If you love art, you want your children to learn to appreciate art as well. But, how does one go about instilling their child with a love for art? Probably the most important thing to do is to try not to force it. You can’t make them like art. But you can expose them to all the things about art that enrich our lives.
Today, we welcome guest blogger Ryan Howard from SmartParentAdvice. He’s got some great tips for all of us who want our little people to love beauty.
The best way to help your child develop an appreciation for art is simply to give them opportunities for exposure, and to allow it to happen naturally. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that.
For a child, a trip to the museum can be a great chance to explore art, or it can be absolutely dreadful. After all, if your child doesn’t already like art, staring at every single painting for five minutes will be an exercise in tedium. In order to help them develop a positive association with the experience, let them lead the way. That way, they can move along at whatever pace they choose. It’s fine to pause once in a while to point something out or impart a little knowledge. But, your best bet is to keep things light and fun.
Get Them Involved In Creative Activities
There are all sorts of different types of art. If your child learns to paint well, chances are that they will also begin to admire some of the really elite painters throughout history. If your child learns piano, there is a good chance they will develop an appreciation for music. However, there is plenty of cross pollination when it comes to creativity and artistic taste. If your child learns to paint well, they will probably also develop an appreciation for sculpture, and other types of art. So, try to get your child involved in a number of different creative activities, and see where things lead.
Placing artwork in your home is a great way to provide your child with lots of exposure. You might even let them tag along during the shopping and selection process. That way, you can walk them through the criteria that you consider when selecting different pieces. The more that they are involved in the process, the more that they will enjoy it.
Doing art at home is a great way to provide consistent exposure. It can be as simple as coloring or drawing. Or, it might mean building a sculpture, taking some photographs, or painting a masterpiece. By doing artwork with your kids at home, you make it much more accessible. That, in turn, should help your child to appreciate it just a little more.
A Few Books On The Subject Can’t Hurt
You might buy a few books that contain nothing but pictures of artwork, and then leave them on the coffee table. Every once in a while, your child will probably pick up the book, and flip through a few pages. If you want to go a step further, you might find books with a particular focus (i.e. modern art). This will give you a good opportunity to explain the criteria for inclusion in a particular style category, and to contrast it with other types of art.
Final Thoughts
Having an appreciation for art can be quite enjoyable throughout life. So, helping your child to develop an appreciation is a wonderful gift. Try not to force it though. It’s best to simply create opportunities for them to develop an appreciation naturally.
Author Bio: Ryan Howard runs SmartParentAdvice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Ryan writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers.
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