How Art Therapy Activities benefit young children

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How Art Therapy Activities benefit young
children
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How Art Therapy Activities benefit young
children

For many of us, when we think of art, we tend to
think that its not for us. Either you think you
are not very creative or feel that your child is
too young to indulge in art. But theres more to
art than merely playing with paints or being good
at doodling. The fact is, allowing your brain the
freedom for free expression, even by doodling,
can have a remarkable impact on how you process,
retain, and share information. The same thing can
be expected from a child even if she doesnt take
to art as a duck takes to water.
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How Art Therapy Activities benefit young
children

Dont confuse art therapy with play therapy.
Because art-making, within the context of
therapy, is a slightly different experience from
play because it encourages the creation of a
tangible product in most cases. Art Therapy for
behaviour problems is generally defined as a
blended field of therapeutic practices that
combine art and psychology. By utilizing the
creative process, artistic techniques, and
external artwork, art therapy supports a child to
develop self-awareness, and explore emotions to
help address an unresolved conflict or trauma.
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What is art therapy?

Art is a visual language that can be used to dig
deeper and discover what young children cannot
express using words. It helps children visually
express and record experiences, perceptions,
feelings and imagination. An Art therapist is
able to achieve this by capitalising on her
expertise in art media and a deeper understanding
of social and emotional development issues to
enhance a childs ability to communicate through
creative expression.
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What is art therapy?

Art is non-verbal sensory-based
For children who may not be able to articulate
thoughts, sensations, emotions or perceptions,
art is the easiest way to convey what may be
difficult to express with words. For those who
have been exposed to traumatic experiences, art
becomes a safe way to tell without talking. They
will be able to speak and express their feelings
without being afraid of any repercussions.
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What is art therapy?
Assessing a childs growth development Art
expressions, particularly painting and drawing,
provide useful information to assess the level of
development in children, especially the younger
ones. For example, differences in artistic
development can help you understand better a
childs emotional experiences, cognition and
sensory integration. These episodes of artistic
development in young children are helpful and add
valuable information not always apparent through
talk therapy alone.
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What is art therapy?
Art helps in self-regulation Specific art-based
activities, within the context of art therapy,
will be helpful to young children. In particular,
certain sensory characteristics of art-making are
found to be quite effective in improving mood,
sensory integration, and calming the body and
mind. As a matter of fact, art may well be the
only medium available to children who may have
been scarred by abuse occurring earlier on in
their lives.
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What is art therapy?

Art helps in meaning-making Like play therapy,
art therapy provides an opportunity to encourage
and enhance storytelling and narratives. Making
up a story to tell about a drawing or painting,
or collage, neednt be taken literally. These
narratives, however, serve as a way to slowly and
safely release disturbing or terrorizing
experiences.
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Benefits of adopting art as therapy


Since time immemorial, art has been an effective
means of communication. Just think of the
original cave drawings found in France and
elsewhere in the world. This goes to show that
art and drawing have been standard practices used
to tell a story as a means of self-expression and
to promote social interaction. The benefits of
the practice of art for emotional and social
well-being are many. Margaret Naumburg often
referred to as the Mother of Art, believed that
children should be allowed creative freedom and
that allowing them to pursue subjects that
interested them, as this will enable healthy,
all-around development.
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Art helps improve communication skills


Art is beneficial for a childs language
development and communication skills. Children
are visual thinkers, and creating art helps them
process and express their thoughts more easily.
When children talk about colours, shapes, and
other elements in their artwork, they actively
expand their vocabulary. Discussing art, whether
its their own or someone elses work, helps in
cognitive skills development. It teaches children
how to describe what they see and put their
thoughts into words. Speaking and listening
skills are both critical skills. Therefore,
hearing other children discuss art helps a child
not only to learn how to listen but also
articulate what she is thinking more effectively.
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Art helps stabilise emotions


