There is no doubt that art is an important aspect of every child’s life – be it scribbling on walls or finger painting, as children best express themselves through art at a young age. As parents, we should encourage such acts of creativity by sending our children to art classes, which would allow them to become adaptable and passionate learners. The benefits of art classes are abundant, but for parents who are on the fence about sending their child to an art class, here are the 10 main benefits of art classes:
During art classes, students must exercise discipline while creating and learning about art. Students must pay attention to the instructor, study the technique, follow instructions and take constructive criticism in order to progress as an artist. Art classes lace emphasis on practice, just like any other academic lesson. In order to hone their craft, students must commit to their lessons and even take time out of class to practice.
Most toddlers have short attention spans. Children aged between 16-19 months are generally able to focus on a task for 2-3 minutes. However, regular drawing activity can help improve a child’s concentration levels and establish the concepts of patience and focus.
Concentrating on the intricacies of drawing is often the first step towards establishing good study habits. Setting aside time in your child’s day to allow her to engage in drawing will aid the development of his/her ability to concentrate on a range of tasks simultaneously. Drawing regularly for a short periods of time is the best way to improve their focus over time. The benefits of art classes are that children get to set aside a specific time to practice their art. As well as being provided with all the necessary materials for their creative needs.
Drawing is an outlet for children who are non-verbal communicators. Even children with a good vocabulary aren’t always able to express their emotional needs. Thus, through drawing, children are able to develop their emotional intelligence in a creative way. Putting colour pencils to paper gives children another means of communication – even if their artwork is only really understood by the child themselves in that moment.
In some cases, a child’s drawings can provide insights into their emotions, particularly when the child is able to provide additional context. Using play therapy techniques like drawing gives children the opportunity to interact, regardless of disabilities and/or language barriers. Not to mention, another benefit of art classes is that it can help those who have learning disabilities to communicate. Art serves as a tool for them to effectively communicate what words cannot. In addition, drawing also helps children to express their subconscious feelings, which is why it’s used widely as a form of therapy.
Going hand in hand with improving a child’s communication skills, taking art lessons can also improve a children’s social skills. Children learn best in social environments. Thus, in art classes, the child will make friends with other children in the art class and bond over their shared passion for art. Moreover, creating art as a group is an ideal way of mastering skills while learning from each other. In the act of sharing materials with the rest of the class, children learn to share and help out their peers, further improving their social skills.
Holding a pencil or other drawing implement helps children develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The more practice your child has with making simple marks on paper, the quicker they’ll develop the ability to undertake more advanced activities like colouring an
Visual analysis is an essential skill for everyday life, which can be learned from a young age through artistic pursuits.
Through art classes, children will learn how to understand and interact with the surrounding environment. They will notice more details about their surroundings, and how those details relate to each other. Children can better understanding of the world around them through art. That attention to detail will spill over into other aspects of their life. Such examples include being more observant. Which will allow them to catch their own mistakes easily and become less careless while doing school work.
Participating in art classes allow the child some freedom, freedom to be independent and curious. The student has complete control over their artwork and is responsible for the materials, technique and purpose of their work. By taking their project into their own hands, children learn how to care for the materials and how to put them back on their own. Not to mention they are encouraged by art teachers to do what they want and to ask for help only when they need it. This in turn allows them to think for themselves during lesson time and they will be more independent in school and at home.
The process of observation paves the path to critical thinking. The child who has attended art class would be able to pick up the tiny details that others would not. They see the details most others take for granted, and they become more curious, which leads them to ask questions and find alternate solutions to problems. Students that are taught to examine and consider the details also helps teach students to more closely observe and analyze the world around them—skills that are vital in
Although there is a lot of observational work done in art classes, that observational skill can be applied in the children’s daily lives. Diagrams, maps and graphs can be easily visualised with prior art experience. Students who can draw out anatomical diagrams from their biology textbooks will better understand the functions of that system as a whole. Thus, children will achieve a firmer grasp of the concepts and ideas presented to them. children equipped with artistic knowledge will grow up being able to articulate their ideas in a clear and concise manner. Perhaps after all that observational drawing they did in class, your child could be drawing up building blueprints in no time!
Since the act of observing art can change our innate ways of thinking and how we see the world, when children learn how to make art of their own, they can achieve that level of open mindedness with time. In addition, children see their peers work and how it vastly differs from their own. Which allows them to be more understand the viewpoints of others at a young age.
Art education allows students to explore and practice with new mediums and techniques, thereby finding their own “voice.” They gain confidence in the path to discovery, without fear of the final outcome. It goes without saying, that having confidence is beneficial for personal and professional relationships. That confidence will help students step out of their comfort zone, be willing to step up as a leader or pursue their dreams.
In conclusion, obtaining drawing and creative skills can be a great asset and will further the development of your child, and the benefits of art classes are too good to pass up!
Now that you know the benefits of art classes, perhaps you would want to send your child to art classes as well! If you’re looking for art courses for your child, Visual Arts Centre kindly offers art immersion courses for children ages 4-10. With the accessibility to various mediums, children get to explore and learn multiple skills and mediums at once. Allowing them be more versatile with their artistic expression.
What’s even better is that here at Visual Arts Centre, we do not just take in all the children of all ages and teach them all the same things all at once. According to the age of your children, the art instructors and experienced art assistants will understand what they might be interested in. The benefits of art classes is that the teachers will come up with different drawing and paintings of different mediums lessons for them. This way, you can be sure that while your children is learning something, they are also having fun!
Check out what we provide:
For more Kids Art Classes: please click on this – Creative Kids Art Immersion course.
Click here to see our Teens Professional Intensive Bootcamp – Nov to Jan 23 (8 Sessions)
Have any queries? Please feel free to call / WhatsApp us @ 6255 0711 or via email at info@visualartscentre.sg.
Location: 10 Penang Road, #01-02 Dhoby Ghaut Green, Singapore 238469 (Dhoby Ghaut Exit B)
Visual Arts Centre is an exhibition gallery and art studio at Dhoby Ghaut Green supported by the National Parks Board and the National Arts Council.
Since its initiation on 31 January 2016, the Visual Arts Centre Exhibition Gallery has hosted over two hundred international and local art and design exhibitions, boasting a diverse range of art styles and programmes.
Email:
info@visualartscentre.sg
Phone:
+65 6255 0711
+65 6733 2155
In the Batik Introduction Handkerchief Painting workshop, participants will learn the traditional art of batik, a wax-resist dyeing technique originating from Indonesia. The workshop begins with a brief history and overview of batik, highlighting its cultural significance and various techniques. Participants will then observe a demonstration of applying wax with tjanting tools and dyeing the fabric. Following the demonstration, each participant will design and create their own batik handkerchief, applying wax to create patterns and then dyeing their fabric. The workshop concludes with a group discussion, allowing participants to share their creations and reflect on their learning experience.
