How you view art and creative development will have a significant impact upon how to design your creative art experiences and spaces, hence impact upon children’s brain development, self-esteem and mental health.
Let’s think about the brain. Research suggests that while the right hemisphere controls muscles on the left side of your body, it also influences creativity and other many important skills such as spatial awareness, facial recognition, visual imagery, interpretation of the context of language, expressing feelings, reading feelings, intuition, perception & awareness and risk taking.
Hence, when we consider the role and function of the brain and the development of these skills, we need to consider what experiences will support this and these are creative experiences such as quality art, music, dance and dramatic play experiences.
Children who are exposed to quality creative arts experiences are then able to utilise, exercise and support the development of the right side of their brain which in turn will support development of these significant life-long skills.
As educators we need to think about the experiences we provide. Are our art, music, dance and dramatic play experiences rich in materials, choice and scaffold creative and critical thinking? Do these experiences encourage children to discuss, share and experience emotions, feelings and perspectives?
The creative arts experiences we provide should inspire, provoke as well as soothe those who engage with it.
If you would like further information on this or any other topic please take a look at my on-line Staff Professional Development webinars http://earlyyearstraining.com.au or feel free to email me to arrange customised training for your service- kirsty@earlyyearstraining.com.au
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