Art and Children's Emotional Development.

I have also been talking to my mum as she used to be a childminder and has a lot of information on this subject as she was a massive promoter of art and creativity in children. She sent me a link, and it basically said what I've been trying to say. 

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the article:

• "Creativity is the freest form of self expression" 
• "The ability to be creative, to create something from personal feelings and experiences, can reflect and nurture children's emotional health"
• Children need plenty of opportunities for creative play and creative thinking"
• "One of the strongest benefits of play is the way it enhances social development"
• "We must be careful not to dominate the play ourselves" 

All of these just put into words exactly what I want my products to be about. It's a very difficult business when creating a product that children will respond to, as it needs to bridge the divide between not giving enough information and giving too much for them to handle. I want the illustrations on the sketchbooks to inspire them but to also give them their ow ideas on what to draw, which is why I was considering putting small easy to read facts in-between my designs. 

All I want to do mainly is "pay attention to play" to "plan for it and encourage it".  

Which is also why I wanted to do the themes I have chosen for my illustrations, although some are real life things I still want them to seem magical and interesting.