Children's Physical Development and Art

When considering a child's artistic ability it is important to take into account not only their exposure to the arts, their access to materials, their development of imagination through free play, and normal brain development, but also the skeletal structure of a child's hands! Children under the age of 8 do not have the bone structure sufficient to engage in fine motor skills for an extended amount of time. This is another reason I encourage explorative art under the age of 8. This can be building with blocks, finger painting, etc. It's also a good time to train their developing hands to hold pencils correctly, but we shouldn't expect them to spend lots of time with a pencil or a brush, as it is contrary to their natural development. The development of gross motor skills and experiencing the world around them using their whole body greatly enhances a child's ability to create better art and express themselves as they get older.