There are many art mediums through which children can learn to express themselves. An often overlooked one is sewing. Learning to control thread and fabric, and how to creatively use these to express themselves, can be a rewarding experience for artists of all ages.
While sewing can result in creating something beautiful and/or useful, it can also be an enjoyable pursuit for children to develop important skills. Small finger muscles are used as this artist draws with a pencil, snips with scissors, and stitches with a needle. Her hand-eye coordination skills are honed as she engages in these activities.
Freely experimenting and observing her progress as she works, the artist learns cause and effect. This results in her ability to set goals for herself, make important choices and work hard to achieve those. Making mistakes is natural. Learning from them requires an opportunity to do so through hands-on experience.
As the artist develops her sewing skills, she can also come up with projects to create in the future. Her knowledge of patterns, counting and symmetry will apply not only in the art studio, but also in the classroom and other real world experiences.
There are no right or wrong ways to sew. Experimenting and exploring what works is how an artist makes connections. Providing young artists and seamstresses with a safe environment and the tools for exploration will lead to their increased ability to try new things, master techniques, and become proficient at creating. The most important thing is that enjoy the experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment