The Colour of Growth 

In a world where children are spending more time swiping screens than swiping paint across paper, the role of art in child development has never been more urgent. Studies show that the average child now spends over 7 hours a day on digital devices—and less than 20 minutes a week on creative, hands-on activities. While technology can be a wonderful tool, an overreliance on it can limit a child’s ability to imagine, problem-solve, and express emotions in healthy ways.

Art is not just about “making something pretty.” It’s a neurological workout for young minds. Every brushstroke, clay pinch, or splash of colour strengthens the brain’s wiring for critical thinking, empathy, and resilience.

The Science of Little Hands Creating Big Futures

Research from the National Endowment for the Arts and Harvard’s Project Zero has found that children who regularly engage in creative activities:

• Show improved academic performance in subjects like math and reading

• Have higher emotional intelligence, able to recognise and manage their own feelings better

• Develop superior problem-solving skills by learning there’s no single “right” way to complete a project

• Experience lower stress levels, thanks to the meditative, calming effect of focused art-making

When children create, they are also learning persistence. They discover that a smudge can become a shadow, a “mistake” can be turned into something new—and that mindset carries over into how they handle life’s challenges.

A Brush with Confidence – Aisha’s Story

Ten-year-old Aisha came to her first Art Knights session clutching her mother’s hand so tightly you could see her knuckles turn white. She was painfully shy, barely speaking above a whisper in class, and her teachers worried she was falling behind socially.

We began the session with simple colour mixing—yellow and blue to make green, red and white to make pink. Aisha sat quietly, dabbing tiny dots onto her page. About halfway through, she accidentally knocked over a cup of blue paint, spilling it across her paper. Her eyes widened—she looked like she might cry.

One of our facilitators leaned in and said, “Wow, that looks like the start of a waterfall. Do you want to add a rainbow over it?”

Something shifted. Aisha began painting—bold strokes, big arcs of colour. By the end of the class, she was giggling with the girl next to her, swapping paint pots. Over the next few weeks, her mother told us Aisha had started speaking more at home and even volunteered to read in front of her class.

The waterfall painting now hangs framed in her bedroom—a reminder that a mistake can be the beginning of something beautiful.

Why Art Matters More Now

With the pressures of modern schooling, constant testing, and the noise of social media, children need spaces where they can simply be. Art gives them:

• A voice without words – Perfect for children who struggle with verbal expression

• Emotional resilience – Learning that imperfection can lead to beauty

• A safe community – Art classes foster peer support and collaboration

• Imagination as a skill – Which is now considered one of the top three future job competencies by the World Economic Forum