'iPad babies' deserve to experience retro art toys

Growing up during the early days of the digital age, I was lucky enough to experience the best of both worlds when it came to art. While I was often found noodling around on Microsoft Paint, I also experienced the frustrating joys of the spirograph and to this day, I cannot get the smell of Play Doh out of my head.

Nowadays, when every tot is born with an iPad in hand, I fear kids' interest in traditional art is slowly dwindling. Dramatics aside, art and craft kits are a valuable tool for kids to explore their creativity, something that I'm afraid we'll lose as digital art becomes the norm.

For parents, the appeal of tablet-based digital art is undeniable. Gone are the days of hoovering up spilt Hama beads or removing stubborn acyclic paint handprints from your pristine white walls (sorry mum). But cast your mind back to the golden days of art and craft kits – when stamp sets, pipe cleaner art, paper dolls, Lisa Frank colouring books, Fuzzy Felt and airbrush art were all the rage. Remember that look on your parents' faces when you handed them your latest crumpled masterpiece to put proudly on the fridge? Beneath the mess and chaos was a tactile learning experience – a chance to discover and nurture creative talent in its rawest form.

It's no surprise that children's interest in traditional art is fading, as a 2019 report from the Fabian Society reveals that "two-thirds of primary school teachers in England say there is less arts education now than in 2010." Culturally, digital art has been taking over traditional mediums and with the controversial rise of AI art at our doorstep, it's natural that the TikTok generation may feel unstimulated by the staple art and crafts kits of the Zillenial childhood.

It's not to say that kids aren't creating art – you only have to look at Oslo's International Museum of Children's Art to restore your faith – but as the artistic zeitgeist shifts we mustn't lose sight of nurturing tactile art skills. By no means do I think that if every iPad baby was given an Etch-a-Sketch we'd suddenly have a generation of Picassos, but next time you're looking for a gift for that creative kid in your life, maybe spare a thought for the arts and crafts kits that raised today's generation of talented artists.

There are countless ways to nurture a budding interest in art – from museum trips and children's art classes to annual events like The Copley Prize and the Global Canvas Children’s Art Competition. Whether it's an iPad, a retro Spirograph or plain pen and paper, inspiring the next generation of artists it's as simple as equipping them with the tools to create.