries to children’s imagination, and arts and crafts are a great way for them to turn that endless imagination into something productive and fun. There are many materials, colours, shapes, and activities they can choose, which allows children to explore various options and pick those that they find the most enjoyable. And who knows, they might even discover a fun hobby, like drawing, that can later become a lucrative career, like graphic design.
4. It helps them develop other skills.
Young kids usually begin using pens by scribbling random things. However, the thing is, the more they scribble, the better they will be at controlling the pen and their movements across the paper. So, as they learn to manage their own movements, they will also learn how to create various shapes, which will eventually lead to creating letters. In other words, the more they scribble, the faster they’ll master everything they need in order to write clearly. Also, you can encourage scribbling by giving them various colourful pens of various weights such as fineliners, texters and highlighters — scribbling with such fun pens will make them want to do it all the time!
5. It inspires them to think critically.
Art comes with endless possibilities and boundaries — will their house have a blue roof or black? Will they draw a dog or a cat? How will they draw the clouds and the birds? All these choices inspire kids to think critically, decide, and evaluate their own decisions so they can repeat them or change them the next time. This way, they will become more comfortable with thinking about different possibilities and more confident about making their choices. Plus, it will also make them more likely to test different combinations and visualise and try their own ideas, which is an extremely useful skill at all ages.
6. It helps them socialise.
Arts and crafts create a common ground for all the kids who may have different interests or simply haven’t met yet, because majority of them will love creating things with their hands — and see what other kids have created. When it comes to creativity, it doesn’t matter how old they are or what race they are – the only thing that matters is what they can make. And since children are naturally curious, they will happily approach another child if they like what that kid has drawn, built with Lego blocks, or coloured in.
There are many benefits of arts and crafts for kids, from helping them socialise and express themselves to helping them develop other skills and think more critically. So, if you want your child to have fun and experience all these benefits, encourage them to take part in one of our events! To find out more about our events and craft activity packs please explore the website!
-------
Craft Nation is a kids craft store dedicated to providing your child with exciting hands on craft. Our kids craft activity sets are not only fun and full of environmentally sustainable and safe products, but come with educational booklets to teach kids about different countries of the world. At Craft Nation, we believe that craft is an essential part of a child's development and also offer a range of craft events for kids in different locations around Sydney, Australia. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via our contact page.
