Children can often find themselves in deep concentration when they’re drawing, painting, cutting, pasting or gluing when working on any arts and crafts activity. Kids love using their hands. The sense of pleasure that kids get during the process of working on arts and crafts projects is an unmistakable sign that something larger is happening in their personal learning, growth and development. Why do you think this growth is happening?
2013 Copyright Will Hull, Windy Pinwheel
There is something in the sense of accomplishment children get when they’re working on crafts or craft activities that involves their creativity and stimulates their imagination.
But there’s so a lot more to this picture than a sense of accomplishment.
The wonderful developmental benefits that kids can obtain through creative craft ideas make children’s crafts such a crucial a part of a child’s healthy development.
Below are some developmental skills that a child can learn by engaging in simple arts and crafts activities.
Social Skills:
Children receive feedback through observation and the modeling of their parents and teachers. In addition, interacting with different children also teaches appropriate social skills. Easy-to-do crafts for kids may also be an excellent way interact with a child through appropriate play and communication as an adult.
School Supplies Box, Source: Homi CraftCrafts help children with the development of their fine gross motor skills. Children’s crafts and children activities teach simple skills such as holding pencils and scissors appropriately, cutting, pasting and coloring techniques.
Creative development is one of the key benefits that crafts and art activities offer. Through the use of creative craft ideas for kids, the number of materials and simple task related instructions, their imagination and ability to make creative choices can develop. Children create an image of what they wish to create in their task. They can transfer this image through the use of their hands and the materials into their craft work. When developed appropriately, this important skill can help children with skills such as visualizing details, the recall of information through mental imagery, creation of living pictures and visualizing of goals. Good children crafts and activities resources with easy to implement craft ideas are a very powerful aspect for this kind of learning.
Linguistic Development
DIY Volcano, Source: PBSAnother benefit crafts for children offer is the development of a much wider vocabulary. Through discussing the creation and work required to complete crafts, the adult, mother, father or teacher, can create dialogue which both will increase vocabulary and creates meaning and understanding. When completing any craft activity, children are given further learning opportunities through watching their mother, father and/or teacher’s expressions of verbal problem solving and positive reinforcement. When choosing craft ideas for kids, children’s crafts and activities, be sure that you have quality resources which enable discussion.
In addition to the above developmental advantages, easy craft ideas for children can also aid in the development of:
Concentration and the of completion of tasks: Children’s crafts help with the development of the ability to pay attention and avoid distractions. Through the focus that is required to paint during craft activities, children learn how to focus on one activity at a time. They learn that, through focus, they are able to successfully complete the craft.
Beach Art Shell Painting, Source: PBSPlanning skills: Arts and crafts for children help with the development of both visual and verbal planning skills. Visual spatial skill development assists children in mentally creating plans of what they want to achieve through their craft project.
Persistence and seeing projects through to the end: Children learn the skill of perseverance when completing any activity or craft project. Choosing from one of many craft ideas and seeing the task through to completion irrespective of set backs is an important skill for kids to learn. Failure, triumph, something not turning out exactly as the project is supposed to, such as a painting that isn’t identical to the one the child wanted to paint, this skill, if developed early in life, it will help a child with their sense of dealing with adversity, accomplishment, school work during college years, project development and goal setting. Learning that not everyone gets a trophy for their the job that they have done, is an important, yet not always accessible skill to teach our children in the modern age of parenting.
Thankful Tree, Source: PBSSuccess and self worth: The participation in and completion of craft projects helps with one of the most essential aspects of healthy growth and development: the experience of self worth via achievement and success. Through the skills mentioned earlier, such as focus, patience, making plans, creative development and visual spatial development, kids learn what is needed to complete a project and to create their vision through the use of their hands and art tools. Praise and feedback are important elements here when your children are attempting any artistic and creative activity or craft project. Assisting children if they’re struggling with an aspect or completion of a task may also be necessary. Giving praise throughout the process and at the completion of the task helps the child to learn a sense of accomplishment related to the development and final touches for a project.
Build and Launch a Hovercraft, Source: PBS
Creative craft ideas for children are so valuable for healthy development. The absolute best part of all of these activities is that helping children with arts and craft activities may also be easy and rewarding for you, the parent or teacher. With creative and easy craft ideas for kids, easy to use materials and a sense of fun, you can even have a great time! Whether you’re a parent, instructor, grandparent or nanny, kid’s crafts and children’s activities are a remarkable way to connect with children and watch them grow and develop.
For printable craft ideas for children and printable kids activities resources see:
Will is a front-end web developer, nonprofit professional, SigEp alumnus who holds a Masters in Public Administration living in Reno, Nevada. He has been lucky enough to work with many Congressional offices on Capitol Hill and nationally recognized nonprofits in Washington, DC to manage their online and e-mail marketing campaigns as well as their social media and Web presence. His passion lies in designing websites like this one and working with nonprofits through Blackbaud to help make the world a better place. Along with his wife, Christine, he has three children. He enjoys video games, literature on philosophy and political thought and snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Learn more about Will at WillHull.com.
