Creative crafts for children is often underestimated as an element of their social and intellectual development. All children love doing some form of crafting with their hands. In this blog post I will present you some thoughts on the benefits of crafting for children.
Background
As parents, we love to give them a creative option that also keeps them entertained (especially on the days in which the weather conditions do not allow us to do outside activities). Looking at crafting as an option, in addition to being fun, it is important as a means to learning art, social studies, and science.
The post “Arts and Crafts for Kids” gives you some good ideas that you could take into consideration.
The benefits of creative crafts for children are boundless. With this in mind, this post will look at the benefits of creative crafts for children.
The Educational Aspect of Crafting
Making creative crafts is an important educational tool for children. Some of the benefits in this aspect are:
- Contribute to the development of fine motor skills
- They help to develop artistic concepts (color, shapes)
- They allow experiments in mathematics and science (numbers, measurements, use of glues and dyes)
- Stimulate creative and original ideas
- Cultivate a good taste for artisanal and artistic objects
- Promotes creative and original thinking to capture ideas
- Increase self-esteem
- Promotes contact and communication with parents, siblings, and friends
- Helps develop patience and perseverance to develop a project
Positive Effects of Crafting on Children
When children are surrounded by an environment full of materials to display their creativity they have the possibility to expand their imagination and use their creative abilities to the fullest. This increases their self-confidence and esteem by obtaining beautiful results based on their actions.
Instantly, they feel proud of their creations and accomplishments. In a simple way, their creativity becomes a realization of their ability to solve problems and find solutions by simply applying their creative ideas.
The development of creativity is also a very important quality as they mature in each stage of their lives. It has been proven that a creative person will have more possibilities and opportunities for realizing academic, professional, and personal success.
How to Encourage Children to do Creative Crafts
First is to facilitate an environment in your home that promotes art and crafts, as well as overall creativity. One way of achieving this is by setting aside a corner of a room with a table and materials for crafts: plastic “children safe” scissors (like those used in kindergarten), glue, papers of different colors and materials, tempera, watercolors, fabrics, wool, clay, brushes, beads to thread.
It is important to realize that younger children will need help at the beginning. You can propose and promote activities regularly at home that the family can do together.
Older children can venture into more complex crafts, such as weaving, embroidery, sewing, pottery or carpentry. This last one is excellent to foster father and son bonding. If you do not have experience in these types of crafts, what better opportunity to learn together as a family!
The internet, especially YouTube (always being monitored by the parents) is a very good source to discover and embark into a new creative activity. Creative crafts are more than fun for children.
In the following TEDx Talk video Ms. Maeve Aickin explains how problem solving and making can change how children think and work. This is essential if we are going to raise a generation of capable kids.
Children, from a very young age, must be encouraged to develop their creativity. Painting and drawing are very good artistic talents, but creativity is something more than just immersing oneself in a box of colors.
Developing creativity can be part of your learning process. However, this will only happen if you make an effort to get out of your comfort zone and work on modifying certain habits. I invite you to read our blog post “15 Strategies to Help You Develop Creativity”. The information provided in it will help you consider other areas of personal creativity growth.
To encourage creativity in children, first of all, you have to dedicate time and teach them various activities, new environments and variety to awaken children’s curiosity. Here are some ideas:
Kitchen Activities for Children
Try to make a space for children in the kitchen, to invite them and teach them some basic things about it, such as spices or different combinations of foods. Help them to be inspired by creating their own recipes, with taste tests for the family. Take your children grocery shopping for food items that will be prepared for the family.
This can be an excellent educational opportunity. This type of activity, without you realizing it, can be putting a new passion in your children, and especially stimulating their curiosity.
Music
To start, a piece of important advice is to turn off the TV. Upload the music that you will use for this activity when the children are busy doing some other activity or while the children do their homework. Remember that it is possible to change their attention to the television and computers if we divert their attention into something else.
You can create a game around playing or listen to different types of music, from classic ballad to rock compositions, or even Top 40 music (always monitored) that manages to awaken their inspiration in new and unexpected ways.
Questions and Answers
On the other hand, always have an answer to your questions, even when you are stressed, tired and do not want to explain something…..one more time. It is very important to respond and stimulate the curiosity of your children in their learning process.
Also ask them questions such as, for example, what dreams they have, or about the characters of a good book or even the Bible. You will quickly see how the answers they will give you will surprise you but will give you the motivation to foster that family time.
New Places
It is easy to fall into the comfortable routine of picnic, traditional children’s games, movies and pizza days, but taking the children to new places and exposing them to different environments, such as the zoo, a museum, a park, or a monument a few miles from home, you can help develop the imagination.
Conclusion
There are plenty of opportunities to foster the creative juices of our children. With a little bit of imagination and desire to get them involved in creative ideas we can get them interested, as well as engaged.
Involve the children by asking them where they would like to go, making a fun plan, looking for days full of adventures to always remember or try to make the trips that are made during the weekends.
As you can see, crafting is incredibly beneficial for children and it can do wonders for adults, as well. I invite you to check out my blog post on 10 Benefits of Crafting for Adults for more information.
Do you have some quick tips to encourage children’s creativity? You are welcome to share with us in the comments below!
