5 Surprising Benefits of Arts and Crafts for Children

Parents know that arts and crafts are great for busting childhood boredom, but they are often surprised to learn about the many and varied benefits crafting has on a child’s development. And that’s why today’s blog is devoted to our 5 favorite benefits that arts and crafts afford kids…and some of them just might surprise you!

Development of Fine Motor Skills

Many of the activities that are an integral part of crafting are excellent for helping children develop their fine motor skills. Tearing, cutting, gluing, and holding paintbrushes, crayons, and pencils all help strengthen the fine muscles found in the wrists, hands, and fingers. Such fine motor skills are important in helping children tie shoelaces, button buttons, and zip jacket zippers.

Encourages Critical Thinking

Parents are often surprised to learn that crafting helps children develop critical thinking skills. Problem solving and reasoning are a natural part of the crafting process. As children create, they get to decide whether to follow instructions or allow their imaginations to take the lead. If they are following instructions, children must assess their project to see if it does, in fact, match the example laid out in the instructions. If it doesn’t match, children can then problem-solve to figure out what changes should be made to correct it. All of this helps children gain a better understanding of the world around them.

Builds Patience

Don’t underestimate the importance of learning patience. Working on craft projects teaches children to be patient as they read through instructions, wait for glued pieces to dry before moving on to the next step, or stop before a project is finished to eat a meal or get ready for bed. Learning the art of patience is a skill that children will use throughout their educational career and for the rest of their adult lives.

Boosts creativity

Did you know 77% of CEOs believe creative thinking is the single most important leadership quality? Wouldn’t they be surprised to know that something as seemingly simple as arts and crafts helps hone such qualities?
Working on craft projects helps children develop a creative mindset by showing them there are multiple ways to complete a task. Allowing children to take the lead and complete projects independently gives them an opportunity to get curious about the task and ask questions, all of which help children to become more creative.

Improves Self-Esteem

The more craft projects a child completes the more self-esteem they build. Seeing their projects come to life and learning to express themselves through their art allows their confidence to grow as they receive praise from peers and family members. And, as they grow and take on more complicated and intricate craft projects, their self-esteem continues to build.
The next time your child asks you to pull out the craft basket or Craftikit, remember that the request for more crafting time should always be met with a resounding “Yes!”

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References
Scholastic
Kent-Teach
The Tech Edvocate
LinkedIn