Even at a young age, art therapy can be beneficial. A large part of a child’s development is being able to be creative and learn how to express themselves. Art therapy gives children the opportunity to do both in a safe environment. Some common art therapy goals for young children are sensory awareness and integration, problem-solving skills, identification and expression of feelings, and increased self-esteem.

Here are a few examples of how to these apply common goals to art therapy interventions.

• Sensory awareness and integration – Art therapy can be helpful for children with sensory issues. One way to work with children on this is to create a sensory collage. By using different types of fabrics, textures, colors, and paper to create a collage, a child can be introduced to sensory objects in a safe environment.
• Problem solving skills – Developing problem solving skills for young children can increase their ability to come up solutions and positive behavior choices. One way to use art therapy for problem solving is to present a child with the problem and have them draw solutions to the problem. This gives them a visual representation of what they can do and may give them a better understanding of how to solve problems in the future.
• Exploring feelings – Sometimes young children have a difficult time communicating their feelings. One art therapy intervention could be to draw all their different feelings and then have a discussion on when they experience each feeling. This may help children to externalize their feelings and understand what triggers their feelings.
• Increased self-esteem – At a very young age, children start to develop self-esteem. Learning a new skill can help to increase their self-esteem and feel more confident. An art therapy intervention could be to teach them a new art skill, like introducing them to a new art medium. While this may seem intimidating at first for the child, the child’s ability to develop a new skill will help their self-identity and self-esteem.

Children are never too young to be creative. It is important that their creativity is fostered in a way that is beneficial to them. Art therapy is just one way that children can be creative while gaining the skills that can help them in their development.

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