Celebrate World Art Day with Creativity Not Clutter

Every April 15th, focus turns to the fine arts and the role they've played in human history as we celebrate World Art Day, which is also a commemoration of the birthday of famed Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci. Famous works of art, theatre, music, and performance are celebrated around the globe, as are the stories they tell and the cultures upon which they reflect.

Art plays a very important role in the well-being of both children and families, especially as we all make the best of long periods spent safely in our homes. There are many benefits to be sought from engagement with the fine arts for both children and adults, but our little ones are especially in need of the kind of structure, creative release, and cognitive boosts that art can provide.

Learning to make room for and emphasize creativity as a part of daily routines can be very helpful to kids. Shifting priorities in this way can lead to improved moods, the creation of new structures, increased feelings of well-being, and a sense of motivation that we can all benefit from during challenging times. With a bit of forethought, implementing new art-focuses time and tools into your parenting repertoire can also be paired with your desire to minimize mess and chaos.

Five Tips for More Art and Less Chaos

• Make regular time for art: Setting aside specific, regular time intervals for open creativity or to work on ongoing projects helps to make art a part of kids' routines, which offer comfort and structure that can help to boost focus and improve behavior.

• Watch videos and tutorials online to prepare: There are many fun, kid-appropriate drawing and painting tutorials online which can serve as great inspiration to get creative; as a plus, these tutorials tend to demonstrate supplies being used in an organized fashion, so it's a good way to prompt and guide kids into using organization skills while working.

• Choose gear that helps them stay organized: Art stations that offer organizational space and kid-friendly storage bins will give them a place to store their supplies so that they won't get lost and will minimize the appearance of clutter in their art area. Speaking of which:

• Devote one space to art: By declaring one zone of the house as the "art area", you can help to minimize clutter and chaos by containing potentially messy art projects into a space that's easy to clean, like a playroom or a kids' table in the kitchen or dining room.

• Make a ritual out of setup and cleanup: Helping kids form a routine centered around taking out only the supplies they need to get started and putting everything away when they're finished can help to build mindful habits and add a bit of structure to creative time.

Want to learn more about the many ways that arts education benefits our kids? Check out We The Parents' handy infographic, which details 51 science-backed benefits of studying art.

Guest Article by Neve Spicer of We the Parents