How art helps your child's development, from an art psychotherapist
Art is far more than a hobby. From a clinical perspective, here is what regularly making art does for a growing child, and why how it is taught matters as much as that it is taught.
By Najah Musthafa, MA, AThR, Co-Founder & Art Psychotherapist · 12 August 2026
As an art psychotherapist and co-founder of ISOAG, I see art not only as a skill to learn but as one of the most natural, powerful tools for a child's development. Long before children can put feelings into words, they can put them into colour, line and shape. Here is what regularly making art gives a growing child, and why the way it is taught matters.
Confidence and a sense of self
Finishing a piece of work, one they chose and made, gives a child something quietly profound: proof that their ideas matter and that they can bring something into the world. Over time this builds a durable, internal confidence that reaches far beyond the studio.
Focus, patience and fine-motor skills
Holding a brush, controlling a pencil, mixing a colour, staying with a project to the end, these develop concentration and hand control in a way screens never will. For younger children especially, art is some of the best fine-motor practice there is.
Emotional expression and regulation
Art gives children a safe, non-verbal way to process and express what they feel. A child who can channel big emotions into making is building emotional regulation, calm and resilience. This is the heart of why wellbeing-led teaching matters to us.
Creative problem-solving
Every artwork is a series of small decisions with no single right answer. Making those choices, and living with them, teaches flexible, creative thinking that serves children in every part of life.
Why guided art matters, not just free play
Free creativity is wonderful, and it has its place. But gentle, skilled guidance is what turns play into growth, helping a child build real technique, stay encouraged when something is hard, and feel genuinely seen. That is why, at ISOAG, our teaching is clinician-informed and every class is led by a named, practising artist in small, supportive groups.
Our approach at ISOAG
My clinical, wellbeing-led perspective shapes how we teach across every age, from our early-years classes to kids and teens. You can read more about ISOAG and our team. If you would like your child to experience it, we would love to welcome you to the studio in Al Safa 1, Jumeirah.