Messy paint splotches and crazy doodles, every preschooler enjoys arts and crafts with crafty hands-on tools while scribbling around the vibrant colors.
Whether your little one has the artsy bone in them or not, there’s nothing better than receiving those cute drawings to stick onto your refrigerator and loving cards with meaningful messages scribbled in messy handwriting.
Developmental Benefits of Arts and Crafts
Keeping aside the fun and emotional-laden element of seeing your child, finger-painting random figures onto a paper (or in some cases onto your wall), there are immense development benefits, your child can gain from when they involve arts and crafts into their day to day learning.
1- Fine Motor development- A key developmental milestone in every child’s life is their improvement of fine motor skills. To be able to pick up small objects, use their little muscles in coordination effectively are all developed when they perform any arts and crafts activity. Simultaneously, toddlers also develop and improve their bilateral coordination skills as they work with both their hands.
Picking up the glue bottle, holding the crayons, and using both hands to cut paper are ways in which muscle coordination improves.
2- Improves mathematic concepts- A fun and easy way to teach your toddlers to better understand their mathematical concepts are to incorporate visual aid while also making it hands-on by involving counting shapes, measuring sizes, and sorting out their materials, etc. In this way, toddlers even learn how to think, analyse, and sharpen their problem-solving skills.
3- Self Esteem- The toddler age group is the perfect time period to build their confidence and try out new things. Encouraging your toddler to express their creativity, share their ideas and the final result of their art work helps them develop a sense of pride that builds on their confidence. Arts and crafts are safe ways to provide your child with an outlet to express themselves, let them make mistakes, and then teach them to find and work on solutions to rectify those mistakes. This integrates a sense of balance in them- where they learn to make mistakes, correct, and build on them, ultimately helping them develop their self-esteem.
4- Communication: Arts and crafts are fun activities, not just for kids, but even for the adults! It’s an excellent way for parents and toddlers to bond over mind-boggling origami or while coloring together on some cartoon images. During this time, talking about the activity at hand can help them learn new words, talk, and learn about any topic you’d like to discuss.
This is also a time when your child is carefree and completely unguarded, giving parents a chance to learn more about the child’s day, what they have been/ are thinking. It is also a terrific way to discuss any problems your child may be facing while they engage in an activity they enjoy.
5- Critical Thinking- Arts and crafts are not just about going crazy with the materials provided- at least not initially. As your preschooler involves more complex art and craft activities, it encourages them to think outside the box. Take a sand painting, for instance- teaches your child to peel off the tape, add enough coloured sand without wastage, and analyse what colour goes where, teaches them to work in ways to reduce mess, etc.
Any form of art is an excellent way for your child to engage in critical thinking. By merely expressing their ideas over images they want to draw, the colors to apply, the means to correct the minor mistakes, etc. are simple ways to develop and/or improve your toddlers’ critical thinking skills.
6- Parent Bonding: Any activity is the best way for parents and toddlers to bond over. Getting arts and crafts involved is perfect for kids to release their energy and for the parents to de-stress over. This is a great way to enable free flow of conversation, talk about their day, share ideas, etc. allowing parents to be more involved with their toddler. The best part, you’ll be able to create artsy memories to cherish and as an added bonus- there are no gadgets involved!!
Art and crafts is an essential activity for the overall development of toddlers. With the use of just crayons, colouring books, some scissors, paper, and maybe some glitter and stickers, you’ll be able to involve art into your toddler’s life, which will help them go a long way!
Want some excellent, art, and craft activity material for your toddler? Why not try one of our Toddle Boxes? These boxes are crafted with exciting artsy activities, ensuring your child experiences some fun learning, that can be effortlessly conducted and bonded over.
Toddles for now and Take care.
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