By Ximena Nunez Director of Communications, The Children’s Trust
Whether it’s music, dance, or theater your child is passionate about, expressing themselves in a creative field helps build confidence and critical thinking skills and can help reduce stress and anxiety. Even if you don’t possess the dancing skills to wow a crowd or have a natural falsetto voice to help your children hit the high notes, you can nurture their love of the arts in different ways.
A brief history of the arts in education
The arts have played a part in the development of children ever since their rise to prominence in Ancient Greece, when young people were encouraged to participate in music, poetry, and drama. While elite schools in Europe taught art and music during the Renaissance period, the arts became more accessible in the United States during the 20th century with cultural shifts like The Progressive Education movement and World War II pushing aspects of education towards creativity and self-expression.
The Children’s Trust is proud to support Youth Development programs that include a focus on arts and other enrichment activities and experiences as the landscape of the arts continues to evolve and grow. Visit TheChildrensTrust.org/Find-a-Program for more information.
The importance of the arts in development
The importance of the arts in childhood development can be overlooked, with a necessary focus on core academic subjects. However, mounting evidence suggests that involvement in the arts can help overall academic success and teach life skills. Here are some examples of how the arts can help children and teens developmentally in unexpected ways:
- Improvisation in theater and music can help with creativity, making decisions quickly, and adapting to others around them.
- Dance not only can keep the body healthy but learning a routine can help with memory development and pattern recognition, which can have a positive effect on learning English and math.
- Working with other children to create something new teaches vital social skills like teamwork and confidence.
The arts are not just about aiding development; they can heal. One qualitative study into the role that the arts play in the lives and mental health of young people concluded that for those who “participate in artistic organizations, the arts are a resource for overcoming negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and sadness. The beneficial role of arts activities includes managing, expressing, and distracting from distress.”
How to nurture your child’s love of the arts
So, you’ve noticed your child loves entertaining the family by dressing up and doing impressions of their teachers, or you’ve caught a glimpse of them pirouetting in the mirror and singing into a hairbrush. How do you go about nurturing something that could become a lifelong passion? The easiest way to encourage our children to dive more deeply into the arts is to create an environment where they feel safe and comfortable trying it at home. Whether it’s making a drum kit out of overturned buckets or pots and pans or creating a stage in a corner of their room with bedsheets for curtains and string lights, it can be easy to help kids have fun with the arts.
Parents and family members can join in by participating in these activities together. For example, you could have a family jam session with homemade instruments or put on a family talent show where everyone gets to perform. This not only makes the experience more enjoyable but also strengthens family bonds and creates lasting memories. Let kids play in the space and avoid micromanaging them so they know it’s OK to be creative and make mistakes. As pianist Vladimir Horowitz once said, “You must not be afraid of playing wrong notes. Just forget it, play it wrong! But play!” Now that they have played and had fun, you can later introduce more structure. The Children’s Trust has partnered with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs since 2006 to increase young people’s access to the arts. This partnership includes programs ranging from youth arts enrichment to summer arts and science camps and All Kids Included Accessible Arts Experiences for Kids, which promotes arts and cultural programs for children of all abilities. For more information, visit MiamiDadeArts.org.
And if you think they are ready, don’t hesitate to let them audition for the 15th anniversary season of Young Talent Big Dreams this March across Miami-Dade County. This epic contest showcases talented children in various disciplines, from dance and singing to magic tricks. Check out audition locations and dates at Actorsplayhouse.org. Even if your child doesn’t enter the competition, you are welcome to come along to cheer on the other acts. You never know which one might be the catalyst for your kids to try something new in the arts.
Ximena Nunez has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and blends her passion for children with her fervor for creative marketing and communications at The Children’s Trust in Miami-Dade County, where she has been Director of Communications for the past six years.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article302292534.html#storylink=cpy
