Love, Art and the Child

The importance of art for children

Creating is an integral part of our spiritual nature. It expresses from the heart, but it is also a right-brain experience. Creating is not just for the few who display special talent, but for all children, so their need to create is met.

Children love to create! Young children need to express themselves, yet their verbal ability is often very limited. It is important to provide the environment for children to express their innate abilities and their inner thoughts and feelings. Art can be the means for a child to express what he does, feels, and thinks about. Art can increase awareness through concrete sensory experiences and give the child a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

The child is born to be a creative genius. He has all the potential hidden within his right brain to bring that creativity into the world in music, dance, and artwork of many kinds. So many times this creativity is snuffed out because of the ignorance of parents or schools he attends or because of violence of some kind in his environment.

In the home he should be able to listen to good music (rock music can destroy his sensitive abilities). He should be able to use his hands in manipulating art materials such as play dough, or in using markers, crayons, or paints freely on large sheets of paper. His efforts at creating should be encouraged and complimented, even though to an adult they may not make sense. Gradually, he will be able to create something recognizable.

I believe the goal for the young child is that he feels happy in the artwork he is creating and be able to create that which he feels within. For the child through four years of age, his artwork should be more like a game. He can take some instruction, but he mainly needs encouragement and a sense of happiness about his work. For at this point his eye-hand coordination has not developed to the stage when he will be able to see and record shapes accurately.

Just as children are taught concepts in reading and writing, so they need to have continual classes in art. These should include crafts, drawing, and the use of various media. Children should be offered these classes from the age of three through grade school. When they enter junior high and high school, they should be able to choose the classes they wish to take.

I stress this because, when school systems wish to cut down on expenses, the first class cut is art, and the second is music and vocal instruction. Many parents who home school their children also believe that academic subjects are more important, although they may see that their children receive some music instruction such as violin or voice lessons. And if these parents have artistic talent, I am sure they pass this fervor on to their children.

Even if art is only taught one hour a week, that hour fills a gap for the students in many schools.

Children enjoy doing art. It is very important to them, for it comes from the heart. They should be complimented honestly on their work. Art assists children to have better emotional balance. It can often help them develop a purpose in life.