Teaching kids social and emotional skills is getting renewed attention, and arts and crafts are a good way to do that, at home as well as at school.

91裸聊视频淎nxiety and depression are on the rise for young people,91裸聊视频� says Melissa Schlinger, a vice-president at the Chicago-based Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, an advocacy and research organization that tries to make social and emotional learning a priority in education.

Jacqueline Jodl, executive director of the Aspen Institute91裸聊视频檚 National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, concurs. 91裸聊视频淔amilies and parents are requesting help with social and emotional learning,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淭eachers also are really starting to express demand for it, and the business community continues to express demand for students with a broader cross-section of skills.91裸聊视频�

Why does art help?

91裸聊视频淏ecause there is a lot of invention and also trials and tribulations that get worked out in the creative process, a child can learn how to manage frustration,91裸聊视频� says Marygrace Berberian, a licensed art therapist and clinical social worker. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e also learning to connect to more emotional aspects of themselves that are not necessarily encouraged in other aspects of their lives.91裸聊视频�

Four ways to more intentionally integrate social and emotional learning into youth art projects, at home, school or anywhere:

1. Consider the specific needs of the child when selecting materials.

91裸聊视频淎rt materials range from being controlled to very expressive,91裸聊视频� Berberian says. A child seeking control might benefit from beading or pencil drawing, for example, whereas a child who needs to let go and be more expressive might learn more from working with paints or clay, which encourage spontaneity.

2. Give kids agency over their projects.

Give students the freedom to 91裸聊视频渋nterpret a project or prompt through their own experience and perspectives,91裸聊视频� says Christian Ortiz, senior manager of studio programs at Marwen, a visual-arts organization for youth in Chicago. For example, Marwen hosted a printmaking class in which students were asked to create small patches depicting what was important to them, he says.

Berberian advises parents not to dictate how a child should do an art project at home. Rather, they should be 91裸聊视频渁ffirming the child91裸聊视频檚 process91裸聊视频� through dialogue: Ask kids about their creations, the decisions they made and why.

3. Create a lesson along with a project.

Melissa Mellor, a spokeswoman for Jodl91裸聊视频檚 commission at the Aspen Institute, recalls an art project that her first-grade son did in school that focused on learning from mistakes. The class read a book about a girl who made a mistake on a project and turned it into something beautiful. Then, each student received a piece of paper with marks already on it and, using permanent marker, was tasked with turning it into a new piece of art. The goal was to teach flexibility, problem solving, creativity and the ability to grow from mistakes.

4. Make art together.

91裸聊视频淲hen people make art together or engage in creative processes together, it91裸聊视频檚 a natural form of empathy-building because you91裸聊视频檙e doing something together, mirroring each other and celebrating each other91裸聊视频檚 artistic practice,91裸聊视频� says Berberian.

Molly Sprayregen, The Associated Press

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