8 Benefits of Art for Children
Art for children has great benefits and, in addition, allows them to express their emotions. When a child develops an artistic activity, it improves their fine motor skills, precision, and self-confidence. They express themselves and release all that creativity through drawings, painting, and everything related to art.
Painting helps them discover a world full of colors, shapes, and strokes that blend together and give rise to a world full of imagination. In addition, we can teach them by example, for example, by painting with them. Keep in mind that children learn by imitation and that art isn’t only good for children but also for adults. Let’s make the most of it!
Art for children as a communication tool
Art stimulates children’s communication with others and with themselves. It’s also a fantastic tool for developing creativity, concentration, expression, and sensitivity. It’s much easier for children to transmit their emotions, fears, worries, likes and dislikes, and anxiety through painting or drawing. For this reason, art is used a lot in therapy so that they feel free to express themselves.
Above all, painting helps the youngest children, as they don’t yet know how to express everything through language. Therefore, it’s through drawing or painting that they communicate and build an image of themselves. For this reason, it’s good for them to try different techniques that are also accompanied by a physical sensation. For example, modeling with clay or playdough or painting with their fingers to feel the texture of the paint.
Discover the benefits of art for children
As we’ve said, art is a form of communication for children and there are many benefits it brings them. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
1. Increases self-esteem
A child who draws, paints, or makes sculptures with modeling will feel proud of the result of the work they’ve done and this will help them to have a healthy self-esteem.
2. Improves communication
As we’ve said, art is a way to communicate with others, but also with oneself. It’s easier for children to express what they feel through a drawing than with words.
3. Improves hand-eye coordination
Painting or drawing a picture requires that the eye and hand are coordinated to promote children’s motor skills.
4. Increases concentration
Drawing or painting requires concentration, which will help children in all areas of their lives.
5. Promotes creativity
All children’s activities, such as crafts or painting, will boost and stimulate their creativity.
6. It teaches important values for life
The values that will be learned through art will be dedication and effort. They’ll be able to see for themselves that the more they make an effort and dedicate time to their work, the better results they obtain. This will help them in all aspects of their lives.
7. Improves the senses
The two senses that are most developed through art are touch and sight. Therefore, if we encourage them to make sculptures or paint with their hands, they’ll also improve their perception of the different textures and colors offered by all artistic instruments.
8. Art helps children to relax
Art for children, as well as for adults, is an excellent tool that can help us relax when we’re stressed. Painting and drawing, used in those moments when we’re more nervous, help us to focus on what we’re doing and forget what makes us anxious.
How to stimulate an interest in art for children
We’ve already seen some of the benefits of art for children. Now let’s see how we can stimulate that interest:
- Provide them with materials to paint, draw, or model. According to their age, you can leave materials on hand so that, when they’re bored or feel like it, they can draw, paint, or model.
- Sign them up for art classes. If your children love art and you see them motivated by it, you can sign them up, for example, for arts and crafts classes. They’ll surely be delighted.
- Take them to museums or to see different sculptures. This is a way to spend time with family and, in addition, develop their own criteria about the works they see.
- Play music for them. This is another form of artistic expression that can help them concentrate on the different tasks they face.
- Introduce art through play. You can reproduce paintings of famous painters, organize a museum at home with their drawings and paintings, or make an afternoon of crafts or sculptures.
Art improves children’s lives
In this article, we’ve talked about the enormous benefits that art has for children. That’s why it’s important to encourage these expressions in your children. It’s not only a question of painting or modeling but also of improving many aspects of their life in the present and for the future.
Don’t hesitate to introduce your child to art, encouraging as much as you can the expression of their emotions through painting. This way, they’ll feel free, concentrated, and relaxed.
“Art is the expression of the deepest thoughts, by the simplest way.“
– Albert Einstein –
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Mateu Lillo, B. (2018). Arteterapia la expresión de las emociones a través del arte en la infancia.
- Solano, A. A., & Chornet, V. G. (2018). El arte en la primera infancia: propuestas destacables. Revista sobre la infancia y la adolescencia, (15), 70-97.
- Monsalve Rojas, E., & Ríos Aguinaga, L. M. (2017). Las artes plásticas como lenguaje de las emociones y los sentimientos en la primera infancia (Bachelor’s thesis, Escuela de Educación y Pedagogía).
- Sánchez, A. M., & Ruiz, D. L. “La caja mágica de Lily”: herramienta para el desarrollo emocional en la infancia a través del arte. In II Congreso Virtual Iberoamericano sobre Recursos Educativos Innovadores (p. 268).
