Should schools cut their music and arts programs? It’s been a debate for years, and the value of these creative classes continues to be questioned.
When considering these artistic outlets, there are typically two main disciplines: visual and performing arts. In many schools, science, math, English, and history often take priority as core classes. While these subjects are essential, there are a myriad of benefits that come from some of the more creative outlets. And it all begins with playing.
During early childhood, children are typically designated free time to play. With this comes pretend play, a time when children can hone their skills of imagination while also developing cognitive abilities through self-directed learning (Hoffmann and Russ, 2016). Even though this type of play emerges at a young age, it exists through adulthood. Have you ever found yourself singing into a hairbrush like it was a microphone? Pretend play also allows children to immerse themselves in make-believe, complex social situations (Lillard, 2017). For example, if a group of young children were to “play family,” they are likely to self-assign roles in what they view to be a typical family. This is a chance for children to learn from each other as they may come from different backgrounds and have different experiences; what’s normal to one child may feel strange to another and vice versa.
In pretend play, children have opportunities to work on vital social skills such as compromise, teamwork, and problem solving. Additionally, there seems to be a connection between pretending and creativity (Lillard et al., 2013); while, it’s unclear as to whether one causes the other, they may influence each other.
As pretend play become less frequent with age, the importance of the creative arts comes to the forefront. Art forms such as drawing, painting, dance, and acting likely employ similar cognitive mechanisms when there is creative freedom. In arts and crafts, a child who is building “the world’s biggest roller coaster” out of cardboard understands the difference between make-believe and real life; they are choosing to imagine through art because it brings them happiness and a chance to express themself.
Not only are the arts beneficial for free expression but there appears to be a link between engagement in creativity and increased psychological well-being. Participating in the arts also plays a role in understanding identity leading to higher self-esteem (Mak and Fancourt, 2019). It is also speculated that exposure to the arts benefits learning in non-arts subjects (Sawyer, 2020); this is likely due to practicing problem solving, innovation, and new ways of thinking in more creative activities. Subsequently, promoting the arts in tandem with these subjects leads to a more well-rounded education.
At Camp IHC, activities fall under one of four disciplines: Athletics, Outdoor Adventure, Waterfront, and the Creative Arts. Any given bunk, regardless of gender or age, is as likely to attend arts and crafts, as they are football; one discipline does not overshadow another. It is important that children are exposed to a wide variety of activities as this gives them the chance to discover new interests. IHC understands the need for imagination and actively promotes the visual and performing arts.
Kids thrive off creativity. Let them draw. Let them pretend.
References
Hoffmann, J. D., & Russ, S. W. (2016). Fostering pretend play skills and creativity in elementary school girls: A group play intervention. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10(1), 114–125. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000039
Lillard, A. S. (2017) Why do the children (Pretend) play? (2017). Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(11), 826–834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2017.08.001
Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029321
Mak, H. W., & Fancourt, D. (2019). Arts engagement and self-esteem in children: Results from a propensity score matching analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1449(1), 36–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14056
Sawyer, K. (2020). The development of creativity. Empirical Studies of the Arts, 38(1), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276237419868958
