After hearing from parents who wished their children with special needs had more opportunities to engage with the society around them, one art initiative is stepping up to make that happen. An art foundation and a Singaporean government program are teaming up to help students with special needs and those without interact on a creative level — with art.
Groups of students from several different schools participated in the special program, meeting collectively at an art gallery to tour the displays together and take part in creatively geared projects. Hundreds of children visited the gallery as a part of the initiative, interacting with one another and the art that was on display, which was tailored to be child friendly. Young students giggled at displays of reptiles eating dessert items, as well as a jumping activity that led to a representation of the moon. Hands-on activities, like making a rocket ship out of reusable materials, kept children engaged with the special program.
About one-third of the children in the tour had special needs, and the rest of the group were older children, serving as mentors and examples to the rest of the kids. In addition, several older children volunteered to help lead the tours and hands-on projects throughout the trip. The engagement became a special way for children from all walks of life and experiences to relate to one another, building an interaction that the parents of the children with special needs craved. The benefits were multiple. Not only did special needs children get a chance to play with other children around their age, the other students had the opportunity to understand that they had more in common with the special needs children than they might have previously thought — including an enjoyment for arts and crafts. One of the biggest goals of the initiative was met, expanding the social circles of some of the special needs children to include other children. In the future, it wouldn’t be very much of a stretch to assume that these different children would want to play together some more, making connections with each other that could very well be lifelong friendships. It’s important to have such programs to give children the opportunity to better understand the differences and similarities among them.
If you’re stuck wondering how to keep your children entertained throughout the summer without school, consider signing them up for art classes through SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com offers a comprehensive listing of different classes for artists of all ages and abilities right on its website, meaning that you won’t waste any of your precious time having to shop around from studio to studio for that perfect class. Age-appropriate art lessons on recycled art, watercolor painting, sculpture, and much more are available to entertain and inform your child and perhaps even ignite a passion for art and creativity that was previously undiscovered.
To learn more about the special art project, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/art-brings-together-kids-with-special-needs-those-without.