Why Art is Important in Early Childhood

Art is important because it helps children develop and express their creativity as well as their fine motor skills (e.g. hand grip for writing), pattern and cause-effect recognition (if I do that, this will happen) and spatial reasoning and awareness (learning more about sizes and shapes as well as the positioning and orientation of objects).

Why art is important in early childhood

Overall, it’s about helping children develop in several dimensions and reinforcing their foundations. They can still learn through other activities but art is still a nice addition to the variety. Also, it seems we’re born to create and express ourselves. Even without us telling them, children will automatically draw something and put together objects around them. They love to explore and experiment and this eagerness can help them with their cognitive development.

Though many of our children won’t become professional artists, this art expression and appreciation is still valuable to their early development. That’s because arts require the use of both their left and right brain faculties (especially the right brain where creativity is often associated). Left brain is still engaged here because we still think methodically and analytically even during creative activities.

The right brain is also associated with holistic thinking. Whether it’s seeing the big picture or looking at an idea in its totality and several dimensions, this is valuable in early childhood development and in the children’s future personal and economic success. They become better equipped with how to overcome new and unfamiliar challenges as well as combine different concepts from different fields to come up with a fresh solution.

It all starts with a solid foundation which is vital in the child’s early years when rapid brain development occurs. This solid foundation can give your child an amazing start which will then help him/her gain cumulative advantages for the years to come. Although it should be a continuous and sustained support, the early advantages will still benefit your child.

Here at Footsteps Early Learning Centre, we give children those early advantages which will benefit them throughout the years. Our approach is centred on holistic thinking and development. In a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment, children are able to learn, play and explore as well as express themselves creatively. Contact us today if you want to learn more about our holistic and integrated approach to early childhood development.