Arts and crafts as an educational strategy and coping mechanism for Republic of Korea and United States parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing stay-at-home orders have shifted family lives worldwide. Government regulations about social distancing and isolation have resulted in parents/carers and children spending most of their time together in private spaces. During the northern hemisphere spring 2020 semester, most childcare and school systems closed and parents had to dramatically modify their balance between work and home life. Using data from consumer reports, online parenting forums and blog posts, and Google Trends, the authors of this article explored how some parents have shifted towards cultural and creative enrichment as a resource to occupy their children during governmental stay-at-home directives in both the United States and the Republic of Korea. The authors found that arts and crafts and educational toy sales have increased, parents are sharing advice and resources for at-home creative activities, and arts and cultural institutions have expanded their free online content. Finally, this article discusses whether the short-term stressors from COVID-19 might lead to long-term changes in parenting and sustained interest in these resources. The authors’ findings provide additional support for the importance of arts and humanities in the educational experience of children.