The past six months have been a little busy here at Creative Harmony with Luiza, as I started a 6-month collaboration, co-facilitating weekly bilingual art workshops in Finnish and English as part of the GAP LAB NEIGHBOURHOODS / Taidelabra project by Globe Art Point.

GAP LAB NEIGHBOURHOODS aim was to create inclusive art opportunities for children and young people in a specific area in Helsinki, Finland helping children express themselves creatively, build confidence, and feel more connected to their community. The project is especially important in areas where access to hobbies and cultural activities is limited, making art more accessible, welcoming, and supportive for all young people.

This week session (23rd art class) focused on photography and nature play — combining outdoor art activities, playful nature exploration, movement and collaboration.

© Luiza Castellanos Preda

For many of the children, using a photography camera felt exciting and new because most were already familiar with phone photography, but not with photography as an art practice.

What I noticed most was not that photography made children calmer, but that it made them deeply engaged.

Once they received the cameras, their attention shifted. They became highly focused on colors, shadows, tiny objects, and interesting perspectives they might otherwise overlook. That made total sense, as I knew already that research suggests that hands-on creative experiences and novelty can support curiosity, motivation, attention, and active learning in children [1][2].

Because the workshop combined photography with nature art and collaborative activities, the atmosphere became easily energetic, playful, and social. Children shared the photography camera in teams, photographed each other’s creations, explored together, and naturally began communicating through exploration and play [3].

As an art-for-well-being teacher, one of my favourite parts of working with children is giving them space to simply be — to explore, observe, play, and discover at their own rhythm while knowing I am there to support their ideas, curiosity, and questions.

Based on research and after facilitating several photography workshops with children over the past three years, I gathered 6 gentle ways photography can support children’s well-being and I leave them here for you to get inspired, but also to look closer on how photography initiative can support your own children or your pupils brain development:

Are you a school or cultural organisation looking for creative ways to support learning, well-being, and social connection at the same time?

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1. Photography encourages focus and attention

Children naturally slow down to observe details, light, textures, shapes, and small moments around them. Photography turns observation into an active and playful experience [1].

2. Photography supports confidence

I always remind my students, no matter their age, that here is no single “correct” photograph. I noticed how when I allow and emphasise the power of imperfection and freedom to make mistakes, children begin trusting their own perspective, ideas, and creative choices, which can lead to supporting self-esteem, as well as, emotional safety [4][5].

3. Photography creates natural social connection

I design group photography activities to encourage teamwork, collaboration, listening, and allow shared discovery to take place. I often use the camera as a way to create gentle bridges for social interaction, especially for quieter children [3].

4. Photography activates curiosity and playful learning

When you give to a child the photography camera, you empower them to become world explorers with a creative tool in their hands. They start to experiment, move, observe, and discover new ways of seeing the environment around them [2].

5. Nature photography combines movement, creativity, and well-being

As a professional fine art photographer and art educator, I love to bring my students outdoors to take photographs because it combines so many good things I want my students to experience: creativity, movement, sensory exploration, connection with nature and many more — all strongly linked to children’s emotional well-being and healthy development [1][6].

6. Photography helps children value their own perspective

Two children can photograph the same object completely differently — and both perspectives are meaningful. Photography gently teaches openness, self-expression, and respect for different ways of seeing the world and this is such an important topic in multicultural learning.

At Creative Harmony with Luiza, creative practices do not need to focus on perfection or productivity. The aim is to simply create space for children to feel curious, expressive, connected, playful, and more engaged with the world around them.

Are you a school or cultural organisation looking for creative ways to support learning, well-being, and social connection at the same time?

Collaborate with Creative Harmony

References

[1] Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2023). Nature play and child wellbeing. Australian Government. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/nature-play-and-child-wellbeing

[2] Rebecca Holmes Photography. (2023). 5 reasons why learning photography is great for kids and teens. https://rebeccaholmesphotography.com/5-reasons-why-learning-photography-is-great-for-kids-and-teens/

[3] Cecil, C., et al. (2022). A systematic review of arts-based interventions delivered to children and young people in nature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 1–19. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8957942/

[4] The Zoo Family. (2023). How photography can boost self-esteem in children. https://www.thezoofamily.com/en/blogs/news/photography-self-esteem-kids

[5] Lafayette Photography. (2023). How can a preschool photography session boost children’s confidence?https://www.lafayette.ie/blog/detail/491/how-can-a-preschool-photography-session-boost-childrens-confidence

[6] Tillmann, S., Tobin, D., Avison, W., & Gilliland, J. (2018). Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: A systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 72(10), 958–966. https://jech.bmj.com/content/72/10/958.long

What are your thoughts on this? Please, share your ideas in the comments down below! I’d love to bring more perspectives to this conversation!

6 Ways Photography Supports Children’s Well-Being - Nature Play Workshop at Merilahden School

For many of the children, using a photography camera felt exciting and new because most were already familiar with phone photography, but not with photography as an art practice.

1. Photography encourages focus and attention

2. Photography supports confidence

3. Photography creates natural social connection

4. Photography activates curiosity and playful learning

5. Nature photography combines movement, creativity, and well-being

6. Photography helps children value their own perspective

At Creative Harmony with Luiza, creative practices do not need to focus on perfection or productivity. The aim is to simply create space for children to feel curious, expressive, connected, playful, and more engaged with the world around them.

References

6 Ways Photography Supports Children’s Well-Being - Nature Play Workshop at Merilahden School

For many of the children, using a photography camera felt exciting and new because most were already familiar with phone photography, but not with photography as an art practice.

1. Photography encourages focus and attention

2. Photography supports confidence

3. Photography creates natural social connection

4. Photography activates curiosity and playful learning

5. Nature photography combines movement, creativity, and well-being

6. Photography helps children value their own perspective

At Creative Harmony with Luiza, creative practices do not need to focus on perfection or productivity. The aim is to simply create space for children to feel curious, expressive, connected, playful, and more engaged with the world around them.

References

Healing Through Art: How Creative Play Supports The Nervous System