The littlest artists in the family will flourish in a nurturing environment.
Creating these inspiring surroundings in your home is easily done.
By placing art materials in easily accessible areas, children will naturally be drawn to them.
The playthings should not be hidden behind a cupboard door.
There should be no "get it out and put it away fuss" to hinder spur of the moment inspirations.
Creative potential is achievable in every corner of the home.
The following ideas are just a few ways to facilitate artistic development in children.
Draw It, Colour It, Paint It - Picture a shelf of crayons, pencils and markers next to a stack of coloured papers.
What child can resist the opportunity to draw and doodle? When heading out to the park, bring a tote with art pads and coloured pencils.
After vigorous exercise, little ones may want to sit down happily to sketch trees and flowers.
Cut, Glue, Mould and Make - A box of potential invention tools will include scissors, stickers, stencils, paste, mouldable clay, pipe cleaners and various interesting household scraps.
These will become the makings of imaginary worlds, handmade dollhouses, airplanes, puppets, creatures and cars.
Build Up and Tear Down - Conveniently placed bins heaped with building materials, such as wooden blocks and Legos, will provide endless food for creative young minds.
These toys will give rise to fresh constructions and fanciful new structures every day.
Music to Touch - A basket of sounds should be within easy reach.
Small percussion instruments, recorders and whistles will help develop a child's rhythm and a discerning ear for melody.
Recorded music can also be employed as a soothing background for quiet drawing and building activities.
Performance Preparation - This is an area where adult example provides a powerful influence.
A trunk chockfull of costumes and hats, and a nearby mirror encourage dress ups, impromptu skits and family talent shows.
Parents can engage children by presenting dramatic storybook read-alouds and then pausing in appropriate places for the child to insert the sound effects.
After dinner is a natural time for a song fest around the family table.
By giving careful thought to the arrangement of educational toys in the home and the time allotted for imaginative endeavours, parents can make every day an art day.
The arts, when woven into the child's environment and planned into each day, will become a way of life and young artists will blossom and grow.