In childcare, painting and other creative activities can play an important role in supporting overall learning and development.
Through art-based programs and activities, children are able to learn many other important skills and concepts. These can help them to improve across a range of learning areas, making the most of early childhood education to reach their full academic potential.
Here’s what you need to know about how painting in childcare goes beyond creative development.
Improving creativity
Creativity is an important skill for any young learner. Through painting, children can learn to think creatively, discovering the power of innovation. This is helpful in supporting literacy, numeracy, and science learning at school and beyond.
Children can use art and painting to express their emotions and communicate their ideas. They can also develop their ability to problem solve. These skills play an important role in socio-emotional development, helping children maintain friendships and practise kindness and empathy.
Practising motor skills
Painting also has benefits for motor skills development, requiring children to practise these skills in a fun and engaging way. Children can build muscles and coordination needed for sports and classroom learning later on in their education.
When working on painting and art activities, children need to hold paint brushes, exercise precision, and understand cause and effect. These skills not only support future art learning, but they also help with skills needed for writing, reading, and communication.
Learning colours and shapes
While painting, children engage with several numeracy concepts, including colours, shapes, and spatial awareness. Children can develop colour recognition and understanding of different objects and their design. This is essential in supporting an understanding of the world around them.
Painting programs allow children to understand how colours behave and influence each other. Children can begin to work with different shapes and patterns and can learn how to practise good spatial awareness. These skills will support future math learning.
Building self-esteem
Painting allows children to build positive self-esteem and confidence. Having fun with painting activities can even improve emotional well-being! Children can create art without fear of making mistakes, and this can support them to develop confidence to help with problem-solving in other learning.
Through painting, children are able to share their ideas and interests with their peers and educators. They are able to practise creativity and communication skills while also improving concentration and patience. All of these skills can promote school readiness and academic learning.
Supporting sensory development
Painting activities also promote sensory development. Children can understand different senses and textures through their work. They can learn about how different painting tools influence the appearance of an artwork.
Sensory development plays an important role in overall learning, providing children with a strong foundation for new academic programs. Through painting, children can begin to learn, question, and analyse sensory information. This will help them in other forms of development.
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