Art therapy activities are meditative, quiet, and
relaxing for most children, and help calm their
nervous system. It also creates opportunities to
practice patience and improve their focus. By
participating in art activities, children can
soothe symptoms of stress, reduce anxiety, and
work towards having a sense of control over
volatile emotions and stabilise them. The quiet
and meditative-inducing qualities of art
encourages a child to step out of a rut and
reflect on what she is doing. When you hand over
a blank sheet of paper and some crayons to your
child, just watch her reflect and get down to
scribbling away, totally engrossed and working
through her emotions!
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Art helps make new friends


Children find art to be an enjoyable way to be
together with family, or in an art class. Art
classes for instance, provide a child with a
heightened sense of belonging. Its a great
opportunity for your child to meet others, build
connections, and make new friends. For children
who are shyer, a one-on-one conversation can be a
daunting task. Art classes help such children to
get out of their shells, as a piece of art gives
them a chance to talk without the fear of being
shushed midway through their sentences.
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Art helps promote teamwork

Art nurtures social skills in a more fun and
relaxed environment. For instance, round-robin
art is an activity where a child gets to work on
a piece of art for a couple of minutes, and then
passes it along to the child sitting next to
her. Since all of the children are working on the
same piece of art, they learn how to work
together, adapt to new ideas, and gain new
perspectives. Discussing the artwork also teaches
children empathy and understanding. Joint
activities such as these also teach children to
share. Especially when you limit art supplies,
children learn to be patient and realise that
waiting for their turn is really not all that
bad, and sharing is a good thing.
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Art builds confidence self-esteem

Creating art provides children with a sense of
purpose. And the best thing about art is there is
no right or wrong way. This is how art promotes
self-expression which in turn boosts
confidence. Such social and emotional development
practices are incredibly valuable to reassure
children who may be struggling to cope. Always
allow your child to decide what she wants to
paint or draw and try not to give in to the urge
to change her mind. This will improve your
childs confidence levels and raises self-esteem.
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How to begin art sessions at home

Art provides a safe and conducive space where
your child can play freely and use art materials
as she wishes. By being able to discover her own
experiences and feelings, the child is led to a
deeper understanding and transformation. You will
be pleasantly surprised and inspired by the
levels of creativity and resourcefulness that
will come into play. Art therapy isnt simply
about making art. It also helps to regulate
difficult emotions, broaden perspective and help
you work toward equipping your child with the
tools she needs to navigate life with increased
confidence and resilience.
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About Abrakadoodle

Process Art learning experiences inspire toddlers
and young children to think different, be
innovative, and explore new ways to learn about
interesting things found in the real world. Art
therapy also changes the way a child discovers
and imagines. Igniting her mind to think, play
and learn like never before. If you like to enrol
your child in our art classes or find out more
about why art classes for childhood development
is important, give Abrakadoodle a call. Or better
still, make an appointment with the head of a
centre near you. You will get hands-on exposure
to an experience that will make you see art
therapy in a way that adds value to your childs
life.
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About Abrakadoodle
Please note Abrakadoodle classrooms are
thoroughly sanitized every day the tables, the
chairs, the childrens activity stations and
everything else the child might touch is made
safe and clean. They also wear a mask, wash their
hands frequently, and practice social distancing.
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Our Branches
Abrakadoodle Jurong 50 Jurong Gateway Road,
JEM 03-19, Singapore 608549, Whatsapp 6262
4215
Abrakadoodle Marine Parade 80 Marine Parade Road,
15-03 Parkway Parade, Singapore 449269, Phone
(65) 6440 9916
Abrakadoodle River Valley 1 Kim Seng Promenade
03-104 Great World City, Singapore 237994
Phone [phone] Whatsapp [phone]
Abrakadoodle Tampines 300 Tampines Avenue 5, NTUC
Income, 05-05, Singapore 529653 Phone (65)
6789 7061
Abrakadoodle Orchard 163 Tanglin Rd, Tanglin Mall
03-120, Singapore 247933 Phone/WhatsApp 6235
9568
Abrakadoodle Punggol 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis
Terrace, 03-02/03/04 Singapore 820681 Whatsapp
8239 5207
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