Five reasons why your kid should study art and music this summer
Fine arts are an important part of a child’s overall education, but many students don’t get a lot of exposure to art and music. The arts help encourage creativity, allow students to think outside the box, problem-solve, and relieve stress. It’s not important whether a child has any innate talent in the arts but simply that they have the opportunity to participate in and appreciate everything they can learn in an art or music program. Students are busy with core academic subjects during the year making summer an excellent opportunity to enjoy all that the fine arts have to offer.
1. Creativity
Participating in drawing, painting, sculpture, or music is an excellent way to encourage a child’s creativity. Usually, every young child loves to draw pictures to share with friends and family, but they often don’t have enough time to do this as they get older. Summer programs specifically geared towards the studio arts allow students the opportunity to be creative while developing artistic skills so they can take their drawings and paintings to the next level.
2. A well-balanced education
It’s essential for students to learn the core subjects to be successful as they work towards college and career but a well-balanced education will also include extracurricular activities such as exercise science, languages, humanities, and fine arts. Many middle and high school students are heavily focused on math and English during the school year but should take the opportunity to explore their interest in art or music over the summer. Artistic endeavors provide kids with an overall balanced education while allowing them to focus on academic subjects during the year (READ: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Reading this Summer).
3. A creative outlet
Most students feel less stressed when they have a creative outlet as part of their routine. Students can listen to music, learn an instrument, learn to mix paint or visit a local art history museum. Whether a student is observing a piece of artwork by one of the Masters or creating a painting themselves, exposure to the arts will help provide them with a creative outlet so they can maintain a healthy work/life balance and lower stress when academic subjects start to become overwhelming.
4. Kinesthetic learning
Most art programs are hands-on, allowing students to develop kinesthetic skills. When kids get to roll up their sleeves and fully participate in a learning experience, they’re more likely to become interested in the topic and enjoy the experience. Students can enhance their love of art by mixing their paint to create just the right color or tuning guitar strings to enhance acoustics. Additional ways to gain exposure to the arts include ceramics, drawing, dancing, and set design. It’s essential for growing minds to have a hands-on experience as part of their overall education.
5. Art appreciation
If students don’t love drawing or painting their artwork, they may still enjoy being immersed in the creations of others. There are tons of opportunities for students to take in the arts with multiple senses and explore everything that creativity has to offer. They can visit local art museums and learn about relevant artists from history, attend a musical concert, learn about fashion or movie set design, or study the history of film. Art and creativity are a huge part of the environment in Southern California, so students are encouraged to soak it up and discover everything that fine arts have to offer.
Our private Orange County summer tutors are here to make sure your child makes the most of their time off. Call us today for more information.