| Creativity for kids - one of the most important | | | | preschool program and you may think the kids |
| skills that a child needs in this generation. It is the | | | | have enough o fit in school that is not true. First |
| creative people in life today that are successful | | | | of all they may be in a traditional school that only |
| and creativity begins to be nurtured in the young | | | | does arts and crafts. Or else there school does |
| years. When it is not nurtured what we get are | | | | not do enough for them. It is a wonderful addition |
| cookie cutter, robotic adults who cannot think for | | | | to any home activity and will even help pull your |
| themselves. If we want our children to be | | | | kids away from the T.V. and computer if you |
| creative adults than we need to start thinking | | | | make it exciting enough. |
| about their creativity at the earliest stages in their | | | | Note when I say art for kids I mean ART and |
| preschool years. | | | | not crafts. |
| College applications (though that seems so far | | | | If you're looking for real creativity for kids you'll |
| way) are replete with questions that pertain to | | | | stick with art not the cookie cutter arts and |
| creativity and it is one of the main attributes that | | | | crafts that turn your child into a cookie cutter |
| they are looking for to fill their hallowed halls. It | | | | robot. So to give you some of the benefits a |
| shows that these young adults know how to | | | | good art program (which can be done at home) I |
| think for themselves and will be a welcome | | | | am going to list only three right now. |
| addition to their institution. Sounds crazy to be | | | | - Physical benefits |
| talking about college when your child is still so | | | | - Emotional benefits |
| young, but its like talking about the foundation of | | | | - Intellectual benefits(otherwise known as |
| a building in order to talk about the upper floors. If | | | | cognitive) |
| the foundation is not strong the upper floors wont | | | | Physical benefits: |
| last too long will they? | | | | The children gain control over their large and small |
| It's probably not too early for many of you to be | | | | muscles by using paintbrushes, cutting, gluing and |
| thinking about college because I remember as a | | | | moving their large and small muscles enough to |
| preschool director many years ago the first thing | | | | help build up real muscles. If they do it often |
| a parent said to me when registering her 3 yr old | | | | enough their muscles really do get stronger. Look |
| was "He's going to an Ivy League college." She | | | | at the body builders and ask them how their |
| may have been thinking about where she wanted | | | | muscle look the way they do. |
| to send him but was she thinking about how she | | | | Emotional: |
| wanted to get him there. | | | | Art helps kids express their feeling in acceptable |
| I would sooner she be thinking about how she can | | | | ways. Would you rather your child use his |
| give her child the best preschool experiences that | | | | younger sister as a punching bag or use some |
| can give him the best tools he will need to | | | | good wet grey clay instead? Art also helps sad |
| succeed in life rather than what type of college he | | | | kids get out some of their feeling so that they |
| will be going to (which will then help him in that | | | | can deal with it in an acceptable non frightening |
| regard anyway). | | | | manner. I once had a little student who had a fire |
| The truth is that there are many ways to | | | | in her home one day and for weeks she drew |
| encourage creativity in young children but the one | | | | and painted about it until she was able to calm |
| that I am most passionate about is ART for | | | | down a bit. |
| children. What people don't realize is that there are | | | | Intellectually |
| so many more benefits to having your children do | | | | While doing art there are many opportunities for |
| good art than just bringing out their creativity. | | | | counting sorting, classifying,direction following, and |
| Many automatically think that all art is good for is | | | | decision making. Aside from all of the benefits and |
| creativity and don't get me wrong that is crucial | | | | the creative juices that start flowing from doing |
| but it is not the only benefit and and I would like | | | | art I would say its also SO MUCH FUN and would |
| to share just a few of the benefits with you. | | | | strongly make art in your home a very strong |
| Art for kids as I see it is an absolute necessity. | | | | part of building your child's creativity. |
| Even though it is an activity that is part of a good | | | | |