On the Coast – Families Issue 97 I December/January 2019 | Page 10

Alkira Early Learning Centre
Children thrive
with creative art
“Every child is an artist. The
problem is how to remain an
artist....” Pablo Picasso
Children are naturally creative
beings and their innate urge is to
create and discover using their
imaginations. For children, creative
arts is a time in which they can
express themselves and seek the
enjoyment these experiences bring.
Enjoyment is a key component of
the process of learning for a child.
When a child is having fun, they
become intrinsically motivated to
learn and discover. Art provides
children with the opportunity to
develop their abilities to think of
new ideas, express these ideas,
identify issues and problem solve,
all while having fun. “By encouraging
creativity and imagination, we
are promoting children’s ability
to explore and comprehend their
world and increasing their
opportunities to make new
connections and reach
new understandings”
(Duffy, 2006). All of these
are important life skills,
which, if developed to
their potential, can result
in creative thinkers and
innovative adults for the
future.
Not only does creative
arts have the potential to
develop the brain, create
neural pathways and have
many cognitive benefits
for a child, it also presents
the opportunity to build on
skills and areas such as fine motor, muscle
tone, colour recognition, self-confidence,
literacy, numeracy and science. With all of
these opportunities for development and
learning it is hard to deny that art doesn’t
play a significant role in preparing our
children for formal schooling and beyond
and this is why we at Alkira Early Learning
Centre value art activities so highly.
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KIDZ O N T H E C OA ST
We have been running an art program
at Alkira ELC under the directorship of
Kirsty for the past three years. Having
a qualified art teacher allows us to set
up specialised art experiences such as
working with clay, print making, sculpture,
painting, drawing, drama and many
other art mediums using correct teaching
techniques. The children have embraced
it and more importantly have grown
immensely from these experiences
in all areas of development. The art
program has been so successful
that this year we have introduced
more technical based classes for
our older children. These classes
see the children learning new
techniques where they build on
their capabilities each week. The
art experiences set up for the
children extend right down to our
babies where we focus on sensory
experiences where they explore in
a tactile way and make meaning of
the world around them.
Our families have embraced
the opportunities provided here at
Alkira ELC and often ask for advice
on how they can support their
child’s love of art at home. There
are lots of easy ways to get creative
with your child; just remember
it is not about the end product it
is about the experience and the
process. Providing a wide
range of materials is a
great way to keep the art
experience interesting
for both you and your
child. Materials like paint,
coloured pencils, chalk,
playdough, markers,
crayons, oil pastels,
scissors and stamps are all
great. Mix it up by bringing
in natural materials like
sticks, pine cones, rocks,
sand and flowers. There
is no right or wrong way
to be creative, so instead
of sitting down with a
specific plan or outcome in mind, let your
child explore, experiment and use their
imaginations. You never know you might
rekindle or discover the creative artist in
yourself!
Kirsty Nathwani BA (Theatre)
GradDipEd (Learning & Teaching)
Artist in residence at Alkira ELC