Activities with art can be very successful with young children as they learn to express the "mysterious" - their rapidly growing understandings, their thoughts, and their feelings. The process of making art allows a child to explore the arts with both a creative and a scientific "eye." The artist in them searches for creative expression, and the scientist figures out the way to do it! We need to provide them with the materials and inspiration, and then celebrate their creations!
The Arts Stimulate Brain Growth
Research indicates that participating in art, music, movement, and storytelling activities not only develops language, mathematics, science, and social skills but also strengthens cognitive functioning. Art activities don’t distract from academic activities; they actually support them.
Learning Tips
● Encourage children to use their hands to manipulate clay, finger paint, weave, paint, and draw. This helps build fine motor skills - the same skills that children need to learn how to write letters and words.
● Develop vocabulary by asking children to express their feelings using colour, texture, and structure and talking about it.
● Use art materials to observe, predict, experiment, and problem-solve. Open-ended art activities in which children have to make choices as to how to create a sculpture or picture help foster the development of these scientific thinking skills.
● Use discussions with other children and shared experiences to shape social and emotional interaction skills. By inviting children to "title" their art, you invite them to use art as a language.
● Introduce new art materials, such as painting with feathers. This invites children to build a strong sense of success and mastery.
You may also be interested in reading Managing kids at home during Covid-19.
Developed for Dadi Mandarin and written by WOI.