Arts & Crafts and Your Child

Art and creativity are essential to every child’s development, that’s why children naturally incorporate creativity and art into their daily play and why arts and crafts are an essential element in elementary classrooms around the world.

By fostering your child’s creative and artistic instincts you help them express their feelings and emotions in a healthy way. The imagination used in music, arts and crafts nurtures problem-solving skills, fine-motor skills and emotional development.

You can start by providing your child with materials as simple as paper and crayons, and when they’re ready, give them the tools to enhance and develop their artistic and creative experiences. Here are some of our favourite toys for future artists:

Hape Art Easel

This all in one easel unlocks the creative spark in your child. They can paint and draw on the paper roll, or draw using chalk on the magnetic blackboard. The height can be adjusted to stay with your child as they grow and become better artists. Children can use paints and crayons to learn the names of new colours and shapes or simply to express themselves.

Etch a Sketch Free Style

The Etch a Sketch Free Style is a new spin on a traditional favourite. It allows children to express their artistic side while eliminating any messy clean up. Children can draw on the board and when they are finished simply shake the board to reveal a clean slate where they can start again.

Unlike the classic Etch a Sketch, the Free Style presents the possibility to alternate between thin and thick lines or use double- sided stampers. Now with more opportunity for self-expression, the Etch a Sketch Free Style is the perfect arts and crafts toy.

Playdoh Touch Shape to Life Studio

Playdoh has been a hit among children forever. There is something about squishing the bright colours between their fingers that no child can resist. The Playdoh Touch Shape to Life Studio brings playdoh creations to life in a virtual world. Using an electronic device with the corresponding app, kids can use the character and action stampers to unlock unique personalities and worlds for their playdoh creations and they can save them so that they can play with them again for days to come.

Lite Brite

Another update on a classic favourite, the Lite Brite is a great toy for kids interested in arts and crafts. It comes complete with a light screen, coloured pegs that are different shapes and sizes and stencils. Children place the pegs on the light screen to illuminate the patterns they have created either by following the stencil or using their imagination.

The Lite Brite provides children with both the opportunity to use their imagination and follow instructions and enhance their fine-motor skills using the pre-made stencils.

Kinetic Sand Frozen Shimmering Sand Kit

Kinetic Sand never dries out and is easy to clean up and put away, which is why it’s a favourite for both kids and parents. Playing with Olaf and his Frozen friends will result in hours of endless fun. The Kinetic Sand Shimmering Snow Kit comes with all the moulds, sand and accessories your child will need to engage their imagination as they create their own Frozen story.

The skills children gain through the arts and creativity will never go to waste. Art exercises a child’s brain, allows them to be creative and provides an outlet for them to reveal and express themselves whether it’s through visual art, song, dance or drama. Try some of these toys to help your child start exploring their creative side.