Homeschool

Watercolors and Arts for Children

Involving children into art will help them explore their creativity, imagination, artistic skills and kill boredom without spending too much.  Art is great way for children to express themselves, there are different kinds of artistic expressions they could explore.  One of them is watercolor painting.

Watercolors are easy to clean so children could easily use them. There are also different watercolour exercises that children can do.  For example, the wet on wet technique.   Let the children apply watercolour on a dry and wet piece of paper.  Let them describe how applying paint on dry and wet surfaces are different and where they can be used. 

• With color blending, let children mix different colors and draw different images that they see around them.

• Black and white watercolour painting is another great activity. Color the entire paper  in black and then let it dry.  After drying, draw on the black paper using white watercolour with their own design.  It could also be done the other way around, with the paper white and the watercolour designs in black.

• Thread painting uses thread which is dipped in paint.  Arrange the thread on the paper in whatever way you want. Then press and pull the thread creating designs on the paper.

• Use watercolour in coloring decorative items that the children made like paper maches.

• Watercolor painting is also a great activity for parents and their kids. Everything nowadays is so fast-paced that we forget to spend more time with family and children. Watercolour painting is a great way to slow down and enjoy life with our family.

When teaching children with art, it is important to understand that what the children see is different from what adults see.  They may color animals which are far from their actual colors. Let the children express themselves in this creative experience.   It is important to keep in mind that children have potential for artistic expression. Parents, guardians and teachers have the responsibility to let children express their artistry.

There are different studies showing that involving children in art would help them reduce their stress.  They are able to develop self-confidence since they have created something which is appreciated by other people.  Aside from improving their confidence, they are also able to improve the senses like vision and sense of touch. 

Teaching art on kids could help in their cognitive growth, improve their memory, helps them understand better, and enable them to become competent.  Art could also improve their symbolic communication since children were able to translate what they see around them into their own symbols and reflection of reality.

For older children, parents may still interest them in painting. Art materials and art books could pique their interest and eventually involve them in art and craft making.  Watercolour painting is just one of many art media which can be maximized by the kids.  Adolescents and young teens could explore other media like comic strips.  Parents should keep in mind that children’s involvement in art should never be forced, instead the children should be provided with opportunities where they can make their own decision.

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