Doodling: An art form that benefits kids in more ways than one  

Everyone is familiar with the benefits of art. From improving concentration to acting as a medium for self-expression, it is packed with a plethora of benefits. However, some art forms are perpetually underrated. Doodling is one such form, which is not taken seriously by the art community. But research suggests that it a great tool for developing mindfulness. It lends a sense of escape and calmness. So, encourage your child to indulge in doodling sometimes. And the best part? One does not need to have exceptional artistic talents for it! Here are the top 3 benefits of this underrated art form.  

Activate multiple senses 

Doodling is not just an effective tool to calm the mind. It uses different senses and is multi-modal in nature. It engages the mind, the hand as well as vision. If your child is listening to an informational video or a lecture which is seemingly mundane, encourage her to use doodling (of course, without using it as a distraction) as a tool to keep herself engaged in the talk. Since the senses are activated through this act, it will allow her to pay more attention to what is being said. 

Improves memory 

Doodling has a significant impact on one’s memory. This is because while doodling, your child will not just be sitting and listening. As mentioned before, it uses one’s eyesight, hearing, mental focus and hand movements to creating drawings and scribbles. When more senses are involved and engaged, it becomes easier to pay attention to what is being shown/ said to a person. It pushes the brain to turn complex concepts into simpler visual elements. The next time your teen is trying to memorise something, ask him to doodle the key aspects of the information. He can get as creative as he wants with it. These visual representations are easier to remember, and have the ability to convey more information.   

Helps to simplify complex information 

When it comes to studies, more often than not, theory-based information is represented in long paragraphs and pages full of notes. However, this can be quite a chore for your kid to understand. In order to tackle this, help your child to break down complex information and verbal content into images using her creativity. For example, if he is trying to understand how the water cycle works, help him to draw the water, the clouds, the sky, etc. and create links between them. Converting abstract concepts into scribbles and drawings can help her explore a topic in greater depth.