There is nothing more amazing than watching a child think. Many parents believe that children don’t know very much because they are children. It may be true in some respects, but children are a lot smarter and a lot brighter than we think they are. Children love to doodle on rainy days, make up stories, and play pretend where in their minds they can see everything that they are pretending to do play out right in front of them.
Children can believe in make-believe, which means that this world of make-believe comes to life for them. Children are sponges when it comes to learning, they can take on so much more information than we think they can, and they can turn into something real in their minds. The beauty of this is that children can be as creative as possible without much effort.
As a parent, you are in a fortunate and privileged position to be able to teach your children how to think creatively. You can bust out the months of the year worksheets, and help them to turn these learning sheets into something fun and colorful. You can take them on vacation and see how they react when they are in natural situations on the beach. You’ll be able to see them build sandcastles and in their mind, they’re envisioning a real-life castle with princesses and knights and round tables and swords. It’s a very privileged position to be in as a parent because you get to see the wonder of the world through the eyes of your children. In this article, we are going to explore why creativity is so important for your child and then we’re going to go over a few of the best ways that you could help them to think creatively.
Why is Creativity So Important?
Did you know that creativity can improve the way your brain develops cognitively? Those who are from a musical background tend to have strong links between the two hemispheres of the brain because they learn to play with both hands at the same time. Creative thinking can help you to develop neural connections as well as brand new concepts, and the same is true for your children. Their brains are going to be able to develop creatively when you are putting them in positions that inspire creativity.
Creative activities can improve mood and well-being, and when people are focused on a creative project that much light please adds to feel more happy and involved. Putting children in a space where they can be creative and explore is one of the best ways to help inspire them to be great. There are plenty of reasons why children should be creative, and we’ve got some of the best tips that you need to help your child to explore their imagination and reach into creativity.
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Teach your children to ask questions
If you want to truly encourage your children to think creatively, teach them to ask questions. Even if the questions go beyond the norm, they should be encouraged so that your child can explore. Those questions that start with what if are the questions that matter the most because then they can come up with unique answers and be imaginative and inspired at the same time. You could talk about what if there were lots of jelly at the end of the rainbow instead of pots of gold? You could ask what if one day your teacher was replaced by a giraffe? These are silly questions in the adult world, but for a child, they will conjure up those images in their minds and be able to put them to paper, you can draw the things that you discussed and see what it would look like if a giraffe was teaching a classroom full of children. It’s fun and it helps everybody to laugh and play.
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Seek the positives
Children are supposed to make mistakes and they shouldn’t be berated for it. Adults make mistakes all the time and we cover our mistakes with explanations and begging for forgiveness. Berating a child for making a mistake they don’t know they are making is a problem. If you want to keep encouraging children to think creatively, or they are struggling with learning a new concept, you need to be able to help them to see it in a different light and remain patient with them. Berating them for making a mistake is a problem but seeking positives in a mistake they have made is beautiful. Does it matter if the sunshine on their paper is green instead of yellow? Does it matter if they have portrayed the family to include bears, lions, or tigers? Let them be creative and be gentle when you need to correct them.
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Encourage their interests
If your child is more interested in crafting with plasticine than paint, stick to what they enjoy. There are a lot of sensory issues surrounding creativity and crafting, so don’t push the issue. Help your child to be creative in a way that’s comfortable for them and you ensure they are happy while they do it. If your child wants to learn to draw or sing, sign them up for lessons and classes that will help. No matter what your children are interested in, encourage them, feed that, and watch their creativity bloom.
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Ask what they like
Children are naturally creative individuals but it’s only going to work that way if you ask them what they like to do. Open-ended questions can help to boost creativity as much as possible so that you can help them to answer questions in a broader way rather than just yes or no. It’s one of the best ways that you can help your children to form their ideas, which is exactly what you want to encourage as they grow up.
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Get outside – and get muddy
If you want your children to think creatively they need to go and get creative – so get the galoshes on it’s time to get muddy! There is plenty of research to show that getting out into nature is not just good for mental health but can improve creativity, too. Studies show that spending time outdoors can enhance curiosity and encourage flexible thinking which is exactly what you want to do with the children. Children going outside means they get to spend time creating a whole new world that they are playing in. It’s why they play cowboys and bad guys and that’s why they play cops and robbers and that’s why they decorate the mud kitchen! Children get lucky, but it’s one of the ways that they can explore and expand their range.
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Keep reading together
Creativity can be bred when you read together with your child. Reading allows you to spend time getting into a world that isn’t yours and understanding new concepts and new perceptions. As a grown-up, you probably love to read. Introducing your children to read is a whole new ballgame. Reading together and acting out the silly voices and talking about the story is a great way to help your child to expand their imagination. Help them to deep dive into a whole new world and make a point of reading a single day at least one chapter of a book. They will love the time spent with you but they will love being able to create this world and their minds even more.
