It's not just play!! ✨️🧡🎨
24th Mar 2025
Playing with dough, painting, and crafting provide a wide range of educational benefits for our children, supporting their cognitive, motor, emotional, and social development in various ways.
1. Fine Motor Skills Development
Dough Play: Strengthens hand muscles and improves dexterity, which is essential for writing.
Painting: Enhances hand-eye coordination and brush control.
Crafting: Develops precision through activities such as cutting, gluing, and threading.
2. Creativity and Imagination
Encourages self-expression and original thinking.
Helps children explore colours, textures, and shapes in unique ways.
Fosters problem-solving skills by experimenting with materials and techniques.
3. Cognitive and Language Skills
Supports early maths skills by recognising shapes, sizes, and patterns.
Enhances spatial awareness through sculpting and assembling crafts.
Encourages language development as children describe their creations and the process.
4. Emotional and Social Growth
Provides a stress-relieving, therapeutic activity.
Builds patience and perseverance as they work on projects.
Encourages collaboration and communication when working in groups.
5. Sensory Exploration and Scientific Understanding
Dough play introduces tactile learning, improving sensory processing.
Painting and crafting introduce basic scientific concepts (e.g. mixing colours, how materials interact).
Helps children explore cause-and-effect relationships.
6. Independence and Confidence Building
Encourages decision-making and personal choices in creative work.
Builds confidence as they complete and showcase their projects.
Helps them take ownership of their learning process.
These hands-on activities are not only enjoyable but also crucial for child development.
St Josephs Primary School, 1a Slate St, Cullingtree Road, Belfast BT12 4LD Phone: 028 9032 3683