Tips to Foster Creativity in Children

Creativity is essentially a form of problem-solving but it involves solving problems in which there are no easy answers. This is a critical skill for success in school as well as adulthood. There are parenting skills that can encourage creativity to develop in our children.

Provide an environment that allows your child to explore and play. Playing is the way your child learns and explores creativity. If your child is going to participate in a painting activity, put down plastic or butcher paper to protect floors. Conducting messy activities outdoors may also be an option. Set aside a play room if you have the space in your home.

Adapt to your child’s ideas at times rather than trying to structure their ideas to fit your own. Accept unusual ideas at times without passing judgment or being critical. These positive parenting messages can be vital in fostering creativity in your children. It’s important to dedicate time for creative exercise with your children. What were you doing the last time your child was coloring a picture? Were you paying bills, talking on the telephone, or doing laundry? Of course, all of these things can be important, but you may be missing out on opportunities to foster creativity in your child. Interactive creative time together can be a golden opportunity for fostering creativity.

Another important parenting skill is to emphasize process rather than product when interacting with your child. Children often do this naturally. They can work on an art project for hours. The process of creation seems to totally absorb them. When you ask them what they are drawing or painting, they look at you with a puzzled expression. The idea that it had to be anything never occurred to them.

Creative Exercises for Parents and Children

-Play some music and ask your child to paint a picture based on how the music makes them feel. Encourage your child to listen to the melody, rhythm, and words. 
-Collect magazines from friends and family. Help your child cut out pictures from the magazines to make a collage that represents their favorite things. You can also ask your child to paste some pictures on a piece of paper and to write a story about the pictures.

-On a warm spring or summer afternoon go outside with your child and lay on the grass. Look up at the sky and create a story inspired by characters you both find in the clouds. This is a great way to connect with the Earth and your child while exercising the imagination.

-Find a recipe in a cookbook or online. Encourage your child to make adjustments to the recipe to make it more original. Bake cookies or cupcakes and use unusual items to decorate the baked goods. Ask your child for suggestions. Cooking is a way to explore creativity in an everyday activity.

-Encourage your child to write a poem using the first letters of their name. Work together to write a poem based on the first letters of your name or on the letters MOTHER. This is a great introduction to poetry writing.

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