Why is having daily drawing time so important for children?

8 benefits that stem from drawing and art making for children.

Few things in the world come as naturally to young children as drawing. There are countless reasons why drawing time, not only for your children but for absolutely everyone, should be an integral part of life but we don't want to keep you reading for years, so we've compiled a list few of our in-house favourites just for you.

1) Relaxation technique
Drawing is a super popular form of Meditation for people of all ages, due to its ability to not only reduce anxiety levels but also allow space and time to open up. In this area, children can process their day. It offers the ability to quiet a busy mind. That's one of the many reasons I get my two little ones doodling while I'm cooking dinner, drawing has an absolute innate ability to calm any hectic moment.

2) Teaches problem-solving
Drawing encourages us to solve problems creatively, through the line, colour and other choices we make. From how to draw and display emotion to creating a specific texture, these choices engage our problem solving and perception skills and unlock a new creative way of thinking.

3) Accessible, easy and mess-free
Hands down one of the best things about drawing from a parent or carers perspective are that it can be done absolutely anywhere and provided you stick with pencils, as mess-free as anything could ever be with kids! If you're looking for a fun, easy way to keep the kids engaged look no further (or check out our article 7 mess-free isolation art activities)!

4) Develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
Holding and learning how to control pens and pencils is one of the most effective ways to improve a kid's fine motor skills. Moreover, when drawing or creating any art, you receive immediate visual feedback. This feedback helps the drawer recognise the best ways to produce their desired result, ultimately fine-tuning their skills and keeping them engaged. In addition to improving fine motor skills, drawing enables your child to draw connections between what he or she sees and what he or she does, therefore enhancing their hand-eye coordination.

5) Helps concentration
Since most children love drawing, it offers time to create and form the skills of concentration and practice. Both focus and practice are fundamental life skills which can help all aspects of both your kids' life and your own! Furthermore, through learning how to observe small details of a drawing, concentrate on achieving a specific result, and practising tricky tasks, children can learn how to enhance their focus.

7) Boosts self-confidence
When anyone creates or draws representations of what's going on in their personal bubble, and people support that drawing, the creator gains confidence and self-respect, no matter what the age. Therefore, when this is practised between a child and the people they are closest, too, the flow on positive effects are unimaginable.

8) Encourages visual analysis
Many young kids, although incredibly intelligent in their own ways, have not developed aspects of life that you or I may take for granted, such as distance, size comparison, and textural differences. Drawing provides the perfect opportunity for your child to learn these concepts deliberately, and it encourages them to think through the logic and everyday uses of such concepts.

These a just a few of the many reasons why we here at Mini Matisse absolutely love and encourage daily drawing time, not only for your little ones! Everyone in the family can benefit from a little bit of art and creativity in their day. Next time the crayons or pencils are our out, pick up a colour and draw something too - it's so rewarding!

Happy creating,

Mini Matisse