Why Art and Creativity Are Important

Want your child to get the most out of making art? Let her create in her own way at her own pace.

By Paula Bernstein

Your preschooler is having a blast finger-painting with a mix of colors. Trying to be encouraging, you ask her, "What are you making?" and she shrugs. Until you mentioned it, she hadn't given it any thought.

Little kids are masters of the moment—they love the way it feels when they smear paint on paper, how it looks when they sprinkle glitter, and even the soft sound a brush makes as it crosses the page, says Amy Yang, founder of Brooklyn Design Lab, an art school for children.

Unlike older kids and adults, most toddlers and preschoolers aren't self-conscious about what they're doing or focused on creating a finished product. That can be hard for parents to accept, says Lisa Ecklund-Flores, cofounder and executive director of Church Street School for Music and Art, in New York City. But letting go—and allowing kids to enjoy the process of creation—can reap big rewards. "Children will be better off in the long run if they're allowed just to be in the moment and express themselves," she says.