Art Develops Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Fine Motor Skills

Art
is creativity in action. Creating and playing with art supplies is stimulating
to our brains. Our imagination takes over and helps develop critical thinking
skills.  Everyone can play and learn with
art regardless of their socio-economic background.

 

Let them paint with no restraints. This is supposed to be a black bat box. :)





 When
taught in preschool, art and sensory play help every child, no matter their
family income, to learn on the same plane. 
In early childhood, art can level the playing field and aid in other academic
areas.




Creative
outlets such as art and dramatic play strengthen critical thinking skills.  When a child is creating, they are also
solving problems.  Whether they make a
simple choice of what color to use or they experiment with different mediums
and techniques, children learn to strengthen problem-solving skills through
creation.




















eco-crayons by
eco-kids







They
learn to form shapes, to match colors, to highlight areas of particular
interest as they bring their vision to life. 
As the work begins to take shape, the child works to improve fine motor
skills building a sense of pride or self-confidence in their newly discovered
abilities.  Learn more about how the arts
can help in education by visiting Americans
for the Arts.




Sensory
play is an art form.  When we use our
senses to learn, it is easier to retain information.  Creating with art supplies is
an ideal form of sensory play.  The
powder from chalk, the way the watercolor brush slides across the page, and the
smell and feel of the modeling clay in a child’s hands develops a connection
between learning and the five senses.








Encourage
imaginative play.




Unstructured,
investigative play with common art supplies helps build and refine cognitive
skills through problem solving.  How does
this marker work?  What will happen if I
swirl the brush in a circle?  How does
water affect my painting?  Fine motor
skills are refined as the child learns to draw a straight line or manipulate
the clay.  The exploration of language evolves
by using descriptive words.  For example,
the clay is cold, the chalk is dusty, and the paint is smooth.  Learn more about sensory play and child
development at PBS.org.






 Child
Development 



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