[Fireflies Early Years School] The Creative Advantage: How Arts Help Shape Young Minds

Every child has creative potential and every child is capable of expressing that creativity. Through art, children can express their feelings, share ideas, express opinions, and much more. Because young children are still developing their language skills, arts and creativity are more than just fun activities for them. They are vital tools for learning, helping to build important skills that will serve children throughout their lives. It allows them to show what they’re thinking and feeling without using words. Creative arts also allows children to try out new skills, express their individuality and identify and explore their thoughts and ideas in a safe way.

How Creative Arts Help Children Thrive

Engaging in creative activities such as painting, drawing, and sculpting allows children to explore different shapes, colours, and textures. These experiences stimulate cognitive development by encouraging problem-solving and decision-making. For example, when a child decides which colours to mix or what materials to use in a craft project, they are practising critical thinking and creativity.

Integrating the arts into the Fireflies Early Years School curriculum challenges our children to analyse and interpret the world around them from various perspectives. Through art, children learn to observe, question, and make connections, honing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The arts can be integrated into math, literacy, science, and even social studies!

Art also helps children understand the world around them. Whether they are drawing their family or creating a picture of their favourite place, they are expressing their understanding of their environment, which helps develop their cognitive abilities.

To unleash the artistic side of children, here are some fun, easy ideas to get started and watch them create masterpieces!

● Fill a box with new and recycled materials like string, paper, ice cream sticks or straws. Children can use these materials to create whatever they want.
● Provide a cardboard box for children to decorate. Let them make a house, a truck, a robot - or anything they are keen on!
● Create puppets from empty kitchen rolls, used plastic bottles or old socks.
● Give children the chance to stack and build with everyday items like plastic cups or paper boxes!

Why Art Is A Cornerstone Of Early Learning

Learning through arts cultivates inclusive, dynamic literacies by creating multiple access points for children to both share their stories and perspectives and engage in ways that are responsive to their needs and preferences. Arts based activities often help foster creativity, improve fine motor skills, and provide opportunities for self-expression.
Drawing, painting, and crafting play pivotal roles in refining fine motor skills in children. The precision required for holding and manipulating art tools enhances hand-eye coordination and dexterity. On top of that, these activities stimulate the muscles and nerves involved in precise movements, crucial for tasks like writing. Meanwhile, dance and drama contribute significantly to the improvement of gross motor skills, promoting coordination, balance, and spatial awareness through dynamic movements and expressive gestures.

Children are often more motivated and engaged in learning when the arts are incorporated. It serves as a powerful catalyst in nurturing creativity and imagination, essential components for overall child development. Activities like drawing, painting, and imaginative play stimulate a child’s ability to think outside the box and envision possibilities. This approach extends beyond the arts, positively helping children develop critical thinking, communication skills, and a deeper connection with the material being learned.