Creative Arts Preschool in Tarzana & Surrounding Areas

The Importance of Art in Child Development

When we think of child development, we often picture little kids learning to walk, hold and control small items, and say their first words. We often forget about the profound impact an arts education can have on toddlers. At Woodcrest Preschool, our team strives to use art instruction to its full benefit. We implement a range of activities at our creative arts preschool to get children interested and engaged with all types of art. Families come to us from all over the Tarzana, CA area, including the neighborhoods of Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, West Hills, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, and Agoura. But no matter how far your drive is to our preschool, your child will enjoy their first steps into the art world.

Reap the Benefits of All Types of Art

Preschools can benefit from artistic expression in all mediums. We often associate arts and crafts with preschool curriculum, but there are many more types of art that young children can engage with. Activities like painting and drawing may be eye-opening for some children, while others may prefer to try their hand at a musical instrument. Whatever the case for your child, we’ll work to find a form of creative expression that appeals to them. Preschoolers benefit from all these types of art:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Music
• Dance
• Theater
• Sculpture

Art Encourages Growth in a Variety of Areas

An art education is more than just learning to draw or squeak out a few notes on the recorder. Regular art lessons promote growth in a wide variety of areas, many of which don’t appear related to art at all. Thanks to an investment in art instruction, children at Woodcrest Preschool boost their skills in all of the following:

Fine Motor Skills

Children who frequently participate in arts and crafts activities get a leg up on their fine motor skills. These activities involve lots of small movements that allow kids to practice the skills they’ll need for writing. The following tasks can improve fine motor skills and improve children for the kindergarten classroom:

• Holding a pencil or paintbrush
• Using scissors
• Coloring with crayons
• Squeezing glue
• Stringing beads
• Using clothespins
• Finger painting

Decision-Making Ability

Working with visual and performing arts can help children hone their decision-making and critical-thinking skills. Artistic activities are inherently creative, and that means children have the chance to make their own choices when it comes to their art, music, or dance. Exploring these abilities through art expose kids to new experience while allowing them to imagine what’s possible.

Language Development

Arts and crafts go hand-in-hand with preschool language arts activities. Teaching art and music allows children to expand their vocabulary and better recognize colors, shapes, and descriptive words. What’s more, many words related to music and dance are examples of foreign languages, so kids with an art education may have a head start in that regard as well.

Enhanced Cultural Awareness

Cultural awareness is something that comes with time, but preschoolers can start exploring other cultures through art. Just take a look at the art of an African nation compared to a European artist—you’ll find there’s plenty to learn about a culture via the type of art they create! Introducing children to art early allows them to understand and embrace diversity.

Sensory Connections

Art involves nearly all five senses. In small children, using all the senses fires up neural pathways and creates new connections. Implementing activities that involve lots of sensory engagement has been shown to result in the following:

• Well-rounded personality
• Healthy attachment styles
• High self-esteem
• Better overall mental health

Emotional Expression

Opportunities to create art are also an opportunity for emotional expression. Children will have the chance to express their feelings in a way they couldn’t before. Allowing students to safely express their emotions can prepare them to handle big feelings in the future and show them healthy, relaxing outlets for sadness, anger, and frustration.

Social Learning

The arts are often a collaborative experience! Doing creative projects with a friend or dancing with a group teaches children to be patient with others, empathize with them, and use teamwork. Even if your arts and crafts projects are independent, they can still foster conversations, interpersonal understanding, and controlling one’s own emotions.

Combine Art With STEM Subjects

Art doesn’t have to be an island! In fact, children get the most out of an art lesson when creativity is combined with another subject. An arts education fits well with language arts and social studies but can also meld with a STEM lesson. Here are a few ways arts and STEM go together:

Mix With Math

Art includes lots of math concepts, including numbers, counting, and shapes. Students who invest lots of time in art may also have an easier time recognizing patterns and symmetry. The instructors at Woodcrest Preschool are excellent at creating a curriculum that incorporates the best of both subjects, all while making kids feel like they’re playing instead of learning!

Stir in With Science

There’s a whole world of ways to incorporate scientific subjects into an art education! For one, tactile art can go a long way to showing children how textures can change and how colors shift when mixed together. They also get to observe dissolution and basic chemical reactions right before their eyes! Not only can art spark creativity, but it can also set the stage for a love of science.

Ideas for Preschool Arts and Crafts

At Woodcrest Preschool, we introduce children to a wide range of arts and crafts projects. We know that each child is unique and has different aptitudes than their peers. With lots of variety, our instructors hope each child finds something they love. Check out just a few ideas for preschool projects that will spark curiosity in the classroom and at home:

• Painting watercolor portraits
• Finger painting
• Designing collages
• Molding clay sculptures
• Jewelry making with string and beads
• Coloring pictures with crayons or markers
• Creating stuffed animals
• Building picture frames
• Making holiday crafts—Valentine’s cards, Christmas snowmen, or Thanksgiving turkeys

Explore Our Arts Curriculum

Woodcrest Preschool strives to provide children with a well-rounded education that will prepare them for future schooling. As such, we have a strong arts curriculum to supplement STEM, language arts, and physical education. We believe that an investment in the arts is an investment in our kids. If you’d like to learn more about our art programs for preschoolers, get in touch with us.