Why art and craft is essential to child development

Learning a craft is key to the growth and development of children. Arts and crafts provide your child with a unique, fun opportunity to learn and improve their skills.

With the COVID-19 pandemic not giving kids any opportunity to be in the four walls of a classroom, it is right to have them explore, engage in arts and develop a craft.

Art and craft is the most important aspect for every growing child right from kindergarten. The beautiful thing about arts and crafts is that it needs no special or specific to create and leave memories in the minds of children.

When kids use their fingers to manipulate art materials, they are developing their fine motors skills as they use those small muscles in their hands. It helps them develop and master control of their fine motor skills, which is essential to social education. Their bilateral coordination skills improve as they learn to use both hands at the same time.

All this happens when they paint, colour, glue and cut. The quicker their fine motors skills develop the more they can do on their own, from eating by themselves to tying their own shoelaces.

Early child literacy skills in art and crafts cover a wide range of areas – from speaking and reading to listening and understanding. When kids make art or crafts, they get to talk about their work, which develops their communication skills. They also learn new vocabulary from parents and when following verbal instructions they use their listening skills. As children become toddlers, they experience, to varying degrees, rapid development of communication skills, and perspective-taking which is or the ability to see from someone else’s shoes.

Your child can improve his development in math through art and crafts. Basic math skills are often not thought of as being part of art and crafts activities, but math skills are used frequently and have a positive effect of developing mathematical skills in preschool children.

Kids get to learn about and recognise different shapes, count and sort out their art supplies and even measure out lengths and sizes of art materials. To master math, you need good thinking and problem-solving skills which art and crafts activities help with as well.

Art allows kids to develop their creativity, which is important throughout their lives. By doing something creative, you allow for self-expression and this lets kids express themselves. It also fosters mental growth by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, new ways of thinking and problem solving.

Making an art and craft with your child is a great way to bond and spend time with your children. You spend quality time bonding with your kids and at the same time, you are creating lifelong memories to cherish crafting together. You can talk about what you think, feel and care about. And as an even added bonus, your child isn’t using technology or looking at a screen.