SINGAPORE - Most parents in Singapore do not engage in arts and crafts activities with their children on a regular basis, a survey by a group of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students has found.
Only 9.4 per cent of 116 parents of children aged four to seven polled engaged in arts and crafts activities with their children more than once a week.
Nearly four in 10 either do not carry out such activities with their children or did so just once a month.
Ms Bridget Hsu, 22, who spoke on behalf of the NTU team, said this is because parents have many misconceptions about such activities. "They think that for their children to do arts and craft, they need to spend money to send them to an arts and crafts studio."
The lack of time is also a reason.
"After coming home late from work, parents will forego doing any arts and crafts activities with their children because they feel that doing so takes a lot of time and energy," she added.
But research has found that instilling creativity in young children is important in preparing them for life.
For instance, the International Child Art Foundation, an American organisation, said the skill of thinking creatively developed in children when they are exposed to arts and crafts helps them to be original and innovative - key attributes for individual success and social prosperity.
"Arts and crafts is very important and is a good activity for parents to do with their children," said Dr Nirmala Karuppiah, head of education at the National Institute of Education's Centre for Research in Child Development.
"The best way for young children to grow is through play and interacting with real objects because they feel more engaged when they are exposed to multi-sensory hands-on activities," she had told the NTU team during their research.
The team hopes to raise awareness about the importance of arts and crafts for children through the survey and a campaign called Krafty Kids.
The team, which also includes students Sheryl Tan, 22, Jovin Sia, 23 and Louise Ng, 22, conducted six free workshops last weekend (Feb 22 and 23) to help parents facilitate arts and crafts activities for their children.
"Doing arts and crafts is actually a time for parents and children to be creative together. It doesn't need to be a long, arduous process. It can just be something short," Ms Hsu said.
Her team also hoped to show parents that arts and crafts did not need to be an expensive activity.
During each 45-minute session, parents worked with their children to create a kangaroo diorama out of recycled materials such as used shoe boxes.
Ms Sarah Lam, 35, a stay-at-home mother, took her 4½-year-old daughter and 23-month-old son to the workshop.
She said she loved the workshop, as her children enjoyed it very much. "I will attempt to restart regular and purposeful crafting for both my kids," she added.
