Why Do Teachers Recommend Paint by Numbers for Young Minds?

 

Teachers, parents, and psychologists often emphasise the importance of creative activities in the early stages of a child's development. While subjects like math, reading, and science may be more important, creative activities that promote creativity, concentration, and emotional development (like Painting!) are an equally important part of the development process in young children. One activity that teachers advocate for children is painting, and in particular, guided painting such as Paint by Numbers.

What appears to be just a simple art medium can have great benefits for developing skills, creativity, and emotional health for young learners. Let's look further at how teachers encourage students to engage in this fun activity.

A Gentle Introduction to Creativity

The white sheet of paper or canvas can be overwhelming for children. They may freeze, not knowing what to draw or how to make a mistake. Paint by Numbers is a relaxing way to engage students with art. They follow outlines, choose colours and match colours to numbers and feel empowered without concern for being perfect. 

Teachers see that this structure helps kids find an enjoyable experience in creativity without requiring them to invent something out of thin air. There may come a time when that confidence allows kids to try freehand drawing or other creative activities.

Strengthening Focus and Patience

In the classroom, teachers struggle with helping children develop the ability to concentrate on a task for long periods. Paint by Numbers naturally develops focus. Each number section requires careful painting within the lines. This type of activity helps children strengthen their concentration skills, which can be transferred to their education. A child can wait patiently while filling in the numbered spaces on the canvas, and maintaining focus is more likely to translate to educational purposes also such as math, reading comprehension, or writing.

Fine Motor Skills Development

One additional motivation teachers suggest using this activity is because of its influence on almost all aspects of physical development. Whereas painting is not usually associated with hand skills, painting does require hand movement that is very precise, which affects fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are critical to writing, using scissors, tying shoes, and many other daily acts. 

When children paint, they are building the small muscles in their hands/fingers that help make classroom tasks successful and fun.

Emotional Growth and Stress Relief

School can be a stressful place for some children. Schools can have high achievement expectations, social pressures, busy schedules, and a variety of factors that can influence distress in children or adolescents.  Painting is one form of emotional expression. Children who are engaged in creative activities often find it easier to regulate emotions and cope with issues. 

Teachers recognise this relaxed state. When children paint, they take time away from the hectic pace of a classroom and return, often more upbeat and less anxious, to their studies. Research shows us that a calm mind is ready to learn!

Learning Through Structure

Creativity is important, but structure is also important in early childhood education. Paint by Numbers provides the essential balance to be creative and structured! Students will follow an instruction sheet, match a number to a colour, and work in a step-by-step format. This structured approach teaches responsibility and shows children that following directions leads to accomplishments and success. However, because the results are colourful paintings, the children can also see that structure and creativity can complement one another.

Visual and Cognitive Skill 

Colouring by Numbers provides children with opportunities to see relationships between patterns, shapes, and colour. These visual-spatial skills will all support learning in subjects such as geometry, science, or reading. Arranging how different sections of a picture all fit together is similar to how a group of words creates a sentence or a group of numbers can create an equation.

While working on these visual practices, children's brains are getting stronger, and that will help with learning!

Building Confidence and Self-Esteem

Every completed painting gives children a sense of accomplishment. When they step back and see the beautiful image they have made, they feel proud of themselves. This pride leads to self-esteem, which gives them the desire to try new things. 

Teachers see the importance of accomplishment. Students who feel capable in one area are often more inclined to try in other areas. For students who have difficulty academically, a sense of accomplishment in painting may provide the confidence boost that is needed.

Encouraging Lifelong Creativity

In teaching, we understand that habits formed in childhood can last a lifetime. Incorporating early learning experiences pertaining to paint allows for a higher likelihood for children to embrace it as a form of creativity, which can often persist into adulthood as a calming, enjoyable hobby.

In a similar vein, creativity is not limited to children. Many adults report finding similar joy and relaxation within similar activities, as indicated by the adult popularity of Paint by Numbers. We often suggest that if adult structured painting can help adult participants de-stress and reconnect with their creativity, the possibilities for children's development of foundational skills can be limitless.

A Screen-Free Activity

In an age where screens consume so much of our daily rituals, educators are constantly searching for activities that keep kids engaged and remove the accessibility of digital components. In this context, painting is a tactile hobby (it doesn't require any technology or electronics), and allows children to disconnect, something we should all manage per a daily dosage of screen time.  

Teachers value this aspect of screen-free painting because it simplifies making wealthier lifestyle choices and strengthens sleep, attention, and collaboration.

Inclusive and Accessible

Not every child is good at sports or "school" academic subject areas, but painting offers an opportunity to include everyone, regardless of their ability. Since there are explicit and simple instructions, kids with different skill levels can produce beautiful results. 

When kids have specialised kits, like Paint by Numbers for kids, the task is further simplified, with larger sections, fewer colour options, and age-appropriate themes. The positives of paint kits are that teachers can assign groups of painting, and all kids experience and realise the benefits of painting (without crying).

Social and Family Benefits

Educators also see painting as a collaborative experience and an opportunity to strengthen the bond between families. In the classroom, painting or paint-by-numbers can foster collaboration in a group project. In a family setting, families can paint together to create shared interactions, memory-producing time together and deepen their bond and engagement with each other.

This collaboration later in life promotes the development of social skills, like communicating, taking turns and waiting for your turn, and sharing - all skills that are needed in school and the world.

Why Teachers Recommend It

At the end of the day, teachers support paint-by-numbers as it helps develop the whole child: fine motor skills, attention span, self-esteem, creativity, and emotional relief. Paint-by-numbers is fun, done away from screens, and universal – and that's something all the parents and educators can support. 

Furthermore, the enjoyment doesn't stop when childhood ends. The popularity of Paint by Numbers for adults demonstrates that paint-by-numbers is effective at all ages. What starts out as a guided activity in childhood can become a lifelong habit of mindfulness, relaxation, and creativity.

Conclusion

Although paint-by-numbers seems elementary, it can have a powerful effect on a young brain. Educators recommend it not only as an activity, but also as an experience that helps develop skills. It helps develop skills that directly relate to academics, emotionality, and personal confidence. It represents one avenue into creativity that children can take through adulthood. 

When beginning with paint by numbers with children, they learn structure, patience, and enjoyment while generating art. And, as educators delved into, these painting process skills extend beyond the canvas and are great preparatory skills for school and life!