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Art Is FUNdamental

Art has been an integral part of education – especially early childhood education – for centuries. When Friedrich Froebel designed the first kindergarten program in the early 1800s, he felt strongly that children should be encouraged to create art and to appreciate the art of others. The intention of art instruction, Froebel said, is "not to make each pupil an artist in some one or all of the arts but to secure to each human being full and all-sided development."

These days, experts agree that giving children ample opportunities and a wide variety of materials to express themselves through art is essential for fostering healthy physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Arts education is so important, in fact, that that National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) considers "Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts" to be part of the cognitive development curriculum they assess when accrediting early childhood education programs.

But what exactly do children learn through creating art, and how can we as parents nurture their artistic explorations at home?

Gross Motor Skills
Very young children need to develop their large motor skills, and art materials that allow little hands to create big works can be a big help. While a young child won't be able to draw or sculpt detailed figures, he can experiment with drawing and painting using grand motions on large pieces of paper and molding free-form shapes out of easy-to-manipulate modeling clay or Playfoam. Crayons and markers are perfect for young children, and you can spark their creative passions by offering some unusual drawing implements such as Silky Crayons and sidewalk chalk, too. The easy-to-hold, unusually textured "paint brushes" in the Funky Artist set are especially engaging tools for making big, colorful works of art with small hands.

Fine Motor Skills
As children gain skill, confidence, and control over their gross motor movements, their work with drawing tools and modeling clay naturally leads them to develop fine motor skills. They begin drawing smaller, more detailed pictures and sculpting more refined shapes. Cutting with scissors and using glue also are important for encouraging fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. These skills will help children later when they learn how to write.

You can encourage children to spice up their repertoire with a variety of pens and pencils. They'll be delighted by the contrast between colored pencils and watercolor pencils, fine arts pencils and Colorix, a thinner version of the popular Silky Crayons. They can even add a multisensory element to their art with scented Smencils.

As children develop their art skills, modeling clay continues to be a favorite, and more refined pottery making can encourage creative expression as it hones fine motor skills. Wikki Stix, Hama Beads, Glass Deco painting kits, and Cast and Paint kits all allow kids to express themselves through a variety of unique three-dimensional art materials while perfecting their fine motor skills, dexterity and coordination.

Building Self-esteem
Creating art allows children to express themselves and to share their thoughts and feelings with others. It's also a huge self esteem builder as they present their art to others who acknowledge and appreciate their efforts. While most of us encourage our children's budding self expression by displaying their artwork in our homes and offices, there are many other ways for children to share their artwork with the world as well.

Fabric arts is an ideal avenue for children to display their art wherever they go. From fabric paints and crayons to tie dye and iron-on design kits, kids love to experiment with wearable art. For older children, a passion for fabric arts can turn into a budding interest in fashion design, encouraged by an easy-to-use children's sewing machine.

Designing postcards and greeting cards to send to friends and family is a particularly endearing way for kids to share their art, and window art is a great way to display their masterpieces for passersby.

Making Choices and Solving Problems
Experimenting with art gives children the opportunity to make choices, something young children don't get to do in many other areas of their lives. They get to decide what art materials to use, what to draw, paint or sculpt, and how to arrange the different elements of their works. Giving children a variety of art media – including drawing and painting implements, papers, tactile elements, scissors, glue and other tools for creating art – maximizes their opportunities to make decisions.

While anyone can put together a collection of art materials to stimulate a child's creativity, sometimes it's easier to start with a pre-assembled art kit that includes a variety of materials and build from there. Some of our favorite kits include My Crafty Kit, with various odds and ends that can be used and reused by the youngest artists; Art Box and Princess All-in-One Art Set, each with a variety of drawing tools for beginning artists; Monster Art Center and Ultimate Sketching and Drawing Gift Set, with vast assortments of drawing and painting implements for older artists; and Fantasia Premium Dry Art Set, for artists who are even more advanced with drawing and sketching.

In addition to formal materials and art sets, kids love to include household materials and found objects in their art. You can collect used paper towel and toilet paper rolls, empty boxes, spare stickers and labels, straws, corks and other castoffs for kids to create and embellish their works of art. When you take a nature walk, gather small rocks, leaves and twigs to add dimension to their drawings and sculptures. The greater the variety of materials you can offer, the more creative your children's decision making will become.

Making Space for Creativity
While it's important to provide a variety of art materials, it's equally important to provide an accessible space for children to work. If you want to encourage your child to express himself through art, make it as easy as possible for him find and access the tools he needs whenever the mood strikes.

Easels are a great way to create a designated art area while allowing small, energetic bodies to stand up and take an active approach to art. Depending on the space available, you can find wonderful table top easels (Table Top Kid's Easel and Little Hands My Tabletop Easel), Travel Easels, full-size stand-up Adjustable Artist Easels, and even hanging Wall Easels.

Any desk, shelf, cupboard or corner can serve as an art center in your home. All you need is a flat surface on which kids can work and storage for all the art materials and found objects you've gathered as art supplies. If you prefer a ready-made art center already decked out for your young artist, here are a few that come highly recommended:

Super Rolling Art Center: An easel with a chalkboard on one side, a dry erase board on the other, and a pull-down paper roll at the top. This all-in-one art center includes cup holders and cups for chalk, crayons, markers and paint and two shelves for storing other supplies.
My Art Desk by Alex: A colorful desk and chair with a tilting chalkboard drawing surface, storage cups, paper cutter and paper roll.
Super Art Table: Big enough for two young artists, this colorful oval table with two benches includes a roll of large drawing paper, paper cutter, storage cups and a storage bag.
Ready, Set, Art Table Set: Another colorful table with two matching stools and a spinning art caddy in the middle.
Creativity Center: A colorful table with two matching wooden benches, large roll of drawing paper, paper cutter, and storage cups.

According to the NAEYC accreditation criteria, young children should be provided with a variety of opportunities "to explore and manipulate age-appropriate art materials." They should be provided "varied opportunities to develop and widen their repertoire of skills that support artistic expression (e.g., cutting, gluing, and caring for tools)." And they should be "provided many and varied open-ended opportunities and materials to express themselves creatively through … two- and three-dimensional art."

At Budget Art Kids, we believe our exceptional assortment of quality art supplies – along with your own collection of reusable household materials and found objects – can make it easy for every parent to provide these types of opportunities and more for children of all ages in the comfort and safety of their own homes.