Discover The Power Of Art Play For Children. Part 2.

In at number 4 in the power of art play round up, it's the biggies! Self esteem and confidence.

As a parent these are two things I hold really close to my heart. They can so quickly be taken away from our kids. Working on a piece of art can give children such a sense of achievement that it naturally boosts their confidence and their self esteem. The ways that we keep building on this is by connection, making sure that everyone feels seen, valued and heard at all times and leaving the creative thinking to them. This sometimes means embracing imperfections and working through hard feelings or making mistakes. But it also means that the sense of accomplishment at having completed their work independently, trusting only themselves is even greater.

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  kids and teacher at art play

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  Children on the paint wall

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  kid paint canvas

Last but not least it's number 5, mindfulness.

If you've ever been in the class just as the kids start working you will have noticed that it is always silent. You can hear a pin drop. For the first few minutes of every class the kids are completely in the zone. Living in the present, practising mindfulness. It's like magic! The sensory aspect of art play; colour mixing, sounds of clinking sticks and jars (and tooting paint bottles!) all help to bring kids into the moment. They focus on the process of creating which slows down their busy bodies and allows them to think only about what they are doing right now. If only they'd be like that at home!

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  Children at the art play table