As an adult it is easy to see the benefits of being creative. Creativity can help when you are in tight situations or when you’re dealing with limitations and restrictions. In addition, creativity helps to bring out the individualist in yourself which can be a very rewarding experience. For these reasons and others, it is a good idea to inspire creativity in your kids.
How to Do It…
While you may agree that inspiring creativity is a good thing, you may also have questions about how to accomplish that goal. Not to worry, the team at Package From Santa has some tips and ideas that will help. Keep reading to learn about some ways to give your kids a nudge towards their creative instincts.
Make creative resources available to your kids
This can include everything from having a well-stocked craft box handy to being open to gathering a collection of such things as ‘dress up’ clothing and accessories. It’s also a good idea to ensure adequate time for unstructured activities/playtime.
Be supportive
Being supportive of your child’s creativity can help him/her feel more confident about making choices and using their own ideas. For instance, when coloring in a typical coloring book it is expected to color grass green and skies blue. But why not let your imagination determine the colors to use? Why not have purple grass and orange skies (or any other color)?
Encourage creative activities
While kids enjoy and need down time, it is also important for them to have times when they are active. This is a great time to help inspire creativity. For example, encourage your kids to put on plays or to write poems or songs.
Teach kids to look for the other way to find the same solution
When solving a problem of any kind, there is always more than one way to resolve the problem. This can relate to having a ‘plan A’ and a ‘plan B’: two plans that are designed to accomplish the same goal. This could be associated with clothing choices. Plan A may be clothing for a sunny day and Plan B may be used in case of rain and so it could include a raincoat or umbrella. A simple math problem can be analyzed to understand more than one way of getting the same answer. For instance, “Instead of adding 3+2 to get 5, you can add 4+1.”
Being creative can help you ‘be yourself’ in unique ways. It can be helpful in making the best of a less than perfect situation and it can even lead to enjoyable career paths. Please share your ideas about ways to encourage creativity in kids.
