Hacks to Encourage Your Kids to Be Creative and Put the Video Games down ...

Even though a lot of people tend to assume that creativity is an inborn trait that you either possess or not, you should know that it is actually more skill than inborn talent and parents can do a lot of things to help their kids develop this precious skill. You can also define creativity as the ability to put things together in a new way or to see the world with fresh eyes. Even though you can’t give people talent, you can help your kids gain access to a creative way of seeing the things around them. Here are a few very useful tips on how to encourage your kids to be creative that you should consider:

1 Designate a Space for Creating

The first thing you should do if you want to help your kid develop his creativity is to designate a space for creating. You don’t have to turn an entire room into a fancy playroom, just try to carve out a space where your kid can be creative. For example, this can be just a tiny corner with a box of your old clothes or with a sack of LEGOs.

2 Tell Them Stories

You don’t need a beautifully illustrated book or a video to tell a great story. Amazing stories fuel children’s creativity so if you want to help your kid develop this skill, then just make a habit out of spending time with them and telling them all kinds of wonderful stories. Storytelling can even be considered the cornerstone of imaginative development and it is also something you can do every day that will strengthen the special bond that you share with your kid.

3 Focus on Play and Process, Not on Productivity

If you want to fuel your kid’s creativity, try not to focus on the productivity part, like on how many pictures your kid can paint in an hour. Just try to focus on the process instead. Have fun together and enjoy the time you spend with each other.

4 Let Your Kid Disagree with You

Give your kids the opportunity to express “divergent thought” by letting them disagree with you. Listen to what they have to say and encourage them to speak their mind, in a polite and assertive manner, of course. Encourage them to find more than one route to a solution and also, more than one solution to a problem.

5 Make Art

What better way to encourage your kid’s creativity than by making art? Just go do everything that can fire your child’s imagination. Paint, mold, build, sculpt, draw or do any other activity that can help them develop this precious skill.

6 Allow Your Kids to Explore Their Creative Ideas

Give your kids the freedom and autonomy to explore their creative ideas and to do what they want when it comes to being creative. Don’t force them to color inside the lines because this can reduce their cognitive flexibility, they will learn how to think inside the box and in time, they might not realise that every problem has an infinite number of solutions.

7 Don’t Be Afraid of Boredom

A lot of parents respond to their kids’ boredom by providing structured activities or even technological entertainment. Yet, keep in mind that unstructured time actually challenges your kids to engage with themselves, to imagine, invent and create. Children need practice with their unstructured time because otherwise, they will never learn to manage it.

Celebrate innovation and creativity and always support your child in developing their creative side. Do you know any other tips on how to encourage kids to be more creative? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

Sources:
greatergood.berkeley.edu
ahaparenting.com
parenting.com
psychcentral.com