How Arts-Based Learning Builds Leadership in Small Groups
Arts-based learning uses activities like painting, music, drama, and storytelling to help children develop leadership skills. By working in small groups, kids practise communication, decision-making, and teamwork in a supportive environment. This approach encourages them to take initiative, solve problems, and understand group dynamics. Research shows that children involved in arts activities build confidence, empathy, and emotional intelligence - key traits for leadership.
Key Takeaways:
Arts-based learning integrates creative activities into education to develop leadership skills.
Small groups provide a safe space for kids to lead, collaborate, and learn from mistakes.
Activities like group murals, storytelling, and drama encourage teamwork and decision-making.
Teachers guide this process by asking open-ended questions and rotating leadership roles.
Programmes like those at Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Auckland show how these methods can create confident young leaders.
This approach aligns with New Zealand's Te Whāriki curriculum, which values experiential learning and personal growth in early childhood education.
How Arts-Based Learning Supports Leadership Development
Building Leadership Through Art Activities
Art activities like drawing, painting, and group storytelling give children the chance to make choices about materials and subjects on their own, helping them develop early decision-making skills.
Group storytelling, where children decide on roles, characters, and the direction of the story, reflects real-life leadership challenges. Similarly, collaborative projects like creating group murals teach kids how to plan as a team, assign tasks, and work through creative disagreements. A review of 31 studies revealed that these kinds of activities improve advanced thinking skills, emotional understanding, and teamwork abilities. While research from the Worcester, Massachusetts Art of Science Learning initiative (2023) focused on older participants, it underscores how arts-based learning lays the groundwork for leadership skills starting in early childhood.
Beyond specific activities, the very process of creating art nurtures resilience and adaptability - key qualities for any leader.
Focus on Process Over Final Results
The act of making art itself plays a vital role in developing leadership traits. Emphasising the creative journey rather than the finished product helps children build resilience, adaptability, and a reflective mindset. It teaches them that setbacks are not failures but chances to grow.
For instance, when children see their ideas appreciated, they gain confidence. When original plans don’t pan out, they learn to pivot and adapt. This trial-and-error approach helps them embrace mistakes as learning opportunities. Research has shown that arts-based learning supports self-awareness by encouraging children to reflect on their actions and decisions.
Art activities also enhance emotional intelligence. They provide an outlet for kids to express emotions they might struggle to articulate, while collaborative projects teach them to recognise and respond to the feelings of others. This emotional awareness is essential for understanding group dynamics and stepping into leadership roles effectively.
How Teachers Guide Arts-Based Leadership Learning
Teachers play a crucial role in shaping arts activities to nurture leadership by using open-ended questions to spark critical thinking.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, for example, teachers combine child-led exploration with thoughtfully designed activities that encourage curiosity and self-confidence. They personalise activities to suit each child’s abilities and interests, ensuring everyone feels included.
Rotating leadership roles is another strategy teachers use to give every child a chance to take charge. For example, during a mural project, a teacher might assign different "art directors" for various stages or have children take turns leading music sessions. This ensures even quieter children get leadership experience in a supportive environment.
When conflicts arise - like disagreements over materials or creative decisions - teachers encourage problem-solving rather than stepping in immediately. They might ask questions such as, "How can we make sure everyone gets a turn with the paintbrush?" or "What can we do to include Sam’s idea in our story?" This approach helps children develop collaborative problem-solving skills.
This method aligns perfectly with the principles of Te Whāriki, New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, which emphasises holistic, play-based learning. By following this framework, teachers inspire children to take initiative, work together meaningfully, and reflect on their experiences - all while keeping the joy and creativity of arts-based learning at the heart of the process.
Research Findings on Arts-Based Leadership in Early Childhood
Leadership Results from Arts-Based Learning
A review of 31 studies conducted between 2008 and 2023 highlights how arts-based learning enhances reflection, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills. Research from the University of Eastern Finland further supports this, showing that arts-based methods encourage collaborative learning and prepare students to grow into responsible and empathetic leaders. Children involved in arts activities often display increased confidence, improved teamwork, and a stronger willingness to explore new ideas.
The impact on social-emotional development is particularly noteworthy. Preschoolers who regularly engage in arts activities tend to score higher on academic assessments in reading, maths, and language compared to their peers who lack such experiences. Arts-based initiatives also promote self-discovery and mindset shifts, complementing more traditional skill-based learning methods. In these activities, children practise collaborative decision-making and creative problem-solving, skills that mirror the complexities of leadership in real-world scenarios. This aligns well with New Zealand's holistic approach to education.
Connection to New Zealand's Te Whāriki Curriculum
New Zealand's Te Whāriki curriculum places a strong emphasis on holistic development, which fits seamlessly with research findings on arts-based learning and leadership. This curriculum promotes experiential and creative learning, encouraging children to explore, collaborate, and express themselves - all essential components of leadership growth. Engaging with various art forms like dance, drama, music, and visual art not only supports learning outcomes but also nurtures behaviours and attitudes that lay the groundwork for future learning.
These findings align with Te Whāriki’s core principles of wellbeing, belonging, contribution, communication, and exploration. Arts-based education positions children as active participants in their learning journey, echoing Te Whāriki’s philosophy of recognising children as capable, confident learners who build knowledge through meaningful interactions.
Small Group Benefits for Leadership Development
Research also highlights the advantages of small group settings in fostering leadership development. Smaller groups create opportunities for deeper interactions, increased participation, and more frequent chances for children to take on leadership roles. In these settings, children are better able to share ideas, negotiate roles, and reflect on their experiences, which strengthens both leadership behaviours and collaborative skills.
