World of Art and Craft at IIUM Educare activities include drawing, painting, collage, stamping, clay modelling or play dough making, sculpture building, and many more! Such an interesting activities right! It gives children a lot benefits such as:
- Motor skills
When children use their fingers to manipulate art materials they are developing their fine motors skills as they use those small muscles in their hands. Other than that, their bilateral coordination skills improve as they learn to use both hands at the same time. All this happens when they paint, color, glue and cut. The quicker their fine motors skills develop the more they can do on their own.
- Literacy
Art & Craft helps children’s literacy skills. It starts from speaking and reading to listening and understanding. When children produce art or crafts they get to talk about their work which develops their communication skills. As an example our teachers will ask “Why did you choose that color? “ Wow tells me about what you made.” Children learn new vocabulary from parents, peers and teachers.
Hence, when they follow verbal instructions, they utilize their listening skills. A skill all parents require our children to grasp as soon as possible so they can start listening to us by involving in stamping activity.
- Creativity
Art & Craft also allows children to develop their creativity which is important throughout their lives. In addition, by doing something creative, children allow themselves for self expression and this lets children express and cope with their feelings. Besides that, it also fosters children’s mental growth. Hence, by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, ways of thinking, and problem solving.
- Self-Esteem
When it occurred? When children involve in any art & craft activity. It helps and allows them to build confidence. Hence, they will discover that getting things ‘wrong’ can lead them to a whole new idea. Therefore, our teachers always support our children to try new things and also develop their “self-regulation skills”. As an example, when waiting for paint or glue to dry. This helps them to develop their patience, which all kids outside there need help with!
There are some activities of Art & Craft:
Stamping
is a messy play like finger painting. It remains important to every child’s development. Thus, it includes palm painting, finger painting and etc. Furthermore, it helps the body and brain integrate information, such as spatial concepts, mathematics and language. Moreover, finger painting is also a most relaxing and creative way to express children’s feelings.
Stamping is an activity that kids of all ages love to do. There’s something so captivating and magical about pressing a leave example into color palette and then stamp on to a piece of paper to make a print. As a child, they spent hours, making prints with this stamping activity. Our children enjoy that simple pleasure.
Collage
Next, collage activity. It is a part of Art and Craft where children need to picking up small objects like cotton wool, sequins, , button, squeezing the glue and placing the materials onto the paper. All of these require their fine motor skills development.
Look at our children they are having fun putting on cotton wool to make rabbit fur. Nice right! We believe that making collage will enhance our children’s creativity. Besides that, it encourages them to gain their imagination too.
Cut and Paste
We encourage children to practice scissor skills under supervision. They can cut out pieces and use glue to paste the materials. These are all skills that children must grasp to develop their sensory skills.
In summary, World of Art & Craft at IIUM Educare helps children learn to value and appreciate art in their life. In the future, they able to be a good artist or designer and build their career.