Children of all ages love to create with their hands, whether it’s coloring, drawing, scrapbooking, sculpting, or building. But did you know artistic pursuits are not just fun pastimes, but fundamental building blocks of future achievement and success? The abilities they learn as early as toddlers will help them develop into well-rounded adults, so encourage your child’s artistic expression and watch them develop these physical, mental, and emotional skills they’ll draw on for the rest of their lives.
Hand-Eye Coordination and Motor Skills: From learning to color within the lines to fitting and gluing pieces of an art project together, little fingers that start out clumsy grow surer of themselves with practice.
Focus: Many children have short attention spans until they find something they enjoy doing. Creating art can be very absorbing and lay the groundwork for children to learn to channel their concentration into ever-expanding subjects.
Self-expression: Indulging in art gives a child the opportunity to create something that is uniquely them. No two children will express themselves the same way with the same artistic creation, so this is the chance for parents to celebrate each child’s one-of-a-kind viewpoint.
Courage to Take Risks: There’s no right or wrong way to do art, and because no value judgment is attached, your child is emboldened to try new things. While we can’t be sure this receptiveness will extend to new foods at mealtime, it may translate into a future willingness to diversify educational interests, hobbies, or sports.
Innovation: Did you know that Steve Jobs credits a calligraphy class he took as a college dropout with inventing the distinctive typography of the first Macintosh computer? Creating art gives your child the psychic space to “think outside of the box,” which nurtures possibilities in every realm and discipline.
Collaboration: Working together on an art project, either with a parent or with another child, encourages discussion, the exchange of ideas, and compromise — skills that are crucial as your child enters adulthood.
Tolerance: When your child encounters art made by people with backgrounds different from their own, it exposes them to differing perspectives, which leads to empathy.
Self-confidence and Pride: The act of creating is inherently powerful. To take raw materials and fashion them into something that has shape and meaning where none previously existed gives your child a sense of accomplishment that few other outlets can.
Emotional Bonding and Making Memories: Doing a project together helps a child bond with parents, siblings, or friends through a shared interest. Your child might not remember that popsicle stick ornament or macaroni necklace or pinecone birdfeeder you both crafted, but the warm feelings of time spent together will endure.
With thousands of possibilities just waiting to inspire creative growth, why not sit down together and select the perfect craft for your child’s age and interest? Whether you enjoy scrapbooking and photo art, or woodwork and model building, the Super Glue Corporation family of products has the right bond for your bonding time.
