How does fine arts help children

Smithrim, K. Learning through the Arts: Lessons of Engagement. Canadian Journal of Education, 28 1 , — Retrieved 3 March Winner, E. Wright, S. Children, meaning-making and the arts.

Our website uses a free tool to translate into other languages. This tool is a guide and may not be accurate. For more, see: Information in your language. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Skip to content. Page Content. On this page Elements of design Opportunity for learning Embedding language in fine arts Making meaning and expressing ideas Theory to practice Evidence base Links to VEYLDF Links to experiences plans and videos References Elements of design The following building blocks of design can be explored through various media, and can be used to create balance, pattern, and contrast Dinham and Chalk, : Line Lines are marks that are longer than they are thick.

Lines can be used to create: outlines movement shading. Shape These include geometric shapes like squares, triangles, circles, as well as free form shapes, that can be abstract, or can represent objects, people, or places. Value Value refers to how light, or how dark lines, shapes, or colours are. Colour There are three primary colours red, blue, yellow , and when mixed together form secondary colours orange, green, purple. Red, blue and green are the primary colours of paints and inks.

Photo: Wikimedia Texture This is the quality of surfaces, that can be felt or represented. Time-dependent projects, like waiting for paint and glue to dry, encourage patience, which is tough for most kids.

Concentrating on a project for long periods also develops focus and longer attention spans. Visual processing and memory Painting, drawing and sculpting help develop visual-spatial skills, especially in toddlers. These skills help kids analyze what they see and make choices based on visual information. Parents tell us that art is vital to their families because it keeps everyone engaged and happy and helps with the sometimes difficult transitions of the day.

Art is naturally linked to creativity, an attribute that is increasingly being touted as one of the most important factors for the success of individuals, organizations, and cultures. The truth is that art is vital, if somewhat intangible, and that if children engage in hands-on art activities, they learn much better in all disciplines. Creativity is the ability to think outside the proverbial box, to string two unrelated ideas together in a new way.

Solutions to major problems and breakthroughs of all kinds are linked to creativity. The ability to be creative is vital to the success of our children and the well-being of our world. Now, more than ever, as we face incredible challenges such as racial discord, wars, global warming, and mass extinctions.

Individuals, organizations, and governments seek innovative solutions every day. Art is an activity that can employ all the senses——sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste——depending on the activity. Gripping a paintbrush, drawing dots and lines, mixing colors, cutting with scissors, controlling a glue stick or squeezing a glue bottle, kneading and rolling playdough, tearing paper— all of these tasks require increasing amounts of dexterity and coordination, yet they are so fun and rewarding that children want to do them over and over.

As kids engage in art activities over time, their fine motor skills improve. Babies and toddlers begin by scribbling randomly, back and forth.

But the more they scribble, the more they are able to control the crayon and its movements across the paper. As children learn to control their scribbling, they make a wider variety of shapes, eventually making all the shapes necessary to write the letters of the alphabet—any alphabet. Open-ended, process-oriented art is nothing but an endless opportunity for making choices, coming to conclusions, second-guessing decisions, and evaluating results.

Children become more comfortable with uncertainty and remain flexible thinkers, which is key for creativity and confidence. And the more experience they have with a variety of materials and techniques, the more likely they are to try new combinations and ideas.

Children absorb incredible amounts of new information, and they need to process what they have learned in a safe, reflective way. Creating art allows children to work through feelings and emotions, and referring to a finished piece of artwork helps a child talk about feelings in a new and meaningful way. Rather than being told what to do, answers and directions come from the child. Art is an experience that requires freethinking, experimentation, and analysis — all part of creativity.

Art is a process, not a product. Where art is concerned, it is the process of creating — exploring, discovering, and experimenting — that has the greatest value. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Tags: Art , child , children , communication , creativity , Development , helpful , importance , painting , play , skills , social , talent.