Posted on: Thursday, February 21st, 2013

It’s no secret that our kids get next to no art education in the public school systems. Funding for the arts programs has been dwindling for what seems like forever, and the educational focus for our kids is placed squarely in the math and science and literacy camps. Test taking and scores are big focuses, and kids are compared and measured to track the progress of the schools.

I worry that we are forgetting to nurture our children’s creativity, let them explore, and make things on their own. Kids are naturally creative little beings and will enthusiastically grab any art materials placed in front of them and have at it. They understand and are drawn to the open-ended learning that creating something provides.

Have you seen the studies? There are many! Proven evidence showing us that kids do better in school when they are exposed to art education. They learn to tackle issues that don’t have just one answer; They explore different ways to get to an end result. They learn to focus, to make mistakes and start again, and to be proud of their achievements.

It’s hard to measure these feats of learning, but kids who receive art education clearly excel and carry these skills with them as they grow into adulthood.

Now. How to make up at home for the lack of art education at school? There are always art classes you can sign your kids up for, and if you explore your library, you’ll be able to find tons of books that show how to draw comics, paint watercolors, sculpt with clay, etc. These are great. There’s something else you can do, though.

Teach your children to see things differently. Trained artists look at the world around them in a different way than non-artists. There are colors, patterns, compositions, visual relationships out there that need to be studied and sought out in order to appreciate, and anyone can learn how to do it. Here are a few tips to help your kids open their eyes to seeing creativity all around them.

1. Buy cheap mats at a craft store. Let your kids decorate them. Carry them around and practice framing the world; it’s cool how a square opening really changes how you view your surroundings.

2. Let them use your digital camera, and have them click away. Once in a while give them an assignment: Photograph everything in their bedroom that is blue. Take reflection photos from something in the kitchen that is stainless steel. Take 5 close-up photos of different parts of the cat.

3. Next time you’re at the park, gather leaves or rocks or pinecones, or even grass to arrange in different nature pictures. It’s a fun way to learn about art that is temporary, and explore nature’s colors, lines and shapes.

4. Finally, keep a stack of printer paper and pencils out at all times. Kids are more likely to spontaneously start drawing if they don’t have to go searching in cabinets for art materials. Every little doodle is a visual exploration and adds to the child’s creativity bank.

Once you start playing around with these ideas, you’ll come up with more on your own- above all, let your kids explore on their own and think up ideas they want to try rather than forcing too many specific art projects on them. Open-ended art is the most fun, and will yield a life-long love of creativity.

Community Question:  How do you encourage art appreciation with your children?  Please hit Jeanette up with some comment love and share your thoughts!

Jeanette Nyberg is an art and design-educated mom living in the suburbs of Chicago.  She believes that creative thinking can save the world.  Keep up with her on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.