Why Kids Can’t Get Enough of Art
Create with kids and build the future
One of the greatest aspects of growing older is having grandchildren, and one of the greatest aspects of grandchildren is creating art with them.
Since my grandson could hold a pencil, we have spent hundreds of hours together before and during the pandemic on his remote learning days. What started as a mutual enjoyment of drawing and coloring together has become a weekly two-hour session ”in the flow.”
Even though I am not an artist by trade and only have one art class to my name, I had a buddy teach me fundamental watercolor techniques and kept sketching and painting sporadically over the years.
Not for any other reason than my own enjoyment. Working alongside my grandson has been phenomenal for many reasons. He soaks up my techniques, and I marvel at the charm of his work. He learns from his trusted Grandpa, and I give his creativity an avenue of expression.
One day we will work on shapes — circles, rectangles, triangles, and straight and wavy lines, which are the fundamental shapes in all drawings. Then we assemble shapes into a bunny or a dog. Simple markers or crayons bring color to work, and color gives it motion and emotion.
Another day we will sketch, color, or paint cartoon characters, dolls, buildings, or scenes. The figures are not only symbols for characters before he could read. They reveal HIS reality. He draws pictures of his parents, friends, and others in his life in his real-life situations. This is infinitely more worthwhile than staring at a screen for many reasons.
Neuroscience shows that when humans write things down, they actually learn in ways that are impossible when typing on a screen. A fundamental kind of learning happens using your hands to create. He marvels at him, and my creations learn that he can make mistakes, fix them and learn from them. He comes out with fabulous insights. He recently said, “One leg is bigger than the other leg, but that’s okay. It just looks like she is stepping forward.”
This is not rocket science, and anybody can do it. Are you looking forward to spending some quality time with a young person every day? And engagement in an activity that will develop his or her unique creativity and could significantly shape their future?
Get a pencil, some scrap paper, put some music on and get in the flow together.
