Creativity is more essential in life than a lot of people believe. Studies show that a person’s level of creativity is directly related to their ability to solve problems. The reason it’s so misunderstood is that people think of art when they hear the word creative. Believe it or not, creativity is more of a skill than talent, and you can foster it in your child from the comfort of your home.
With distance learning still in effect in many places, it’s your obligation as a parent to give your children more avenues to be creative. You’ll be pleased to know that the best methods don’t always involve complex tools, and getting paint on your walls needn’t be the inevitable aftermath.
Here are some of the simplest and most effective ways you can help your child improve their creativity.
Encourage Questions
Depending on your child, encouraging them to question everything might not be necessary. But if you’ve gotten into the habit of shushing them whenever they ask why the clouds move, then you’ve got work to do.
You have to understand that children are naturally curious, and curiosity breeds creativity. For parents of children who don’t ask questions, urge them to do so by raising them yourself. The next time you open the fridge, make them observe how the mist descends. How come cold air goes down while hot air goes up? Do ants really walk on water? Why do you eat three meals a day?
These may be challenging questions for you, particularly if science wasn’t your favorite subject at school. Thankfully, Google can provide answers in just a few clicks. If explaining isn’t your forte, then no worries. YouTube has plenty of fun videos for you and your kids to watch.
Engage Them With The Right Toys
Buying a builder set for kids is one way you can engage your children to be creative in a different kind of way. With tools at their disposal, the mind will automatically get to work to figure out what they can do with them. The simple act of constructing something out of the most basic tools triggers their hand-eye coordination, cognitive flexibility, and engineering skills.
It might take a while for them to grow fond of these toys if they’re more inclined towards gadgets. Instead of forcing them to play it, why not invite them to create things with you? Put their gadgets out of reach for ten minutes on the first day, and then extend it as they get the hang of playing with builder sets. Join them whenever you can, and switch up the toys to promote better results.
Urge Them To Read
Not all children are naturally inclined to books. Some need more urging than others, and you might have to be creative in your approach. Choose age-appropriate books for them, and spend time together every day reading them. It’s better if they have movie-tie-ins, as you can encourage your child to read the book first before watching the movie so that you can make a comparison afterward.
Reading is one of the cheapest, fastest, and most efficient ways for children to develop logical thinking and express themselves better. The best part is that it’s not too late for you to get into this habit as well. No matter how old you are, your brain will still benefit from reading more books. It’s a challenge you and your child should tackle together.
Give Them Alone Time
A lot of parents make the mistake of overcrowding their children’s schedules. This gives them no time to be idle and just let their imagination run wild. It won’t take a lot of research to discover that most of the world’s most creative people need idle time to explore their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and ideals. They don’t always have to be doing something physical to be creative. A good percentage of this skill is cultivated in the mind when it’s allowed to be as free and wild as possible.
It Matters What You Do Now
What you do now to foster your child’s creativity will impact them forever. These activities may be simple, but they are the very tools that will enable them to solve problems, express themselves better, persist in finding new solutions, and socialize with their peers more confidently.
Don’t feel the need to do all of these at once. Tackle them one at a time at a pace that you’re comfortable with. Who knows? Even you might boost your creativity and perform better at work because of this.
