It’s Tuesday night. I’m sitting in the fifth row from the stage as my youngest son rehearses for a play his Acting I class is performing in a few weeks. Tomorrow I’ll be here again because my oldest child is taking an Improv class. If we aren’t at the theater for rehearsals and practice, you can often find us here watching various productions. We are a performing arts family.
My two sons have always preferred the theater to the ballfield. They aspire to careers in acting, filmmaking, and directing, and while I will admit that not being into sports has, at times, caused them to be left out among their peers, I see the many benefits of theatre bearing fruit in their lives.
Listening Skills – Kids in performing arts have to develop good listening skills and be able to take direction. This is an invaluable benefit in a child’s education as being a good listener makes a better student. My youngest son has greatly improved in this area since he’s been on the stage. Having to listen to and master stage direction and position helped him to focus which I think is directly linked to his good grades in school.
Confidence – It takes bravery to perform live in front of an audience! On stage, kids learn to trust in their abilities and face their fears. An obvious benefit of the arts is that a child learns to present himself or herself in front of an audience, and this ability also boosts confidence.
Self-Expression – There has been on other place in my son’s life where he has been so free to be to overly loud and expressive self than on stage where his yelling is simply “projecting” and his antics only add to the performance. Through the arts, children learn about expressing emotion through facial movements, voice, and body language, and this translates into the off-stage skill of better emotional intelligence.
Memory - The arts really works this muscle as kids remember lines, moves, and lyrics. Memorization training strengthens the brain to retain information and helps with creativity. It’s like a mini workout for the mind!
Cooperation – This is a touted benefit of sports, but the arts also help children cooperate and collaborate with others. Often, children work with peers both younger and older than them in a production, so they have the added benefit of multi-age cooperation. I like there is less focus on winning or losing and more focus on working together as a team.
Perseverance – Whether it’s learning to play a musical instrument, getting the pitch just right in a song, or delivering lines well, artists never get it perfect the first time. They have to try, fail, and try again. They may have to rehearse the production many times before it’s good enough to go in front of the audience, and this teaches kids to stay at it, work hard, and they can achieve their goals!
Stress-Relief – The performing arts can be hard work for sure, but there’s often lots of laughter and fun involved which is a huge stress reliever for kids. My kids always leave their theatre classes in cheerful moods.
Building Friendships – It’s important for kids to have friends who share their passion. In the arts, children often find lifelong friends. Creating and performing with others builds incredible bonds.
Academic Achievement – Studies show that students involved in drama and the arts outperform peers on SAT tests, have higher standardized test scores, increased student engagement and consistent attendance, and improved reading comprehension skills.
The performing arts is a great way to round out your child’s education while providing many wonderful benefits and skills. I can’t think of a better extracurricular activity for creative children!