Importance of Art and Craft in early childhood education

Art and craft for kids play an important role in their early education and its value can be gauged from the fact that it has emotional, physical, cognitive and learning benefits. Whether it’s sculpting miniatures out of clay or colouring with crayons, making origami shapes from paper or making a handmade birthday card, art and craft activities provide numerous benefits with a creative outlet.

Schools in India are increasingly laying emphasis on ‘out-of-the box’ learning by introducing art and craft for kids as a part of their curriculum and are ensuring that the students get ample opportunities for social, cognitive and physical development. Besides inculcating a deep sense of self-belief, decision making, memory and confidence, creative art and craft ideas for kids nurture the innovative spark and creativity among them. It also stimulates their interest and helps them develop their creative skills.

Here are some reasons why art and craft for kids should be a ‘must-have’ for all schools and parents:

• Maths Concepts:

  Art and craft ideas and activities reinforce math concepts like reasoning, analytical skills, problem solving skills, addition, subtraction, measurement, and spatial awareness. They not only develop these skills in young students in a playful way but also tickle the curiosity of the young minds. As children learn to assess shapes, sizes, cut things or create them, they use these skills to enhance their concept learning.

• Fine Motor Skills:

  Art and craft activities focus on fine motor skills in children as they experiment with a variety of fabrics, materials, colors and other things of all shapes and sizes and learn about their surroundings. As they learn to use their hands to cut, paste, hold crayons or anything else, they are strengthening their muscles and dexterity, and learning to coordinate their eyes and hands.

• Helps in socializing:

  An art class gives a child the opportunity to interact and socialize with other children with similar interests. Learning from others and sharing their creative thoughts can help build a child’s vocabulary as well.

• Quality time with family:

  It’s a great way to engage with parents, grandparents and extended family as little minds express their ideas to their elders, seek their participation and help. It not only strengths the bond between children and their families but also creates a repository of some artwork and memories.

• Increases dexterity:

  A child’s agility and dexterity can be increased through arts and crafts. In addition to improving the student’s fine motor skills, art & craft also improve manual dexterity, speed, and artistic ability.

• Enhances innovation and creative ability:

  To encourage innovation, children should have the opportunity to create whatever they want. And the ability to think and solve problems he or she might face while making something, enhances creativity.

Some creative art and craft ideas for kids include building a nature collage consisting of leaves, flowers, twigs and any naturally occurring material that catches their fancy, hand painting rocks and tiles, using craft sticks to build houses, cutting bell peppers or leaves dipping them in paint and using its imprint as a pattern on a cloth or paper, pressed flowers in a notebook, home -made playdoh using colours, flour and some water, collage of differently coloured paper among others.

The best learning is when a child is relaxed, absorbed in his surroundings and having so much fun while playing, he doesn’t even realise that he’s picking new skills. That is the real magic of the art and craft activities for kids. At Genesis Global School, arts & craft is the crucial part of the curriculum. The goal is to create a wholesome learning environment for children that will help them develop their talents, hone their skills, and achieve important developmental milestones.