While it’s certainly important for children to stay physically active at camp, art programs cultivate your child’s inner creativity and intellect — making them as well-rounded as can be. Whether it’s our Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, Fashion Design, or our GIFT and LuHi Country Day Programs, we offer our campers a chance to show their creativity. Here at LuHi, we have our own dedicated Performing Arts Center, where kids can experience a number of diverse programs. Here’s a look at some of the benefits art programs can provide your child.
Art Programs Improve Critical Thinking
When it comes to the advantages of arts programs, one way your child can benefit is by improving their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking involves a number of skills crucial to your child’s growth and development, including decision making, problem solving, research, and curiosity.
Putting your child in an art program presents them numerous opportunities to challenge their mind. For example, examining a Picasso painting requires time, patience, and a concerted effort to break down the finer details. Furthermore, it cultivates powerful observational and analytical skills, as your child will learn to dissect all the small elements that ultimately make up the whole art piece. Deciphering the meaning behind said art pieces is another part of developing a child’s critical thinking.
At LuHi, our very own Performing Arts Center houses several programs that your child can partake in — from our Visual Arts program to our Theater & Performing Arts programs. On top of that, we have a Fashion Design program! And if your child wants to combine athletics and art, our Dance and our Kickline, Dance, & Pom programs will surely get your child moving!
Fostering Creativity in Your Child
Outside of examining art pieces, art programs also foster creativity in your child. With just a pen and paper, or a brush and canvas, your child has a fruitful outlet to express themselves without words. Simple brushstrokes and drawings allow for your child to process things in their mind that words simply cannot express.
Art allows your child to express their utmost original thoughts and feelings, while also taking risks with their creative choices. It also creates more empathy in your child, as they learn to suspend disbelief and judgment, while also bucking traditional norms in favor of what’s really inside of them. This, in turn, creates an outside-of-the-box thinking perspective for your child — a valuable trait your child will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Art Programs and Brainpower
According to Education Week, a rigorous study concluded that, “Perhaps, the arts encourage students to be more engaged in school, improve graduation rates, and increase college attendance, all of which tend to contribute to happiness and productivity.”
Not only do art programs improve critical thinking and foster creativity, but they also have quite an impact on the brain. A study conducted by the University College London found that “when you look at art – whether it is a landscape, a still life, an abstract or a portrait – there is strong activity in that part of the brain related to pleasure.”
The study continued, [We placed] people in a scanner and showed them a series of paintings every ten seconds,” and the results were abundantly clear. “The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation directly to the brain.” Food for thought!
Art Programs at LuHi
Over the summer we offer a number of athletic-based activities here at LuHi — but it’s great to break the physical time up with some intellectual development. With our five art programs — Dance; Kickline, Dance, & Pom; Visual Arts; Fashion Design; and Theatre & Performing Arts — there’s something here for every child to express themselves artistically!
We also have a variety of Arts Programs offered throughout the school year via the LuHi Arts Academy! Character Design, Soul Drumming, and Musical Theatre are just a few of the many enriching experiences your child can be a part of. Learn more about LuHi Arts Academy here!
To learn more about our art programs, visit our programs page and our Map Blog to discover more, and plan a tour today!
