Blog by Christina Bailey
How art and music support early childhood development
Art and music allow children to explore their ideas and express themselves in ways words cannot. When children are engaging with music it becomes an important part in developing early language skills. When you sing songs, listen to rhymes, and even babies shaking the rattles. It helps children recognize sounds, learn new words, and develop listening skills. When doing everyday activities, you can incorporate art and music into everyday routines as a parent, caregiver and educator.
Different forms of art develop different skills for children – drawing and painting for example, helps children to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills. When children do activities such as holding crayons and paint brushes, or squeezing playdough, they are strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers and this helps them in the long run with tasks such as writing, cutting, and buttoning clothes.
Young children are still learning how to recognize, understand, and manage their feelings. When doing art, it can provide an alternative form of communication for children who have difficulty explaining how they feel. Music can encourage gross motor development, dancing, marching and jumping. It could even be a toddler tapping a drum or even a preschooler mixing paint, these everyday moments help with the children’s future learning and development.
