How arts and crafts can benefit your child’s wellbeing
During the lockdown, art and creativity can go a long way in supporting your child's physical and emotional development in different ways.
Arts and crafts not only keep your child busy but also help promote your child’s fine and gross motor abilities.
Covid-19 has made life tough for all of us. For working parents, attempting to balance working life and family time has always been a challenge. But now, under lockdown level 4, and with the children on extended school holidays, too, things have been extra tough on all of us. The normal weekday routines that we and our children are so familiar with are gone and there is zero contact with their classmates, teachers, and friends.
Children, just like adults, are struggling to adapt to this “new normal”. Moreover, these changes to the structure of our children’s daily lives can have a major impact on their emotional wellbeing.
The connection between creativity and well-being
Multiple studies prove that creativity and well-being are positively connected. Psychologist Bernice Castle agrees, saying that art and creativity support children’s development in different ways. “For children and adults alike, art can be a powerful tool. They learn much better in all disciplines if kids engage in hands-on art activities,” she says.
Art promotes fine and gross motor abilities
Art helps children apply their gross and fine motor skills to something meaningful and helps them through visual cognitive responses to tap into their problem-solving skills. It has also been shown to stimulate imagination, enhance the ability to observe, boost self-esteem, provide a sense of achievement and reduce stress.
Art allows children to communicate
Art also creates opportunities for your children to express how they see and experience the world and allows them to express their feelings about the circumstances they encounter in their daily lives.
Creative outlets
During these uncertain times, here are some ways you can tap into the creative outlets of your children and keep them engaged in meaningful ways:
Establish an art station: Dedicate a small section of your home to projects involving art.
Set everyday challenges: Give a challenge to your children for the day. This will allow them to achieve daily goals and provide a sense of achievement at the end of the day.
Keep everything: Don’t throw away anything. Show off the really good works of art and keep the rest in storage. These are not only great keepsakes, but they show children that their job is special and deserves attention.
Find Resources online: From blogs to YouTube tutorials and more, there are thousands of online resources to help you add a creative spin to your child’s artworks.
