Art Classes for Kids on Superprof

Why the Fine Arts are Important to Children in Canada

Finding the right activities for your kids can be stressful - do you pick baseball, piano, robotics, drama or tap dance? There are dozens of options to choose from for every age group and region, so where do you even begin? How do you even know what your child is interested in if they are not even aware of what’s out there?

Canadian parents looking for an easy win can look no further than the fine arts. Why? Art is an activity nearly every child can participate in. Materials are generally inexpensive, and art classes can be found nearly everywhere. Look around and you’ll see art everywhere in Canada: buildings, decor, graffiti, art galleries, sculptures, print media, books, and public installations are all over the place. Let’s face it: without fine art, our world would look a whole lot less interesting.

There are so many reasons to get your child into fine art classes and appreciation. Let’s take a look at some of the unfair assumptions many Canadians have about art, and explore some of the very important reasons you should get your child into an art class.

Dismantling Assumptions about Art

There are many Canadian parents out there that might overlook fine art as a potential extracurricular for their kids. There is an assumption that it takes talent to be an artist, which is fundamentally untrue. Creating art is all about self-expression and exploration, and seeing that physical actions can have visual consequences. Kids don’t have to be good at following instructions, or pursuing a specific outcome. Art is all about using materials with intention, and making new discoveries about whatever medium you have chosen to explore.

Many parents out there might also mistakenly believe that art isn’t useful, and that athletic or intellectual skills might be better developed. The truth is that creating art fosters creativity and design thinking - skills that are sought after in the professional world. Art takes form in many practical and aesthetic ways, and fostering an understanding of colour and composition can serve you both professionally and personally. 

Reasons Your Child Should Learn Fine Art

Encourage Creativity

Creativity is vital to learning and problem-solving. When we have creative thinkers, we have solutions that are innovative and elegant. When parents enable their kids to foster their creative skills at a young age, they can look forward to seeing their children’s success as they progress through school and adulthood. Children will spend much of their lives learning rules, structures, formats, and processes. With a strong creative impulse, they can see the bigger picture and think outside the box when approaching learning tasks and solving problems.

Develop Fine Motor Skills

Parents of toddlers and young kids can help their kids develop fine motor skills through art. When little ones are painting, colouring, stamping, cutting, and pasting, they are doing so much more than making a mess. They are using their hands and eyes to place lines, colour, paper, and clay in an exact spot, fostering their spatial sense, and using their hands intentionally. Through art, your kids can learn how much they can do with their senses and enhance coordination.

Cognitive Development

Art supports cognitive development in kids when they make connections between visual ideas, mix colours, and respond to what they see. Art stimulates thinking, and provokes kids into forming inferences and ideas. Geometric patterns in Islamic art and architecture, for example, can be mesmerizing, and compel kids to look for repetition and shapes. Even colouring with crayons can help kids understand the concept of cause and effect as they see the differences in shade that come with putting more pressure on the crayon. Art makes us smarter - what better reason is there to sign your kids up?

Art is Fun

Kids, like most humans, love fun - art is one of the best ways to have a great time. You can get messy and splatter paint around like a mid-century artist, roll and shape handfuls of clay, or tear up a pile of magazines and newspapers for a collage. Children love getting messy and getting their hands into different textures, and art provides the perfect context to make that happen. 

Parents of older kids should be aware that there are even more fun ways to get into art. Photography is an exciting way for teens to capture the world according to their individual style and perspective: making a simple photo essay can support their writing and storytelling skills. Sign your older kids up for a paint nite and enjoy making art as a collective, or download some apps to delve into graphic design. 

Learning Fine Art in Canada

Canada is a country that values the arts and encourages artists to create and contribute to an evolving sense of national identity. Art galleries flourish in every major city, while smaller towns and villages will typically have a place and space to see the artwork of locals.

Aspiring young visual artists can start by finding an art class near their home. Large art galleries like the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto or the Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal regularly host art classes for kids and adults. In any city, you will surely find a neighbourhood art studio where kids can practice a medium or take general art classes. Of course, your kids’ elementary or secondary school will offer art - visual arts is mandatory in most grades and is a popular class.

Get a Private Art Instructor

Save yourself the hassle of coordinating schedules and commutes by hiring a private art teacher for your child or family. Having an art tutor or teacher come to your home is incredibly convenient and cost-effective. Your kids can choose the medium they want to learn, or you can have someone come and create art with your kids while you take care of the million other things parents must handle. Art tutors can develop a plan or program that is specific to your child’s interest, and provide an engaging after school activity. 

Sites like Superprof have an incredible roster of art teachers and tutors near you. Check out their specializations and skills and find the best private art teacher for your family. Take a look at Superprof today!