Arts and crafts for kids have never been more essential. In the digital age, the tangible and tactile experience of crafting is all too often overlooked in favour of touchscreens and styluses. But finger-painted masterpieces and pasta necklaces are more than they may first seem.  These activities are powerful tools in supporting a child's holistic development.

Crafts for kids offer more than just entertainment; they play a crucial role in a child's developmental journey. So before you let screentime reign supreme, consider these three major benefits of arts and crafts for kids…

Kids Arts and Crafts Offer A Sense of Accomplishment

Crafting Confidence:

Every time a child completes an art project, they're not just showcasing their creativity; they're discovering a profound sense of accomplishment. This feeling of pride is caused by a huge rush of dopamine (the “happy hormone”) and can lead to those adorable, excited exclamations of "Look what I made!". In this way, arts and crafts bolsters kids’ sense of self-esteem, and in a world increasingly concerned with mental health and wellbeing, the importance of self-assuredness can’t be underestimated. When you feel like you're capable of doing something, there's no limit to what you can achieve!

Problem-Solving Prodigies:

Crafts challenge children to think critically and find solutions. How can they stick those sequins? What colour makes the perfect sky? How can a 3D shape be moulded to stand up by itself? By grappling with such questions, kids hone their problem-solving skills and are able to meet new challenges with a greater sense of confidence. 

Arts and Crafts for Kids Can Boost Brain Development

Stimulating Synapses:

Engaging in arts and crafts activates both sides of a child's brain. Designing and decorating encourages the free-flowing creativity and imagination of the right hemisphere, while the methodical precision required for tasks like cutting and constructing stimulates the left hemisphere. In this way, crafting gives both sides of the brain a real workout! Crafting demands concentration and a sustained level of focus, a stark contrast to the zombie-fied taps of a touchscreen…

Motor Skills Magic:

From the fine motor skills required to thread a needle, to the gross-motor skills involved in broad brush strokes, craft activities are a hands-on way for kids to develop and perfect essential motor skills. It’s proven that repeating small, complex movements (like opening and closing child-safe scissors or pinching and placing small sequins) strengthens the muscles in children’s hands and helps to make them to become more dexterous in activities like handwriting or tying shoelaces… Something a touch screen just can’t compete with! 

Art Therapy for Children: Catharsis and Expression

In the fast-paced age of information, children, like adults, can experience stress, trauma, and various emotional challenges. Art therapy for children offers a unique and powerful avenue for expression, providing kids with a safe space to navigate their feelings, make sense of their experiences, and benefit from the catharsis of externalising their internal difficulties.

Understanding Art Therapy

Art therapy isn’t about painting pretty pictures; it's a therapeutic practice that uses the creative process to promote mental, emotional, and psychological well-being. For children especially, this approach offers a non-verbal means of communication, allowing them to express themselves when a child’s vocabulary might fail them.

The therapeutic power of art can't be overstated. Art therapy for children provides a platform for them to express feelings and emotions through colours, shapes, and structures. When they’re crafting, children can find an avenue for communication, healing, and understanding.

Furthermore, when children focus on a creative activity they become more mindful and relaxed. In this state, our brain releases happy hormones like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine which promote positive feelings like happiness and contentment.

Clearly, the positive impacts of arts and crafts for kids go beyond the canvas. Arts and crafts can help to shape your child’s cognitive, emotional, and motor pathways, essential for their growth and sense of self. So the next time your little one reaches for their colouring pencils, you can be confident that they’re sketching a brighter, more expressive future.

toucanBox Makes Arts and Crafts For Kids Super Simple!

Tired of handing your child a tablet? Want activities that equip your child with a sense of accomplishment? Desperate to start doing arts and crafts with your kids but don’t know where to begin? We’re here to help. 

Whether you're looking to introduce your child to the world of crafting or further fuel their creativity, the toucanBox shop offers plenty of arts and crafts options for kids. 

Want regular crafting fun delivered directly through your letterbox? Subscribe to toucanBox and every month your child will receive a box filled with 2 new, exciting craft projects, activity magazine and stickers. All our boxes are expertly-tailored to spark their imagination and foster development. Experts agree that consistency is key when it comes to children’s education. toucanBox is here to make that super simple (as well as tonnes of fun)!