9 Ways to Develop Your Child's Creativity
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Here are 9 ways to boost your child's creativity from an early age. Children possess a natural ability to innovate and an overflowing imagination. So let's help them develop their creativity, a skill that will offer them numerous intellectual and emotional benefits.
It's important to know that creativity also helps children become more confident, develop their social skills, and learn more effectively. Here are 9 tips to enhance your child's creativity.
Designate a Creative Space.
It's important to create a space where your child can be creative; this doesn't mean you need a sophisticated playroom. It could be a small corner with one of those beautiful dollhouses or a box with your old clothes for dress-up play. The key is for your child to feel they have control over their space.
Keep It Simple
Just as you don't need to create an elaborate play area, you also don't need the latest and greatest toys. Charlotte Reznick, a child psychologist, has suggested keeping toys and activities simple. For example, she plays LEGO with her child clients. But instead of following instructions, the children let their imaginations run free and build whatever they want.
Schedule "Free Time"
It's also important to give your child unstructured time. Spend a few hours at home with your child but without any planned activities, just so your child can simply wander and play as they wish.
Help Your Kids Activate Their Senses
Encourage social interactions with your child and help them explore the world so they can use all their senses. Again, this doesn't mean expensive or complicated trips. Take them to the library, the museum, and outdoors. Ask them to imagine what a trip to faraway places, like an African safari, might be like. What animals would they encounter? What would the safari look like? What would it smell like? What sounds would the animals make?
Discuss Creativity
Ask your children when they have their best ideas or most creative moments. If it's in the car on the way to soccer practice, honor that by keeping a notebook, iPad, or even a voice recorder handy to jot everything down.
Cultivate Creative Critical Thinking
As your children grow, ask them how they approach certain problems and how they might do things differently. Ask your children to brainstorm on paper or use a mind map; this helps greatly.
Avoid Micromanaging
"Children have an astonishing innate ability to be creative when they play freely and alone, and unfortunately, the act of over-parenting diminishes or even destroys this innate ability," according to Mike Lanza of Playborhood.com and author of the upcoming book Playborhood: Transform Your Neighborhood Into a Place for Play. It is therefore important to find how to facilitate your child's creativity without managing it, he says.
You shouldn't constantly supervise your children when they play, nor should you enroll them in hundreds of activities to force their development. Children learn a lot by playing alone.
Help Children Pursue Their Passions.
Be attentive to your children's interests and make the materials necessary for nurturing that passion available to them. For example, if your child is interested in geology, buy them books on the subject as well as rock samples.
Make Time to Be Creative Yourself.
Since children learn by watching their parents, be creative too. Join your child when they are drawing, building, or coloring. A child often has more fun when mom or dad helps them draw cute little animals.
