How to Foster Creativity in Kids
I have seen a lot of news stories lately on creativity and children. Several of these articles were how to help kids embrace creativity. My two cents is there is no need for this. Kids are naturally creative. I think what's changed overtime is a different environment: more focus on specific academics, the digital age, less free-time and more supervision.
Tess Marshall said, "When you unleash your creativity, a whole new world opens at your feet. The sun becomes brighter and the birds sing louder. Like a child running free at recess, you laugh, run, and explore, thrilled to be alive."
This sums up the issue today perfectly. More schools are cutting out recess, art, music and gym classes while adding more curriculum-based learning. Or if children do get to participate in these activities, they are such a small portion of their day compared to the academic portion. This new structure along with more after-school activities for children these days, leaves little time for free play and fostering creativity.
While I agree we need mathematicians and scientists, we also need artists, musicians, inventors and writers. I'll never forget my dad, who is an artist, telling me to make trees blue in my picture if I wanted. He said, "why do you need to draw trees green?" I think teaching children there is black and white in this world, but there are also several shades of grey will only benefit them no matter what career path they take in life. Here are a few suggestions for bringing creative play back into children's lives:
Downtime With No Plan: It sounds odd, but kids these days have more schedules and activities than ever before. They have school and then after-school activities most days of the week. During these activities, they get instruction of what to do and how to do it. If kids have a day or even for a few hours a week free, let them figure out what they are going to do. I tried this last week with my daughters who were at first confused as to what they should do. I told them to think of something. So they turned the entire basement into a Valentine's party cutting out various hearts and hanging them around the walls.
Painting On Blank Paper: It was a rainy day at our house and all the kids were off of school. I got out the paints and had them paint pictures on blank pieces of paper. Their first question was, "what do we paint?" My answer, "whatever comes to your mind."
Creating a Book: They now sell those blank books in craft stores, but we just use a bunch of sheets of computer paper, staple them in the middle and fold it in half. It makes the perfect blank canvas to draw pictures and add a story, creating your very own book.
App Games: There are downloadable apps which are great for creative play. Two of my daughters' favorites are My Town and My Playhome. Both of these games offer interactive scenes of houses, stores and other buildings in a typical town setting. The child navigates through these scenes and creates their own scenarios. The best part is their are endless scenarios, no wrong or right directions to go. Plus, with a different story line/outcome each time, the games never become boring.
Putting on a Play: Use dress-up clothes or have children borrow some of your clothes to put on a play.
Take Pictures and Make an Album: Have your child take pictures for a day, get them developed and let them make their own memory/scrapbook book of the photos. Have your child capture whatever he/she feels was the most important elements in the day. It might be interesting to see what their favorite memories of an outing were versus yours.
Toys Do Not Need Come From The Toy Aisle: We had a chair delivered the other day and our kids played fort in the box the chair came in for several hours. You could also make a fort out of blankets or even a large tarp.
Go On An Adventure At Home: Instead of going to a place to play, bring play to you. Have your kids come up with an adventure that you can act out with your kids.
Decorate Cookies: Bake or buy cookies, ice them and have the kids add whatever sprinkles or decorations they want.
Go To An Art Show or Museum: Have your child look at paintings and tell you what they think the artists were painting or sculpting. Explain that there's no wrong or right answer, but several ways to look at the same piece of art.
Do you have creative play ideas that you do with your children? What are they? Please feel free to comment below.
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