Ever wondered why every kids’ product we see is so colorful and comes in different shapes? From their toys to the clothes they wear, the utensils they use, different books for kids, and even their customized room, everything around them is so colorful and is available in different shapes. This is because it is believed that growing children learn better and grasp new things easily when they see them in different colors and shapes.
This is called visual learning, which is also the foundation of child development. It offers a launchpad to cognitive growth. Activities related to painting, drawing, sketching on a drawing or coloring book enhances the power of imagination and stimulates the young mind. It helps foster creativity and critical thinking in them, and hence, they learn things faster & retain it for longer. Let’s discuss how it helps their brain.
Brain Benefits of Visual Learning
Encouraging your child to paint, sketch, write journals, and perform other such activities directly helps their brain development.
- Enhanced Cognitive Development: Involving your kids in visual arts stimulates multiple parts of their brain, enhancing cognitive functions like memory, attention, problem-solving, and decision-making.
- Improved Hand-Eye Coordination: Drawing, painting, and writing in a notebook journal also refine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which are very important for children’s growth.
- Blooming creativity: every time when a kid paints, draws, or colors anything – even in a Christmas or Halloween🎃colouring book, they express their creative minds and endless imaginary things. It tells a lot about their thinking and personality.
- Emotional Expression: In schools, kids are also encouraged to draw and paint, as it helps them express their feelings and emotions, which promotes emotional intelligence in them.
- Language Development: Describing colors and compositions also helps them with language and vocabulary skills.
Cultivating a Love for Writing
- Visual Storytelling: You might have observed that kids journal or stories are more often illustrated. This is because drawing and painting inspire narratives, which encourage children to make stories based on artwork.
- Observational Skills: It also sharpens their observational skills. When they paint or draw something, they also try to relate it to the real world.
- Hand Strength & Dexterity: the physical act of drawing also strengthens hand-arm muscles, improving their mobility.
- Confidence Building: Success in visual arts also helps enhance self-esteem, which increases their confidence in writing and other activities as well.
Implementing Visual Learning at Home
- Create an Art Corner: Provide a space for your kids to paint, draw, and express themselves by coloring their imaginations.
- Art Supplies for All Ages: You can even provide them with the age appropriate art materials, such as crayons, coloring books, markers, paints, and sketchbooks.
- Family Art Time: Engage yourself with them in their painting time. It will directly help you to make better bonds with your child. Positive in every way.
- Encourage Exploration: Let your child explore different forms of art with different mediums and techniques.
- Display Artwork: You can display the artwork of your child to boost their confidence and enhance their creativity.
- Storytelling with Art: You can even ask your child to create multiple illustrations and stories. This will help your child in many ways, such as story building, storytelling, exploring, and creativity. It’s like enabling your child to organize and express their thoughts like numbers in a log book.
- Nature-Inspired Art: Let your child play in the outdoors and observe nature so that they can draw and better relate to the outside world.
Let them go beyond homes & schools!!
It is so exciting to see how the schools and parents of this generation allow their child and students to explore their imagination. Let your kids explore nature and what they like in the form of art.
Conclusion
Visual learning helps in child development. It nurtures cognitive, emotional, and creative growth. By encouraging your kid to draw, paint, sketch & write about whatever they want to, you empower them to become more confident. It allows these little explorers to learn more about nature and all the surrounding things.
Let them use their imagination to the full potential through the world of visual arts. Extending that, do not hesitate to introduce them to other forms of recreation such as yoga, and a yoga journal to record progress.
Remember, as parents and tutors, we need to create a supportive, safe, and engaging environment for them where they can express themselves visually. With consistent practice and exploration, you will be able to see the differences in those young minds.