One of the joys of summer is the stretch of long, lazy days without the children having a schedule: no timetable, no studying, no driving them here, there and everywhere.

On the other hand, one of the downsides of summer is the stretch of long, lazy days without the children having a schedule: the boredom that sets in halfway through the third week of July, the squabbling and the dramatic huffing and puffing as they flop about here, there and everywhere.

This is a common parental conundrum: the children need a break from their studying but they also need something to stimulate and occupy them over the summer.

The school year is dominated by the pursuit of academic success that is so important for every child’s future – however, this means that the creative arts are often overlooked completely or at least ranked quite low in the list of priorities. Yet it is the creative children of today who will become the innovators of tomorrow. Would we have the smartphones and tablets we have all become so reliant on if not for the creativity of people like Steve Jobs?

Creativity needs to be nurtured and allowed to blossom if it is to be productive in the future

Yet being innately creative is not enough: creativity needs to be nurtured and allowed to blossom if it is to be productive in the future.

Introducing children to the creative arts gives them an outlet for self-expression that may lead to a lifelong hobby, passion or career. Allowing children to try their hand at something new, away from the pressures of tests and exams will also free them from the fear of failure – and we all need to learn how to cope with the bitter taste of failure. This world of imagination and experimentation can encourage children to develop problem-solving skills and discover new experiences.

Perhaps Einstein had the right idea when he said, “creativity is contagious, pass it on”.

Art

Whether it is drawing, sculpting or photography, art can open up a whole new world for children as it teaches them to really see the world around them. Various studies have linked this ability to observe the details of daily life with increased happiness.

Art helps younger children develop the fine motor skills they will need at school while older children will benefit from an improved understanding of perspectives. Drawing and painting have long been recognised as a means of self-expression, helping us express emotions that cannot be explained verbally. Furthermore, children learn that their decisions have consequences on the outcome of their work and as they enjoy the fruit of their own decision-making, they are likely to gain more self-belief.

Music

Research has found that children who learn music are likely to perform better in languages and have better reasoning skills. Playing a musical instrument also enhances a child’s coordination and dexterity as they learn to read and play the music simultaneously.

Young musicians learn to be self-critical, evaluating their own playing and noting the sometimes minute differences that make a big difference to the end result. Finally music teaches perseverance, focus and discipline because it takes many hours of practice to be able to play a piece of music well.

Choir singing

Singing in a choir brings with it many of the benefits of music, improves children’s language and math skills while fostering a sense of community and volunteering that playing an instrument often does not.

Choristers are essentially teammates, working for a common goal and children will benefit from learning that there is a time to shine and a time to take on a supporting role. According to the Chorus Impact Study (2009), 70 per cent of parents reported a marked improvement in their child’s memory since joining a choir.

Dance

Similarly to music, dance enhances discipline, practice and focus while instilling an appreciation of culture. Dancing is also an aerobic exercise which, through its repetitive nature, can correct poor posture as well as improve muscle tone and stamina.

While dancing is a fun way to help children improve their coordination, rhythm and balance, it has also been found to be beneficial in improving fine motor skills when practising smaller movements. Dance is a form of non-verbal storytelling and dancers become more aware of nonverbal communication in everyday life. Above all, most children enjoy dancing, making it an excellent avenue for stress relief and relaxation.

Drama

Drama has been found to increase a child’s self-confidence and belief in their academic abilities. It has also been proven to improve students’ understanding of literature, not only those passages that they are called upon to act out but also of other literary works, general writing, idioms and expressions.

It is perhaps unsurprising that youths who participate in drama are more proficient in public speaking than their peers. With presentations becoming a mainstay of many educational courses and in many business scenarios, this is no small advantage.

Creative writing

Creative writing might sound like just another extension of school but it has great benefits. Encouraging your children to write their own stories will serve to increase their vocabulary while stimulating their imagination and encouraging them to see the world differently.

As young writers create the fictional characters that will flesh out the story, they might well be expressing their own emotions. And since telling a story entails changing perspectives, writing also enhances children’s empathy.