Many of us are using art activities to keep children busy at home. Art can help children improve communication, strengthen motor skills, and develop a sense of self. That’s why it’s important to encourage creativity from infancy and place art alongside home learning and as an extension of their play.
When young children make art together with their caregivers, they share a bonding experience. Creativity is an extension of babies’ natural desire to share and communicate. My research, in collaboration with Dundee Contemporary Arts, found that in art therapy, the art-making process encouraged behaviors that build strong relationships, such as eye contact, pleasant touch, shared goals, and responsiveness. You may notice during art making that there is lots of joint attention—where you both look at the same thing together. This helps babies learn social skills, such as language and perspective taking, and feel connected to others.
