How to Inspire Creativity in Kids
There are many ways that parents can inspire creativity in their children, and starting at an early age will help develop a strong creative thought process. Most children are naturally inquisitive so the more activities children find interesting, the easier it will be for them to come up with new ideas of their own as they grow.
Allowing a child’s mind to unplug and wander, will encourage new ideas and ways to learn. Providing them with the opportunities to learn in a different way will foster creative thinking.
Give Them the Tools
One of the easiest ways to inspire creativity in kids is making sure you have arts and crafts materials on hand. Stock the house with items like crayons, glue, clay, stickers, buttons, and construction paper. Praise their efforts when they have completed a project.
Encourage them to use work with their hands, to build and create, whether with blocks or Legos. You can also give your child some toy tools such as a hammer and pretend nails.
Encourage Imaginative Play
Turning on the television is an easy way to keep young children quiet, but it will not encourage creativity. Instead, give them a dollhouse, train set, or farm animals. These types of materials will encourage imaginative play.
You can also inspire creativity in kids with dress-up, or let them play with stuffed animals. Older children can act out scenes from a movie they have seen or a book they have read.
Learn about other Cultures
Teaching your child about different cultures and ways of life can help inspire creativity with kids. And, you don’t have to travel far to do it. Trying another culture’s cuisine is a good place to start, and can spark a discussion about different ways of doing things. You can even buy the ingredients for a simple meal and have your child help you cook it.
Another great idea is to inspire creativity in kids to create a pretend passport for your child and ask where they want to go. Research a foreign country and then put a stamp or sticker in the passport once they have learned about that culture.
Expose them to Art Early
For young children, asking questions about the art they make themselves will inspire creativity. With older children, you can discuss art they see in museums, movies, or the clothes they choose to wear.
Another idea is to decorate their bedrooms with kids’ art or let them choose a piece of art themselves. A variety of children’s art can be found at art.com.
If you are interested in taking your children to a museum, many offer activities geared towards children of different age groups, which is sure to spark creativity. The Museum of Modern Art has some great ideas on planning a family visit, and kids under 16 are free.
You can learn more about inspiring creativity in kids by visiting the links for MOMA and art.com on our website at: www.puntomio.com.