Most parents, and even some educators in other subjects, may view crafting and art as a pastime class, something fun to participate in. And although it can (and hopefully should) be fun for your children, art and crafting can also be a huge learning experience for them too!
Sensory Experiences
Creating, whether it’s art like painting, sculpture, woodworking and more, is a highly visual and positive learning experience for kids. Even basic crafts still center around creativity, which all helps your child’s sensory experiences to grow exponentially! Kids can learn how to map out items and how to create something out of nothing, which can help build their senses. This in turn can help them better analyze situations and think creatively, and outside the proverbial box!
Not only is a child creating something out of thin air, they are also expressing themselves when they do it. They are picking out the colors, shapes, designs, from a place of creative expression for certain reasons, whether they even realize it themselves! Thus, it’s also a great form of self-expression and helping them realize who they are as a person, even if they are young.
Art is Subjective
Art has no limits; therefore, a child can create whatever they want! With this freedom to create, it helps a child think through a project from start to finish. They don’t have to rely on specific instructions and be required to have a specific end piece in mind. If you have them paint, they can use the paints, but then they can create anything they want! This freedom packs a lot into it as a child, giving them a rounded balance of learning to recreate (such as math problems) and learning to create (crafting and art). This type of learning can also make it fun, leaving children more excited to keep going and to learn more lessons.
Integrating Crafts & Play
Art and crafts is almost a form of play, and that in of itself is also a great teacher too. Playing in any form, along with art, can help your children learn to communicate through a wide variety of channels and activities. Games may seem like they don’t teach kids anything, but they do! Everything a child does that has some form of interaction will help them work better with others and make it easier for them to communicate what they want. Bringing in more art, crafts, and playtime into your lessons or homeschool plans can make a tremendous difference in their learning!
Katie Kyzivat