Children learn through imitation. They mimic what they see and hear. They follow their heroes and role models’ (i.e., their elders, their teachers, and most of all, their parents) actions and habits. They’re cute that way.
Knowing that, what sort of fun, everyday things do you do with your kids? Do you watch television with them, play video games together, or read them storybooks? All of them are great bonding activities between parent and child.
But if you want to nurture their artistic side, to unlock their creative potential (which everybody has but is more evident in young minds), you may want to engage them in arts and crafts. Even if they have a natural aptitude for the sciences and the more rigid pursuits in life, children still need a well-balanced education to grow up as complete an individual as possible.
Besides, doing art activities together with your children is an excellent way to have fun together while teaching them a few life lessons along the way.
Therefore, try some of these fun art activities with your kids.
Room Decorating
Environment affects education, and children start their education at home. Thus, decorate your child’s room, and maybe the rest of your house, to set a proper learning environment for their growth and development.
You can do this with your child. You can even have them take the lead, with your guidance, of course, if they’re eager and enthusiastic about it.
Get some affordable craft supplies, assemble a set of IKEA furniture, or paint the house red. Go crazy: squeeze a bottle of glue and intertwine twine into eye-catching lines on your lime-colored dining room decors, with a pinch of glitter on top. It’s your house; decorate it however you or your little tike likes.
Think of this as if you were playing house but bigger and using your kid’s room rather than a doll-sized dwelling.
Play-Dough Molding
Play dough is a clay toy that one uses to form anything one’s mind can think, one’s hands can shape. They come in various colors too. The only limit with it is the imagination.
If you don’t mind getting messy, play play dough with your child. Show them what your creativity can form, and enjoy their attempts at trying to replicate your models. You may also be surprised at what they can create.
You can make your own playdough using flour and water, plus a few other ingredients for variety. Because it’s made of edible materials, the resulting clay will be nontoxic, perfectly safe for your kids to play with.
Toy Model Painting
If you’d like a more controlled activity, try painting models. You have a fixed structure to start with so both you and your child can still end up with a pretty decent piece, which may boost their confidence in their own skills.
Even better, get your child a model kit that they’ll like, a gundam model, for example. They’ll enjoy it more because it’s within their interests.
Most of those kits require assembly; however, they usually have difficulty ratings on their boxes. Buy one that’s good for beginners, and help your child as they work on it.
You can even teach your kid a few things. For instance, if you get them a toy car model, then you can explain to them what each part is for and how they work in real life. They may not always understand it fully, but at least they’ll be exposed to them at an early age.
Conclusion
Children have a near-infinite pool of creative juices. They’re quick to grasp new concepts, and ideas constantly flow out of them, from their fountain of youth.
Don’t just give your child a tablet or a smartphone. Teach them to appreciate art in real life, not the digital images that are only temporary, that are easily deletable. Teach them to explore the world, big and small. Another great place to start is with this guide on how to buy a microscope for your kids.
Do any of these art activities with them. Nurture their talents.
Photo URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/ZBkH8G4_yyE
