How art therapy can help children cope during a pandemic

Special educators explain how engaging young children in Art can help them become emotionally stronger

Can colours soothe a child’s senses? Amid a pandemic, when increased screen time and a messed up routine are making parents anxious, special educators stress on the importance of engaging children in Art. “Fluidity of colours helps emotions to flow along,” says Jinisha Pritesh Chheda, a Mumbai-based special educator and trained Waldorf teacher. Jinisha, with her sister Kejal Dhaval Bakshi, started an online learning platform called Aavid in June last year that curates modular courses and workshops focusing on special education, parenting, life skills coaching and other teaching strategies against the backdrop of the pandemic. The platform facilitates the meeting of parents, teachers and therapists, to share their personal experiences of working with children across various age groups. Recently, in a series of workshops Aavid conducted on raising children amid the pandemic, it highlighted the role Art plays in developing emotionally stronger children. According to Jinisha and Kejal, the Art that children create can give a glimpse into how they are processing their current reality — one that is spent cooped up at home, away from friends and school.