“Art is as natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.”- Maryam F. Kohl
When asked to create a landscape painting, the perfect design is a visual construal comprising of mountains, valleys, clouds and sunrise for all of us, as it’s been strongly ingrained in our early years. Children must not be confined to a series of traditional instructions and a typical style of learning. The freedom for exploration in art is extremely important to divulge in the whole gamut of human emotions and creativity.
Art is a form of Creative Mindfulness, a means of therapy which creates a relaxed vibe and nourishes our mind, body and soul. It produces a sense of calm and serenity which stimulates and energizes a child’s morale and confidence.
With the 21st century core skills ranking first on our agenda, art in early years stimulates ones five senses which results in shaping a better development progress for children to become better thinkers, innovators and develop strong leadership skills along with strengthening their innate capacity.
So how do we integrate Art for young children in their day to day life?
Art comprises of various disciplines under its umbrella; music, dance, theatre, and visual arts.
Pinching or squeezing clay, doodling, scribbling, painting, paper tearing and paper crumpling, effectively using a rolling pin ,dabbing etc. All these activities help a child develop their dexterity which improves fine motor skills along with strong eye hand coordination.
Swaying and grooving to the rhythm of music, tapping on the vibration of the beats, jumping up and down, wriggling fingers, twisting, twirling and shaking that leg, this form of art is definitely a mood enhancer. Young children like to sway and move around, the energy in their movement demands an urge to express and explore. With a little one-two cha cha cha and do re me, young children can express their feelings better, connect socially with ease, increase their creativity and imagination and most importantly have lots of fun. The magic of music does it all !!!
Young kids have a deeper sense of imagination, in their world of sweet treats to sweet dreams,; from a flying man to a magical wish fulfilling fairy, everything in their world is possible, the best way to channelize their imagination and feelings is through role play and theatre. Act it out, show and tell can help them empathize and sympathize better, increase their self confidence and help them introspect and reflect on their performances helping them baby steps into the most important skill of critical evaluation and problem solving.
Art therapy aids in emotional healing and inner turbulences in an individual. Its free flowing character encourages young minds in being secure and comfortable in one’s own skin and enjoy the golden moments that we often miscount due to unremitting stress as we grow. It is imperative to nurture these young minds in their early years for being great individuals who can look for opportunities, gratitude, peace and serenity even in the smallest of opportunities and realize their golden moments.