It’s safe to say that all children have a creative spark somewhere inside them. They may choose to indulge in this creativity by playing, singing, drawing, or letting the creativity overcome them. This can turn into something beautiful that you’ll be happy to remind them of for the rest of their lives. Or perhaps even embarrass them at their wedding. Being creative is a fantastic way for your child to express themselves. And as a parent, you should do everything you can to foster their creativity. So here are six ways to make that possible and help foster your child’s creativity.
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Read to Them
While many people feel that the tablet or TV can only entertain kids, this isn’t the case. Reading aloud to your child will help them explore different scenarios and worlds. Many kids will gravitate towards fantasy or science fiction as it’s something totally unlike the world they know. Still, their positive experiences with reading can help them branch out towards other genres as they grow up. By reading enough, they can find nuggets or creativity wherever they are. And they might even find that becoming a writer is their path to creating, too.
Give Them a Creative Space
Having a space to create is one of the most important aspects of fostering creativity. This can be a spare room or an area where there are no rules (within reason, of course). If your kids have a dedicated space where they know they can paint, write, draw, build, and play; their brains will immediately switch into creative mode whenever they are there. This will enable creativity to flow freely. Over time they will associate creating with positive experiences. Which can then foster a love for creating, showing them plenty of ways to do so.
[Read: How To Create Your Own Art Station]
Show Enthusiasm
We’ve all seen the TV shows and movies where the parents have been solidly against any form of artistic expression. You shouldn’t need telling that this is not what you should do. Instead, you must show enthusiasm for anything they create. They won’t be making masterpieces right away, but they don’t need to. The more enthusiastic you are about songs they make, the stories they write, or the paintings they produce; the better they will feel about the creative process. As they get older and more sophisticated, they will look back on your enthusiasm as something that gave them the confidence to continue.
Let Them Be Bored
Some people will tell you that kids should never be bored and must always have something to do. However, if they are always doing something, they won’t have the chance to be inside their head, which is where the best creative adventures begin. By allowing them to be bored, they are forced to create fun all by themselves. This will help them cultivate ideas and develop intricate other worlds that they can easily get lost in.
[Read: The Benefits of Creative Playtime for Kids]
Don’t Police Their Projects
Many creative people will look back on their time at school and remember how they hated it when tasked with being creative. They preferred the creativity to come naturally. Being told to be creative, while still in the confines of an outline, does not sit well with truly creative people. So you must remember this if you want to foster creativity in your child. Scheduling creativity can stifle their potential, so try to allow them to be creative in their own time. Furthermore, you shouldn’t make suggestions about which color to make trees or how a story should go. Allow them to find their way themselves.
Remove Performance Pressure
Similarly, your child’s creativity can also become stifled if they feel pressure to perform. For most children, the simple act of imagination excites them. However, when they are expected to do well or show off in front of friends and family, they become shy. With this in mind, it’s important to allow them to create freely, rather than for any successes or competitions. While there’s nothing wrong with encouraging kids to enter contests that could provide opportunities, it shouldn’t be the sole aim of creativity. This enables the invention to flow and seep into as much of their life as possible.
The Creative Spark
Creativity is something everyone has, whether they realize it or not. It’s a fantastic way for kids to learn more about the world and escape it on days where they have nothing to do. By encouraging creativity as much as possible when they are young, you can help them find their niche that will boost their self-esteem throughout their life.
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