4 Simple Ways to Foster Creativity in Kids
Inside: Help your children experience the magic of imagination with these different ways to foster creativity in kids. You’ll love the joy that comes from them!
Young children are brimming with curiosity, and when they tap into it, magic happens. The imagination they unleash when they try to figure out their own answers or learn something new is important. Creativity offers so many intellectual and emotional benefits!
Yes, You Can Nurture Creativity!
If you want your children to reap the rewards of a bolstered imagination, here are four different ways to foster creativity in kids. You’ll love the joy that comes to their faces!
Allow for Free Time
More and more parents are booking their children’s schedules with different activities, playdates, and extracurriculars—even when their kids are still young. Although giving children a taste of many different areas is good, it can also be quite overwhelming for them.
Allow them to enjoy some free time throughout their day! Free time can be quite inspiring—give them a break to explore their own areas of interest, and see what they do with it.
I secretly like to hear my kids say “I’m bored” every once in a while. My broken record reply is always, “I’m not in charge of bored,” and then I rattle off some really broad categories of ideas for them to get creative with.
This really works for me about 90% of the time! They whine and stomp off, and the next thing I know they’re doing something creative.
Model Creativity
If you want your kids to be creative and tap into their imaginations, then you need to do the same. Kids often follow in their parents’ footsteps, so make sure you’re modeling the things you want them to do. Let them see you write in your journal each night. Let them see you cook, or draw, or paint—if they see you being creative, they may want to follow suit.
Just like modeling reading helps nurture a love of books, modeling creative pursuits shows your kids how to be creative too.
Encourage Spontaneity
Spontaneity can do wonders for inspiring creativity. When you encourage children to be more spontaneous, you foster a different way of thinking that relies on imagination and creativity. One way to kickstart more spontaneity is by letting them help you complete tasks or chores in a fun way. For example, your child could act like a superhero as they clean up their toys.
Lately, we’ve been turning after-dinner cleanup into a little dance party. I let my helper of the day pick a music channel on my phone, and we turn up the volume. It turns out my girls have some fun dance moves!
Get Crafty
If you’re looking for a simple way to foster creativity in kids, one of my favorite answers is to get crafty. I love letting my kids loose with craft materials or giving them a specific kids’ craft project, but there’s also an advantage in teaching them some lifelong skills.
Whether you want to let your child delve into sewing or teach them how to knit, crafting at a young age does wonders for creating a positive relationship and keeping children calm and busy. A quiet activity such as knitting opens up children’s minds for new projects, and it’s an excellent way to jumpstart creative thinking! So there you have it. Time, inspiration, and some skill-building will help you raise creative and joyful children.
