Help your child to improve mental health and wellbeing through creativity

It is becoming more widely known that creativity and having an outlet for it can be very beneficial to mental health and wellbeing.  As this article outlines there has been a range of research into the connection between wellbeing and art https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/even-minimal-creative-activity-boosts-wellbeing-research-finds

I personally believe that it is really important to cultivate this in our children from a very young age.  With all the lockdowns and home schooling children have really suffered with their mental health so providing encouragement to be creative could really help their wellbeing and mental health in the future.

When children are learning they do a lot of it through play therefore above anything else any creative activities need to be fun for them to do.  Another important thing to bear in mind is that they need to be given the freedom to explore and inevitability this is going to result in mess.  This is the part that I really struggle with.  Try not to tidy up around them while they are engaged in the activity and try not to take over to complete the piece of art in a more aesthetically pleasing way to your eye.  Again something that I really struggle with.

Now before you think that you are going to have to buy in a bucket load of craft supplies in order to engage your little one in creative activities I can assure you this is not the case.  Activities can be really simple and many of them will actually help children to foster skills that will later help them in their fine motor skills like writing.

Here are just a few ideas that can help you get some inspiration for the smallest children in their early years:

Nature pictures

These are pictures that are created by collecting items from nature like leaves, sticks or stones.  These can be arranged by the child to make a picture.  These don’t necessarily have to be stuck onto paper they could even just be placed on a pavement or some grass.  This will provide an opportunity for children to explore shapes and colours independently.

If the weather isn’t particularly nice items from nature could be collected during a walk and then brought inside to create a piece of art.  If the children isn’t too keen you could even get them to try and build a nature home for some insects or a hedgehog.  Although this isn’t a artistic activity they will be using their creativity to think about their creation.

Basic art table

As simple as putting some pens, pencils or crayons on a table with a pile of paper can really make such a difference to their creativity.  This isn’t always a preferred activity of children but others seem to adore it.  From the earliest age they can learn how to hold a pencil to be able to write at a later date.  Simple mark making is such an important formative skill that can easily be hidden in a creative activity.

If the child is slightly older they could be given a little bit of direction either by giving them a topic to draw or a purpose for their artwork like a Birthday card.  The possibilities are really endless, my youngest child loves to write lists at the moment so even encouraging them to write a shopping or birthday list could get them using their imagination.

Finger arts

There are a range of medium that can be used to fill a tray that will enable a child to use their finger to draw in the tray.  Usually food staples are a good choice like flour or rice.  Their little fingers can create shapes or lines in the flour for example.  The tray can then be shaken to provide a “clean” slate for them to start again.

At the end of the day young children need to be given the freedom to explore their creativity, this does not need to be tunnelled into painting or drawing but could incorporate any sort of play using colour or shapes.  Who knows this early encouragement could be for formation of a future Picasso or Banksy artist.

What were some of your children’s favourite art activities when they were young?  If you are looking for  some craft inspiration for children have a look at https://www.claireyatfairycrafters.com/top-10-christmas-crafts-for-children/ a bit of fore planning can help you fill your home with handmade Christmas decorations