You won't believe how much art work your child will produce before they turn 12

Filling homes with wall art, vases and soft furnishings are one of the best parts about decorating a home. But for most of us, we have a finishing touches machine already in our homes – our kids.

Related: Add a little magic to your child’s bedroom with wall art

According to research by the BIC KIDS, young Artist Award the average parent will be tasked with archiving and displaying as much of their children's art as the National Gallery over their child’s first 12 years.

Children will produce more than 2,000 arts and crafts pieces for their parents. What this means for mums and dads is that they’ll face an uphill struggle to find space for each drawing, greeting card and ceramic produced by their little ones.

The majority at 79 per cent claimed they would display all of their children's art one time or another. The fridge was found to be the most popular place to exhibit them.

While the idea of stick men and house paintings might not be everyone's artistic cup of tea. However, according to the poll, at least half of mums and dads believed their kids to have genuine artistic talent.

The study of 2,000 parents said that they'll typically display their children’s art for around nine months. And more often than not, the only reason they are taken down is to make way for new arts and crafts items.

‘Creativity is a massive part of a child’s development and as the results show, they are incredibly prolific,’ says Jo Hollins, head of marketing and category management at BIC UK and Ireland. ‘Of course, making room for every item is no mean feat.’

The research also found three-quarters of parents have kept the first arts and crafts item their child ever created for them. Another 70 per cent keep their children’s arts and crafts items in a box, which they intend to give to kids when they are older.

Sadly not everyone can keep all their kids artistic output, six in 10 claimed that they struggled to find room to display everything their kids have made for them. Many parents were only able to keep 37 per cent of their output for posterity.

However, 23 per cent of parents took a more Marie-Kondo style approach and scanned or photographed every masterpiece instead of keeping it to free-up space in their homes.

‘The three most common items children produce for their parents are drawings, paintings and greetings cards,’ adds Jo Hollins. ‘And the research shows the huge sentimental value all arts and crafts can have for parents – effectively telling the story of their children through art.’

If you’re running out of fridge space to display your children’s art, why not try framing it in the playroom or decorating their bedroom with it.

Related: Budget children's room design ideas – to create a room you'll love for less

How much of your little one's art have you kept hold of?