Additionally, arts activities involving parents and children have been shown to enhance social competence, secure attachment, and cognitive skills. For toddlers, these shared experiences help build stronger parent–child relationships, while kindergarteners who engage in arts at home often exhibit more positive, pro-social behaviour. This underscores how intimate, small-group arts experiences lay a solid social foundation for leadership.
Centres like Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Epsom, Auckland, exemplify these principles. With a group size of just 27 children, they provide a nurturing and creative environment that supports leadership development. Small group structures allow for meaningful interactions and personalised attention, enabling children to take turns in leadership roles more frequently. This helps build their confidence and adaptability as they gain experience across a variety of activities and challenges.
Practical Methods for Arts-Based Leadership Development
Best Arts Activities for Leadership Growth
Collaborative painting is a fantastic way to help young children develop leadership skills. When kids come together to create a group mural, they learn to negotiate roles, share resources, and make decisions about colours and themes. This process allows each child to step into a leadership role at different points - guiding their peers, contributing ideas, and appreciating the perspectives of others.
Group role-playing and drama activities are another great avenue for leadership practice. By taking on different characters and directing scenes, children not only build empathy but also hone their communication skills. These activities teach them the importance of both leading and following in a fun, imaginative setting.
Creating stories collaboratively also encourages leadership growth. In this activity, children work together to craft characters, develop plots, and decide story endings, taking turns to lead at various stages. For instance, at Little Dinosaurs Childcare, educators use "Dino Discovery Groups" to engage children in puppetry, ukulele music, and storytelling. This mix of child-led exploration and teacher guidance creates moments where leadership naturally emerges during creative play.
These arts-based methods pave the way for utilising group diversity, which we’ll explore next.
Using Small Group Diversity
Diverse group dynamics add another layer to leadership development. Mixed-age groups, in particular, provide rich opportunities for peer learning and mentoring. When children of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds collaborate, they gain valuable experience in both teaching and learning roles. At Little Dinosaurs Childcare, older children often guide younger ones through art projects, while the younger kids bring fresh, imaginative ideas to the table.
Educators can amplify these benefits by assigning rotating leadership roles and designing tasks that require teamwork. For example, during a group sculpture activity, children with varying strengths can take turns leading different stages of the project. This approach ensures everyone experiences both leadership and support roles, fostering an inclusive environment for skill-building.
Adding Reflection to Arts-Based Learning
To deepen the impact of these activities, regular reflection is key. Reflective practices help children process their leadership experiences and recognise their personal growth. Educators can incorporate reflection into daily routines with simple strategies, such as group discussions after activities. Questions like, "How did you help your group make decisions today?" or "What did you do when someone had a different idea?" encourage self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
For younger children, visual tools like drawing moments when they helped others can be particularly effective. These activities allow them to express their experiences in a way that feels natural and age-appropriate.
Reflection also helps children see leadership qualities in their peers. By noticing how one child organises materials while another supports quieter group members, they begin to understand that leadership takes many forms. Teachers play a pivotal role here, modelling reflective thinking and providing the language children need to articulate leadership behaviours and group contributions.
Benefits and Challenges of Arts-Based Leadership Development
Benefits of Arts-Based Leadership Development
Arts-based leadership development helps young children tap into their creativity and improve problem-solving skills by promoting exploration, experimentation, and self-expression. These outcomes align with earlier research highlighting the importance of small-group collaboration and effective teacher involvement.
Collaborative art projects, for instance, foster trust and strengthen bonds within groups. They also help boost children's self-confidence and ease their transition into school environments. Arts-based approaches give children a platform to express themselves and lead in creative ways, even before they fully develop literacy skills.
Preschoolers engaged in arts activities often show better school readiness and enhanced interpersonal abilities. However, despite these advantages, implementing such programmes comes with its own set of challenges.
Challenges and Considerations
Arts-based leadership development is not without obstacles. One of the primary challenges lies in training facilitators. Educators must find a delicate balance between guiding children through the creative process and giving them the freedom to explore independently. Without proper training in both arts education and leadership, even the best-intentioned programmes risk falling short of their goals.
Another difficulty is the time commitment required. Planning and facilitating meaningful arts activities demand careful preparation, which can be hard to manage alongside other curriculum responsibilities. For example, at Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Auckland, educators have noticed that while children become more confident and take greater initiative during group activities, effective facilitation requires continuous training and dedicated planning time.
Programme outcomes can also vary based on factors like group size, diversity, and facilitator expertise. Smaller, more diverse groups often see stronger leadership development, while inconsistent implementation or limited resources, such as materials and space, may hinder success. Additionally, some educators' unfamiliarity with arts-based methods can lead to resistance in more traditional teaching environments.
Conclusion: Building Leadership Through the Arts
Key Takeaways
Learning in small groups through artistic activities plays a key role in developing leadership skills. A review of 31 studies conducted between 2008 and 2023 shows that arts-based methods encourage reflection, advanced thinking, emotional awareness, and interpersonal abilities. These findings underline how creative processes help children build confidence, communicate effectively, and solve problems - skills that are essential for leadership.
Small group settings provide a supportive environment where children can actively participate, take risks, and practise leadership. Collaborative activities like group art projects, drama, or music teach them to share responsibilities, make decisions together, and encourage each other’s creative efforts.
By focusing on the process rather than the end product, children learn to adapt and build resilience. When educators guide them with open-ended questions and group discussions, they sharpen their critical thinking - an important trait for thoughtful leadership. These experiences have a lasting impact, shaping lifelong skills that extend far beyond early childhood.
These principles are brought to life at Little Dinosaurs Childcare.
