Art is one of the most valuable disciplines humans have come up with. The sciences may be helping people make sense of the world. But art actually helps everyone stay grounded. It helps them understand the value of living and how to relate to others. It is all about documenting the feelings and sentiments, which the future generations can refer to so that they will understand the life of their predecessors and ancestors. Sounds deep enough, right? But art is something that you want your kids to understand and appreciate. You may have this impression that teaching kids art can be challenging, but that should not be the case. You always have the opportunity to make it fun and engaging.
Whether you are a parent or a teacher seeking to get an arts and crafts franchise, there are some ways that you should keep in mind to make teaching art much more fun. Below are some of the things worth taking note of:
Teach them the value of expression
The fundamental value of every art form is expression. This is an avenue where an artist or a person is able to express their inner thoughts and their perception of the world. That means that there is no definite template on it. It is freestyle. There should be no bounds that keep the artist from showing the world something. To make it easy for your kids to understand, expose them to fundamental expressive arts such as music and dance. Tell them that paintings, sculptures, and performance art are just like them.
Make it interactive
Since kids are at the play phase, they will surely look for fun activities that will help them socialize and know their strengths. If you want to capture their attention, you may want to make your art exercises interactive. For one, you can come up with a storybook with art activities—have them color the illustrated scenes of the story. Give them pieces and materials that they can experiment with. These may include non-toxic coloring materials, molding clay, and various types of paper.
Do not discourage them
Some kids are not drawn to art because they have this impression that it is only for the talented. This should not be the case. Go back to basics, and make them understand that art is all about self-expression and that no one should keep them from expressing themselves. Do not critique the kid’s pieces; they are kids that need guidance, not art students looking for strict mentoring. When they have come up with truly good pieces, give them the right compliments.
Take them to museums
You ought to start them young. The best way to do this is to take the kids to museums. Let them go over the pieces, and start conversations with them. If they ask you questions, give them great answers; do not be condescending.
Teaching kids the value of art may seem challenging at first. But when your objectives are clear and you are determined to make it happen, there is a great chance that your efforts will succeed. Just do not force your philosophy and beliefs into the kids you are teaching.
