Why is it important to introduce children to artistic hobbies?
Photo by Rosemary Ketchum
When it comes to encouraging children to excel, they are usually pushed toward academics or some type of sport. While academics and sports are important, it is also important to let kids be creative and innovative. Introducing young children to artistic hobbies helps them express themselves and learn skills they will need later in life. With many different artistic avenues to choose from, children can let their imagination run wild.
Grow and develop
Children have an inapt imagination when they are young. As they become adults, they tend to lose this sense of childhood imagination and creativity. Introducing artistic hobbies to children when they are young helps to reduce the inhibitions that develop as kids grow. Children are natural risk-takers, allowing them the opportunity to take those risks helps as the child grows by teaching them how to analyze situations and problem-solving skills. Giving children the opportunity to create, experiment, and make mistakes helps open their minds to a new way of thinking. It pushes imagination and allows for new innovative ideas to surface. This allows them to discover themselves, build self-esteem and keep that drive and natural curiosity.
Artistic avenues
There are many different avenues to explore when it comes to being artistic. Some kids may prefer to explore drama, some music, some writing, while others choose visual arts. Visual arts offers many different mediums to explore such as sculpting, photography, drawing, and painting. With young kids, painting is always a fun avenue to start with. Watercolors are good for younger kids, but they do not hold their own unless used on paper. As a child develops their skills it’s important to introduce quality paint. Acrylic paint sets work well on a variety of mediums such as canvas, paper, fabric, wood, plaster, and even unconventional mediums like pillowcases, t-shirts, shoes, or other things laying around the house. Using different mediums is a great way for kids to show self-expression.
Create artistic environment
Creating an artistic environment is important when fostering a child’s creativity. This can be done by setting up an art space that allows the child to explore and be messy. This can be on the kitchen table, covered with newspaper, outdoors, or why not let the child paint a mural on their bedroom wall? Cover the floors, give them one wall in the room and let them create their mural. Not ready to let them paint on the wall? Try a pair of white sneakers. The child can be creative and proudly wear their art. Whether you give them paper to paint on or a wall, give the child permission to experiment. In other words, avoid telling the child what to make, let them use their imagination and then talk about it. Let the child explain why they used a certain color or added a certain element. Finally, let the art piece be, don’t try and add to it or make suggestions, this is their time to explore.
Foster creativity
Giving children the freedom to explore and not interrupt the process is key to developing their imaginations. However, giving them a theme or concept to work from helps to further develop this sense of innovation and problem-solving skills. Where no guidance gives way to complete self-expression, guidance helps the child learn problem-solving skills. Encourage kids to create geometric color block designs or choose activities such as using a cotton swap to learn about textures and blending colors. As children grow, how they show self-expression changes with them. As the child grows, consider artistic classes to help further develop their skills and abilities.
Self-expression is important as children travel through this journey called life. Having an artistic hobby helps a child to develop the skills needed to cope in the real world and excel in life. Adults have the inapt opportunity to encourage children to push beyond, be the natural risk-takers they are, and explore where their imagination can take them. This is how they learn to take those risks and solve problems that everyone endures at one time or another in life or career and this can all start with an artistic hobby.