The Importance of Art in Preschool

Have you ever thought about those scribbles or brush strokes that your child makes on their paper to be a vital part of their development and creativity?

From scribbles to brush strokes to finger painting and more, art in any form is vital to a child’s development. It allows them to use a variety of their senses, develop their fine motor skills, use their problem solving abilities and learn about the world around them. It can also be an outlet for expressing their feelings and in some cases, a precursor to writing. With all of these benefits, why wouldn’t you want to incorporate art into your child’s day?

Here at St. Luke’s preschool, we like to engage children with as many senses as we can, especially when it comes to art, because we believe that children learn best this way. This is so important for young children so they are able to learn about the world around them as well as experience new things with their peers. This gives them a sense of commonality that they might not have had before with new or old friends.  We use the typical watercolors, colorful paint, crayons, and markers, but we also use citrus fruits, recyclable materials, shaving cream, glue and even our own feet! We love to think outside of the box while incorporating art into our everyday routine.

While using a paint brush, crayon or simply their finger, preschoolers are strengthening their fine motor skills as well as working on other muscle movements. Holding a pencil, using scissors, squeezing glue and tearing paper are other examples of fine motor mastery. When children draw scribbles on their paper, they are actually practicing their writing abilities without even knowing it!  

Art is a sense of expression which sparks lots of creativity. This strengthens children’s neural connections in their brains as well as their problem solving skills. Trying to re-create an object from memory, copying a picture that is provided, or creating something brand new sparks creativity which is a crucial skill to encourage at a young age because it will benefit them immensely when they are older. In the end, it is never a bad idea to get creative and artsy with your little ones, no matter what the end result may be! And remember… it’s okay to get messy!!