Some children naturally gravitate towards using paints, pencils, and crayons to express themselves on paper (or sometimes on the wall, which is less than ideal). For others, though, art is less appealing—perhaps your kid doesn’t like getting messy, or they feel that they’re not good enough at drawing. There is more than one way to appreciate and learn about art, though, and encouraging your kid to develop an interest and a sense of what kinds of art they like is a good way to help them develop their opinions and sense of self. Here are three ways to develop your child’s interest in art.
Visit Galleries
One of the best ways to get your child interested in art and visual media is to visit exhibitions together. Bear in mind that depending on your child’s age, visit times may have to be limited to under an hour as your child’s tolerance may not stretch beyond that. Let your kid guide your visit, if there’s a room they are particularly interested in then let them stay for as long as they like. Talk about the art together, and don’t try and correct them if they get something wrong about an artist or an art movement, as this will discourage them from expressing an interest in art.
Explore Different Types of Art
Children can often feel that “art” refers to paintings hanging in a room. It can be a good idea to explore other forms of art, such as installations, video art, street art, textile art, or sculpture. Your kid may not react to oil portraits or watercolors, but they might discover that they love woven textile art instead. Exploring a range of art together can be exciting and inspirational.
Give Them Tools
Once you’ve helped to develop an interest in different forms of art, provide your kid with the tools they need to take this further. This might mean giving them a camera and a scrapbook, so they can document the art they’ve seen and write about their favorite artists. If they’d like to have a go at making art themselves, give them a range of tools so they aren’t limited to one medium.