Arts & Crafts—Encourage
Your Children
The moment you first give a toddler
a crayon and a piece of paper,
you're giving that child a step
up to a
world of creativity, learning,
entertainment and accomplishment.
It's the world
of Arts and Crafts. A small phrase
for such an important part of a
child's development.
Children
are interested in Arts & Crafts
from an early age. Toddlers love
to scribble on pieces of paper with
chunky crayons. Later, when they
understand not to eat it, play dough
is a fascinating medium. They can
squish it, use plastic tools on it,
blend the colors together, and press
out shapes from it. Everything get
in a mess - play dough gets mashed
into clothes, hair, shoes, the floor...but
of course that's part of the fun
for pre-schoolers. The messier the
better! And what could be messier
than paint?
Give a small child a pot of thick
paint, scrap paper and a chunky paintbrush,
and they're happy. If you can't bear
to have paint on everything, take
it outdoors. Using playdough and
painting materials, kids are learning
about form and substance, improving
their motor skills and enhancing
their imaginations. As they grow,
there will be more and more crafts
to choose from, and, thanks to the
diverse range of crafts for kids,
there's something for everyone, whether
2 or 12 years old.
If you join in, you'll be giving
your kids happy memories to store
away. So, encourage your kids to
express themselves with arts and
crafts. Never force them - it has
to be an enjoyable pursuit. Similarly,
don't ever disparage your child's
work of art. Don't be discouraged
if your child lacks interest - just
explore different options. Be imaginative.
Do crafts outdoors as well as in.
Use different materials or seasonal
themes.
In this age of mindless TV watching
and video games, the ability to something
creative is an amazing skill for
a child to have. You'll be so glad
you encouraged them.
