Learning to write calligraphy helps develop fine motor skills and coordination, encourages creativity and is a practical skill they can use all their lives.  Having beautiful handwriting is becoming a lost art because children are using a keyboard more often. Writing by hand also aids memory retention too. Another benefit is that when budding artists learn the basics of calligraphy they can use their skills to create practical art. Bookmarks, wall art and greeting cards are just some of the cool projects you can use with calligraphy. 

The best age for children to start learning calligraphy is from around 9 years of age. This may differ from child to child but they need to be confident about forming all the letters of the alphabet. This is important because it is the basic foundation of calligraphy lettering. They will need to learn the strokes that make up letters. Children also need to have a good pen grip so they can use the pen effectively. The need to have good control of the pen to apply the correct pressure when lettering. 

I would recommend that children learn brush pen calligraphy first. It is easier to use a pen at first rather than using a pen holder, ink and nib. Calligraphy takes a lot of patience and practice to learn so if they have an easier tool to master they will not get frustrated and give up. Then when they are ready to explore the art of calligraphy further, they can try a straight pen holder with a nib and ink.