Kids

What Do Children See as Beautiful?

by Kevyn Gohu
September 12, 2025

Whether it’s hand-drawn or a photograph, the beauty that children capture with their art is simply invaluable

How do kids perceive beauty?

When content creator mom Nika Diwa’s four-year-old daughter asked if she could take photos with her phone, she didn’t expect to fall in love with them. The results involved various angles, including many candid and natural shots outside their house. Nika was beside herself with amazement and even joked about whether she should let her daughter do the maternity shoot too!

“Waiiit, they just keep getting better!!” She writes. “Umm, should I just have her do my maternity photos?? 🥰 Also, which is your fave pic? Going to blow up and frame in our home.”

Whether it's hand-drawn or a photograph, the beauty that children capture with their art is simply invaluable — Photo from nika.diwa

The beauty of kids’ art

There’s magic found in kids’ art. While we’ve collected paintings of those who have spent their lives mastering the craft, a child’s picture—whether hand-drawn or through a camera—hits differently. In a way, we get to see the world through their eyes. We see what they focus on, and that glimpse can be so invaluable.

Many of Nika’s fans praised the little girl’s talent. Some even commented how the little girl was doing “better than over 97.9%” of the photographers out there. The secret to that talent, perhaps, lies in her just wanting to capture things that matter. In this case, what mattered to her most are the moments with her mom—all the way to comparing their sandals and running through the grass.

How can we preserve that “innate” talent in kids

As we grow older, some of us lose touch with that talent. Years of grinding in school and at work make us prioritize other things. Especially when we become parents, we sometimes dismiss the beauty of the little moments. Not because we want to, but because we’re worrying about everything else.

So when it comes to ensuring our kids don’t lose that love or their ability to focus on the beauty of life’s little pleasures, we can start by just praising them for their achievements. Not going all “hip, hip, hooray!”—but even a loving acknowledgement. We don’t have to point out all the details in the photo; we just have to tell them how beautiful it looks and what it makes us feel. That way, they’ll discover and understand what really matters.

Of course, the million dollar question many are hoping Nika Diwa would answer is if her four-year-old would do the maternity shoot. Who knows? But we’re sure it’ll definitely be more fun than a professional one!