Introduction to the Arts: Kids Corner

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, February 26 and April 23, 2006
Show 308

Do you want your kids to get better grades, be creative thinkers, and maybe even be the next Michelangelo or Pablo Picasso? Then introduce them to the world of arts. Even the smallest exposure to the arts can help your children blossom. Compared to their peers, kids involved in the arts are more likely to perform community service, more likely to score higher on their SATs, and the academic skills developed through arts exposure helps kids become more resilient. That means they will be less apt to get mixed up with things that lead to trouble. With budget crunches everywhere, the arts are among the first to get cut. Be supportive by volunteering to help out with arts education. At home, exposing your child to the arts can be as inexpensive as a disposable camera or as expensive as tickets to the theater, or a lifetime of instrument lessons. Take them to a museum or take an art book out of the library. Encourage your children to make greeting cards instead of buying them. Just think how thrilled your mother-in-law will be when she gets a handmade card. Listen to each other's favorite music or go to a free outdoor concert. You can learn a lot about your child by asking them open ended questions about their art work. So when they say, "Look what I made," ask them about it.