Pablo Picasso once famously said: "Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." And, according to recent research, he was right.
Whether it be through colouring, sculpting, painting or drawing, art and craft-focused activities like these have been shown to have a huge effect on our health – both physically and mentally.
Especially in children, arts and crafts help foster meaning, showcase creativity and shape their overall sense of purpose. They also allow children to build closer connections with others, helping develop a foundational set of social skills to build on throughout the rest of their lives.
This, in turn, offers a wide array of benefits to their overall mental health – an area becoming increasingly important in light of the recent pandemic and various lockdowns.
In this article, we will not only pinpoint what some of these benefits are but we’ll also outline the science behind them, highlighting why you should encourage your children to take part in more arts and crafts projects this summer.
While you may not think it, children experience stress just like anyone else.
From finding school work overwhelming to having difficulties in social situations, when left unresolved, these feelings of stress can then go on to cause a wide array of other issues, such as sleeping problems, weight gain, anxiety and mood swings.
Fortunately, however, arts and crafts have been proven to ease stress and help children release any pent-up emotions they might be feeling in their day-to-day life.
Activities like drawing or painting, for example, reduce levels of cortisol in the brain – a hormone typically associated with stress. Because of this, these hobbies can then limit the onset of mental health conditions in later life, like anxiety, insomnia and depression.
Since occupational therapy first came about in the late 19th century, craft-based courses have often been prescribed to patients struggling with anxiety, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These courses come in all shapes and sizes – from baking to knitting to gardening – and particularly centre around stimulating the hormones that promote joy and well-being.
The repetitive actions these arts and crafts involve help provide children’s minds with a healthy distraction and reduce activity in the amygdala – a region of the brain associated with processing fears and negative thoughts.
As a result, children can then develop an effective coping mechanism against any fears, phobias or feelings of anxiety that would have normally gone on to affect their mental health.
While on the topic of stress, the sense of satisfaction received from participating in arts and crafts activities can drastically impact a child’s mood.
During a study published by University College London back in 2018, engaging with visual arts was shown to increase the release of dopamine – a neurotransmitter also known as the 'happy hormone'.
Because of this, children tend to become happier and a lot more fulfilled when they take part in arts and crafts activities – and especially those centred around working with clay or textiles.
According to a study published by Textile The Journal of Cloth and Culture, for example, 81% of people who knit were said to feel happier as a result.
Here at Camp Beaumont, we have witnessed first-hand the impact that arts and crafts can have on the mental health of children.
Our adventure camps are designed to bring the very best out of your children, offering a platform to improve their overall sense of well-being while enjoying an unforgettable experience.
To book your child’s place on one of our activity camps, simply call our customer service team today on 01603 851000 or visit here to book online.
What's more, is that we want to support children's development both inside and outside of camps, so why not download our fun activity pack below to continue the fun at home:
You’re the only camp in the area that has truly made an effort to provide a great offering during these current times. You have saved me from insanity and provided my children some normality during the summer holidays and half term.
