Art is not just about beautiful paintings hanging on the wall. It encompasses a variety of elements such as music, pottery, poetry, drawings, dance and more. Art is anything that creates an emotion. It stirs up your feelings and can trigger past memories. For children, appreciating the arts can be difficult. They don't understand why you can stare at a painting for several minutes or how a night at the orchestra can be entertaining.
August 9 is Worldwide Art Day. This is the perfect starting point to helping your children gain an appreciation for the arts. Below are four ways you can teach this important lesson to your kids.
Encourage creativity
The arts are an excellent way to ignite your creativity. You can be creative through a variety of means such as composing a song, painting a picture or choreographing a dance. Each day, encourage your children to use their creativity. Encourage craft time and singing time. Let them spend time writing and sharing stories. As your children develop their creativity, they will be participating in a variety of artistic projects.
Travel
Traveling is an excellent way to broaden your children's perspective on life and help them appreciate things we take for granted each day. And, you don't have to travel far. Visit your local art museum or go to a free concert in the park. Look for local art galleries and unique events such as chalk festivals or poetry readings. There are things all around you (near and far) to help teach your children about the arts.
Start when your children are young
Don't wait until your children are older to teach them about the arts. While they are young, encourage them to draw and paint. Encourage singing time and read to them often. Each day, play a different genre of music in the background of your home. Don't just listen to classical music day after day. One day listen to classical and the next day country. Let your children experience a variety of things. This exposure helps them find something they love and as they grow older, it will become a more definite part of their life.
Get them involved
If possible, get your children involved in the arts. For example, if they are interested in music, find music programs or lessons for them to take. By searching in your community, you can find something your children may enjoy and by getting them involved and anxiously engaged, their appreciation for the arts may turn more into a passion and a love.
By applying a few of the above suggestions into your children's lives, you may find that their appreciation for the arts will grow. Worldwide Art Day is the perfect time to help them appreciate the world around them and maybe even find a hobby or a passion that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
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