Child development: How important is painting

Painting is always an expression of creativity. This form of expression plays an important role in children's development. It influences, among other things, the emotional, cognitive and social development of the offspring.

From the first strokes with a pen to complex drawings, painting not only supports artistic skills, but also children's fine motor skills, the much-quoted hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills (hm, how do I paint that now?) as well as the little ones' general self-confidence when the work is completed.

Painting promotes intelligence

The more often a child draws, the more accurate the picture of the world around him or her will be. Drawing and painting promote both analytical thinking and the ability to perceive in children.

In order to create a picture, the object in question must not only be carefully inspected but also analyzed in terms of its characteristic features. For this reason, the child's language development is also supported by painting, because there is always a linguistic connection to what is being painted. New connections are continually being created in the brain through the use of pen and paper.

In general, activities such as painting and drawing are a real brain workout. The more often children use brushes and pencils, the stronger the connections in the brain between the individual nerve cells become. For younger children, this is particularly important. Pictures to color recommended. But we are also talking about independent painting at a young age. 

There are now various scientific studies that show that children who already have good painting skills in kindergarten perform better in intelligence tests in primary school. However, such data should be treated with caution. However, it is an irrefutable fact that a large number of cognitive skills are trained through painting, which are also important for general intelligence.

Increased self-confidence through painting

Because the brain is trained through painting, the little ones also get the feeling that they can influence their environment and their lives. In this way, they overcome fears of complex issues and the small challenges of everyday life. This phenomenon is also known as self-efficacy. It gives children a positive basic feeling.

This also explains why children are very proud of every work of art they create. Parents can further support this positive feeling by reacting attentively and with interest to their child's painting results.

Of course, not every little scribble needs to be praised to the highest degree, but children should still engage with the picture. In this context, teachers recommend, for example, asking the little ones to tell you something about their picture.

Parents can also give their children special tasks (just try it…). In addition, ambition will certainly be awakened if the parents give the little ones a Have a portrait of yourself painted. and thus create a personal connection for the children. With our coloring pages, we can estimate quite well how complex the creation of portraits is. Drawing portraits by hand requires a deep understanding of human anatomy, proportions and shading, which means a high level of skill and practice. The ability to capture a person's emotions and personality on a two-dimensional medium without technical aids makes it a real and traditional art form that combines both technical skill and creative interpretation. Of course, you can't expect that from the children, but painting your own family is exciting.

Painting as an exercise for children's creativity

In general, parents should refrain from giving instructions and making judgements about their children's attempts at painting. The little ones let their imagination run wild on the page and explore the boundaries between imagination and reality. This encourages their Creativity.

Last but not least, painting also offers an important space for the imagination and personal expression of the children. Children are given the opportunity to express their age-appropriate thoughts and emotions in a non-verbal way.