Why You Should Encourage Your Kids to Paint

Encouraging your kids to play with colors, art supplies, craft kits, and other creative tools is not something you should do just to hone their creativity which can give them the potential to be the next great painter of the generation like Pablo Picasso or Michelangelo. You’re also helping them to improve their physical, mental, emotional, and psychological well-being. Moreover, you’re helping them foster skills that are very crucial in life such as logical, analytical, and critical thinking skills. There is a famous quote by Albert Einstein that says, “creativity is intelligence having fun.” This saying proves that creativity and intelligence are related to one another. That being said, there are so many reasons why you should encourage your kids to paint. So today, let’s find out and discuss the reasons in this article. If you wanna learn more and if you want to improve your child’s well-being, come join us in this discussion!

It is inherent for children to explore, create, experiment, and discover the world around them. No kid deserves to be left behind in this world and they shouldn’t be deprived of childhood, so as much as possible, we should encourage them to play, imagine, and be creative. Usually, most parents hone these abilities through playtime, but do you know that art can also help in strengthening such abilities? In our previous articles, we’ve discussed and proved how art affects an adult’s lifestyle and well-being positively. So this time, let’s talk about its effects on children and why you should encourage your kids to paint.

Different Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Kids to Paint

    1.  Art can aid in developing your child’s fine motor skills:

Motor skill development is one of the most important skills to hone at a very young age for them to learn basic literacy skills, especially writing. By allowing them to play and scribble with their crayons, pencils, and markers, you’re also allowing them to practice their hand coordination and dexterity. Playing with art supplies and scribbling with art materials are precursors to the development of intermediate skills. Fine motor skills aren’t just necessary for writing purposes, they are also required for simple daily activities that can help them be independent when doing the things they do such as tying their shoes, holding utensils while eating, fastening their buttons, being able to clothe themselves alone, and so much more. As kids, they may find these boring to learn, so hands-on art is the way to make learning fun and as easy as 1-2-3!

    2.  Your child’s perception towards cultural diversity and empathy are strengthened through art:

Art has similar effects on children and adults in the way that it encourages cultural diversity and awareness as well as empathy. These three characteristics are very important, especially when it comes to the development of their social skills. Your child, as a part of their life, will meet people from different cultures, traditions, and ethnicity. Through art, your kid’s perceptiveness towards different information is developed and that can help them understand things in this world and how each of us is uniquely created but equal nonetheless. 

   
    3.  It encourages teamwork inside the classroom:

Building connection with other people, especially with fellow children, is crucial in life development inside the classroom. All kids have differences and preferences based on their personality and character, just like us, adults. However, art aids in bringing out the common good in everybody. It brings out the spirit of teamwork inside the classroom filled with kids. Letting their classmates borrow what they have, helping with the things their classmates cannot do, complimenting each other’s works, listening to other's ideas are also encouraged when the spirit of creativity through art is inside the classroom.

    4.  Helps in improving a child’s self-esteem through freedom of expression:

Art helps children in processing emotions and experiences that they find overwhelming and through expressing themselves without the fear of judgment from elders, their self-esteem is likewise improved. Many kids suffer from low self-esteem because they fear that expressing their ideas, feelings, and emotions will be embarrassing for them. However, art changes that notion in a way that it allows them to fully showcase their true self without inhibitions which teaches them that what they feel and what they think is valid and important.

   
    5.  Creativity is the pathway to cognitive development:

To most people, creativity is painting, making arts and crafts, and being imaginative. But, there is so much more to creativity than that. It is a crucial life skill that allows a person to think outside the box, generate innovative ideas, and create multiple solutions that can efficiently solve a single problem. Being such a necessity, painting, among other artistic activities, should be a part of your child’s integral learning. There are many reasons why you should encourage your kids to paint and one of the reasons is for cognitive development. By encouraging them to be creative, you're also helping them to improve their machinery of critical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Key Insights

These are just some of the important reasons why you should encourage your kids to paint. Being able to help them be their best version through arts is essential as part of growing up. It allows them to step out of their comfort zone, be heard, be confident, and be expressive with their feelings and ideas. We hope that you can find a time where you can bond with your kid/s through painting. Better yet, you can set a schedule for painting time and teach them the basics of painting through Paint by Numbers!