Are Art & Empathy Related?
Now we know there’s even more to art projects than refrigerator-worthy works.
“There is credible evidence that arts participation in early childhood is strongly linked to [social-skills] benefits,” says Jane Chu, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. In the organization’s report, “The Arts in Early Childhood: Social and Emotional Benefits of Arts Participation” it is revealed that the arts can help children regulate their emotions and develop positive associations with helping, sharing, caring, and empathizing with others.
So, in a very broad stroke, art can make us all a little kinder.
Knowing this means giving hands-on artistic experiences a shot. To find one that’s age-appropriate for your child, turn to the CDC Developmental Milestone Checklists, as summarized below:
18 months: Scribbles on her/his own.
Let loose with crayons galore on the craft table at Open Play with Arts and Crafts. The space is perfectly suited for little ones who are as interested in exploration and interaction as they are in their new scribble talents.
3 years: Copies a circle with pencil or crayon.
Practice those fine motor skills at Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! Here, young artists build their line- and shape-drawing skills in addition to making collages, paintings and small-scale sculptures.
4 years: Uses scissors.
Put this new skill to work in Love Jac’s Artists & Crafts class, which always ends with each child making a greeting card. Every week, the team focuses on a new art technique and a specific artist. It’s an obvious “Yes!” The only question is: Who gets the great joy of receiving the greeting card?
5 years: Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts.
Discover the satisfaction of drawing his/her own character in Manga/Anime Drawing Class For Kids. Each paper drawing becomes an interactive part of class and can even be converted to a digital media file to be animated.
When you think about it, art is just another way for little explorers to touch, sort and replicate the world. It’s the ultimate five-senses adventure.
Think: the wetness of paint, the color palette of play dough, the smell of glue, the thump of stamping – and, well, there’s no tasting unless you’re discovering the art of cooking! For every drawing, painting, knitting – and even cooking – class near you, head over to Sawyer today.