The Power of the Arts: Unlock Creativity, Critical Thinking and Confidence
The arts — dance, music, theater and visual arts — infuse confidence and creativity into your child’s life. An appreciation for art brings beauty and perspective to their experiences. An understanding of art deepens problem-solving skills and promotes collaboration.
Throughout the metro area, families can participate in the arts. Whether this is by visiting a museum, seeing a performance or taking a lesson, introduce your child to the arts early and often. You never know what passion you might spark.
Performing Arts
From singing to acting, playing a musical instrument to dancing, performing arts are entertaining for the audience and a way for those on stage to showcase their talents.
Taste It
Exposing your children to performing arts is a great way to give them an appreciation for the arts at a young age. Being an audience member also teaches them how to show respect for others by being quiet during the performance and applauding when the time is right. The spectacle of a ballet or play can keep a child’s attention longer than you may think. Atlanta boasts many family-friendly options for giving your child a taste of the performing arts, including Center for Puppetry Arts, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and local high school chorus, band and theater shows.
Try It
If your child has shown an interest in the performing arts, fuel that spark with lessons. Your child will have fun while acquiring new life skills. Learning musical notes for singing or playing an instrument is a form of literacy that intersects with math. Dance requires an understanding of how the body works and following directions to complete choreography. Being in a play requires dedication to memorize lines and empathy to understand the role being played. No matter which part of town you live in, there are quality options for performing arts lessons. If you need help narrowing providers down, ask about taking a trial class, read online reviews or consult neighbors on their experiences.
Take It Seriously
Once your budding performer has been in lessons for several months, have a discussion about if he wants to continue and how many resources your family wants to devote to performing arts. For dancers, this might mean a competition team. For a violinist, it could be the chamber orchestra at school plus private lessons. For an actor, it is managing a practice schedule that can be very busy for spurts of time. The benefits of investing in your child’s passion can have a large pay off. Collaborating with like-minded people creates a community of friends for your child while teaching them teamwork and problem-solving skills. Juggling practices with school work and other commitments develops time management skills and helps children understand priorities. Being on stage also boosts self-confidence and creativity.
Visual Arts
Painting, drawing, photography and sculpting are traditional forms of visual art while more modern approaches take on a digital footprint with animation, video editing and 3D modeling. Regardless of medium, visual arts give a unique and beautiful view of the world around us.
Taste It
Introducing your child to visual arts happens naturally in most households. Giving toddlers crayons or fingerpaints and some paper lets them express themselves while helping them develop motor skills. As children get older, you can introduce them to art museums and talk about what you see in the works. This can help them have an appreciation for art, as well as the culture or subject matter it represents. Even while you’re watching their favorite Disney movie, remind them that someone created the characters and setting with their hands (and maybe the help of a computer). The High Museum of Art has a family learning gallery and offers programming for kids, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta boasts a permanent hands-on exhibit all about creativity and the arts.
Try It
Most metro Atlanta schools, public and private, have visual arts classes where students can try their hand at a variety of skills. If your child is showing excitement about her art class projects, set up a space at home with art supplies and permission to be messy. This will boost creativity and fine motor skills. Get your child a digital camera and let him explore the world through pictures. Suggest taking photos of your neighborhood and then invite friends over to see them. There are also studios that offer private or group lessons throughout the city. You can also make it a family affair with a trip to a splatter studio, pottery painting place or woodworking workshop. Remember that you are modeling for your child and art is all about expression, so making it your own is what’s important.
Take It Seriously
If your child shows talent or passion for creating visual art, consider looking into a high school that can deepen knowledge and skills. Atlanta has many private and public options available. There are also specialty summer camps that can immerse children in a creative environment and give them a community of artists to connect with. Digital arts careers are on the rise, so have conversations about what that could mean for your child’s future and explore ways to support that. SCAD Atlanta offers Saturday programs for children as well as Summer Seminars for high school students that have an interest in visual and digital arts. No matter the level of talent or passion for the arts your children may have, exposing them enriches their lives and yours. So, have fun exploring art around Atlanta and appreciating the beauty it brings.
-Tali Benjamin
