Here are 10 reasons why Art is an amazing activity for your children, and really Anyone!

There is no doubt that art is extremely beneficial to health and well being. Studies have shown that art can go a long way in impacting the social and psychological behaviors of individuals, especially children. Art helps you to build self-confidence and express yourself better than any other activity in the world. It also provides social activities where you can meet new people or make new friends.

Art will help you look at life differently and see things that you have never noticed before. You will become more observant and insightful, which makes it easier for you to solve problems and think outside the box.

Art gives a clear indication of what one’s interests are and what they would like to pursue for a career. This is especially useful for children and it helps them discover their interests and hone their capabilities early in life. Even if it is not pursued as a career, it can help keep busy when retired, act as a tool for making extra income, or provide something that gives life meaning when working becomes boring or unfulfilling.

Art is so much more than drawing or painting. It’s a way to develop important skills like problem solving, imagination and creativity, fine motor skills and spatial awareness, self-expression and self-esteem. A good art activity for children should not just be about the end result, but also about the process and the journey. While your little ones are engaged in creating their masterpieces, they are actually working on a lot of skills that will give them an advantage in life.

Art is a great way to express one’s self and find one’s true abilities. The benefits of art isn’t just about being creative, but helps in so many other ways as well. Here are some of the social and psychological benefits of art listed below:

Social and psychological benefits of Art
1. Art helps children to freely express their emotions and develop communication skills. Children who are shy, non communicative, withdrawn or reclusive can find comfort in arts in such a way that it either urges them to be more expressive, or becomes their tool of expression. Art activities like painting, drawing, music, dance and drama etc, can help are great examples.
Also, children who are already expressive have no problem finding ways to do this via various art forms at their disposal. If you want to connect with a child, you might want to study how they express themselves especially using art forms and build on it.

2. Art helps in building a sense of individual or self identity, awareness and mindfulness:
The self awareness that engaging in a painting or music or dance brings cannot be overlooked. It takes mindfulness to construct a painting, or engage in dance and drama, and this is very beneficial to children and adults.

3. Art helps children understand how to solve problems: Creating a piece of art might be no mean feat, as most times, a lot of effort is required. Being able to piece together different parts of an artwork, or fixing up ruined art inadvertently builds in children the ability and confidence to get problems solved.

4. Art teaches children focus, determination and commitment: Due to the processes required in building artworks, it can be very easy to lose concentration or altogether quit your work. However, the drive and determination to bring life to your imaginations, or see the beautiful result of your work pushes you on. This is a great incentive tool in building focus and determination among art-engaged children.

5. Art enhances imagination and creativity in children: Isn’t it obvious? Art is all about creativity and mostly about giving birth to imaginations. The more you engage and express art, the broader your creative capacities.

6. Art is a Self-esteem and Confidence booster: I have literally seen young children who were before timid, shy or unsure of themselves become increasingly confident as they engaged in arts like music, dance, drama, painting, sculpting etc. All of a sudden, they become more self-aware, more expressive, more independent, and this increases their confidence.

7. Art increases social connection, communication, cooperation and team work: This is true as art involves being able to communicate, connect and collaborate with a great number of people who share the same feelings, sentiments or goals.

8. Art helps to improve emotional intelligence, acceptance of difference, empathy, and self control: When you engage in art especially in group forms, one of the things you immediately realize is the difference and uniqueness of everyone. Everyone has their own style, idea, motive, desire, preference and way of doing things, and you quickly discover your uniqueness and the uniqueness of others and make allowance for it.

9. Art helps in the preservation of culture and socio-cultural influence: Social and cultural practices can be communicated, preserved and passed down through art. It is one of the major tools of socio-cultural preservation and influence. Engaging in arts can help both adults and children be more in tune with their culture and that of others.

10. Art is a great stress reliever! Engaging in art has a way of boosting the mood. Whether it is the bright colors of a painting, or the therapeutic feel of clay in hand, art involvement releases hormones known as Endorphins, which prevents the release of Cortisol, the anxiety/stress hormone. Engaging in art helps you relax and de-stress, making you a brighter and happier person.

As you can see, there is no doubt that art plays a fundamental role in health and wellness. People who make this a part of their lifestyle will reap some pretty awesome rewards. Of course, benefits like these don’t happen overnight; we’re talking about making small changes to your mental and physical health habits over a long period of time. It’s not easy, but the ultimate results are definitely worth it that is why we have put together this 10 Reasons Why Art is an Amazing Activity for Your Children.

I hope you find art a worthy activity not only for yourself, but for your children. Engaging in art activities is beneficial to all!