For most kids, entertainment and creativity go little further than tapping a touchscreen or watching something on T.V. Of course, that’s not to say that modern technology is all bad or has no educational value at all, but at the same time it’s never been more difficult to pull kids away from the screen and get them involved in something genuinely beneficial.
According to the experts behind Wise Badger, it’s only relatively recently that studies have begun to show just how incredibly beneficial arts and crafts like knitting can be for children. It’s no secret that adults of all ages can find huge pleasure and relaxation in a crochet hook, but it’s kids in particular that may in fact benefit the most from arts and crafts.
So if you’ve been wondering just how rewarding it might be to drag them away from the T.V. and get them into something less technological, here’s a quick look at how arts and crafts can and will aid your child’s development:
1 – Creativity
Anyone who tells you they don’t have a creative bone in their body has either a) never tried or b) tried once and given up having not created a masterpiece the first time. The simple fact of the matter is that as human beings, we are all naturally creative and imaginative. More importantly, kids are the most imaginative and creative human beings of all – exactly why childhood is the time to get them busy with arts and crafts. And as they find themselves hooked on a new hobby, their creativity will only grow from thereon in.
2 – Commitment
It’s hard to get kids to focus on anything for more than five minutes at a time, though commitment and perseverance are life skills they’ll need going forward. Arts and crafts can be great for nurturing such traits as it’s largely impossible to come out with great results unless you’re both committed and willing to try multiple times. They’ll only have to succeed once to keep coming back for more and strive for bigger and better results.
3 – Focus and Concentration
The biggest difference between a good craft project and staring at the T.V. is the way in which crafts don’t spoon-feed the entertainment out, they make you create your own entertainment which requires plenty of focus and concentration. Getting kids to focus is tricky at the best of times, but if you can help them see that their efforts will be rewarded when the project is complete, they’ll soon begin associating hard work with a well-earned reward.
4 – Patience
All of us need to learn at some point or other that good things come to those who wait; it’s natural for younger kids to have some trouble in accepting that they can’t have everything they want the moment they want it, but sadly this is just the way life is. As such, it’s a good idea to get them involved in arts and crafts where delayed gratification comes as standard. They work hard, they exercise patience and their reward comes a little further down the line – wholly justifying their efforts.
5 – Confidence
No matter how old or accomplished you might be in any pursuit, there’s still very little more satisfying than being able to marvel at the results you’ve managed to come up with, all by yourself. Needless to say, such feelings of accomplishment and confidence are amplified many times over when it comes to younger children, for whom confidence-building could not be of greater importance. You’re basically giving them a way of both challenging themselves and showing them what they can do, in order for them to gain and build essential self-esteem.
6 – Emotional Outlets
Since the dawn of mankind arts and crafts have been used by human beings as something of an emotional outlet – a way of communicating in a manner that would be impossible with words alone. Children often have trouble expressing themselves and may be more inclined than adults to keep their emotions bottled up – arts and crafts are a great way of encouraging them to clear their chests and open their minds.
7 – Social Interaction
Last but not least, most arts and crafts that are suitable for kids are social activities the likes of which are infinitely more enjoyable when practiced as part of a group. Whether it’s being taught by mum or joining in with a group of friends, the process is one of non-stop social interaction which all helps to build key life skills.