The various actions involved in creating art, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a crayon, are essential to the growth of motor skills in children.

When kids are encouraged to express themselves and develop visionary minds, they develop a sense of innovation that becomes the foundation of their careers as adults.

“Children’s brain synapses fire away as they experiment and create, squishing paint between their fingers, mixing colors and materials, or drawing from imagination or what they see in front of them,” says author Jean Van’t Hul.

Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University, shares, “Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it.”

A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.

According to the International Child Art Foundation, research indicates that a child who is exposed to the arts acquires a special ability to think creatively, be original, discover, innovate, and create intellectual property—key attributes for individual success and social prosperity in the twenty-first century.