(WMS) - Encouraging a young child's love of art and creating things by hand doesn't have to stop as that child gets older. In fact, Nina Jensen of New York's Bank Street College of Education says, "Art plays a significant part in developing a whole human being and helps a child think and see in new ways."
     The key to keeping children interested in creative and imaginative ways of expressing themselves can be as simple as having a handy place to keep art supplies.
"A bright plastic bin that's portable will do," says Jan Tackett, Academic Chair for Graphic Design at The Art Institute of Colorado. "Local crafts stores are a great place to find one. Have your child put his or her name on it. It's something all their own that they can carry with them to create art whenever the mood strikes."
     As Chair of the Graphic Design department of The New England Institute of Art & Communications, Stephanie Warnesky believes that arts and crafts projects are an ideal way to develop a young child's sense of design. "These kinds of projects help a child develop not only hand- eye coordination, but also such useful skills as following directions, planning, organizing," says Warnesky.
      This season, instead of having children draw an image on a greeting card, keep colored paper or scrap materials handy and have them create and glue a holiday design on the front. Children who use their hands to manipulate materials through gluing and cutting learn about coordination and dexterity, according to Warnesky. Being able to "draw" at this stage is not as important as learning about hand control, patience and the use of color and shape.
     For older children, ages 12 and up, Diane Masuda of The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago suggests crafts such as beading, which introduces color and texture concepts that can be incorporated into art forms like jewelry design. According to Masuda, older children can also enjoy creating computer-generated images on T-shirts, for example. "Young teenagers really enjoy wearing artwork they've created. Programs like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop are good places to start," she says.
      All agree on frequent trips to museums, as children get older. This is especially helpful in keeping older children exposed to many different forms of visual expression. Plan a trip to a local museum this holiday season and let your child be the guide. Then they may point out what they like and why. Whether a child likes to draw, build or compose, encouraging their interests can help bring color, life and meaning to their world.