How to Develop Creativity in Children
Everyone is born with creative skills, but they do not use those skills in their lives because they were not encouraged to show their creativity when they were kids. Parents should observe and encourage their kids to be creative. Child creativity is measured through their method of thinking and problem-solving skills.
To be more confident about their views and opinions, children should be given activities and favorable environments that help expand their reasoning and understanding of the world. Letting children be creative on their own is a common misconception that is believed to encourage children’s creativity.
There is some truth in this because children are always inquisitive and curious, but their parents’ support is essential to develop their innovative capabilities and reach their full creative potential.
This article will share several ideas and activities that can help you boost and develop your children’s creativity.
- Provide a variety of materialsChildren are influenced by toys, tools, and materials around them. If you want to engage your children in creativity, ensure they have access to various drawing, building, and crafting materials. Signing up your kids for art classes is another great step in connecting your child with his/her creative side. Let them use new technologies such as robotics, videogames, 3-d printers but don’t overlook the traditional materials. All these materials contribute to elaborate dramatic play schemes. You can encourage your kids to use clay to build different things that they can imagine. They can also use paint to paint and mix different colors. This process makes them creative enough to decorate items and gives them pleasure. We at Visualdo institute pride ourselves on being a college for creative minds. We nurture your child’s artistic talent and interest into something fun and profitable.
- Encourage them to mess around.
Did you know imagination takes place in the hand? Encourage your children to mess around with different materials to generate ideas for projects. As children play with the materials, such as LEGO bricks, new ideas emerge, and they can develop great projects. Allow them to play in the mad and have all the fun. However, when they are finished playing, make it a rule that they need to help clean up the mess. Cleaning will give them an option of not messing around to avoid cleaning up. Of which most children will choose the latter.
- Ask questions
Asking children open-ended questions allows them to reflect on their projects. Open-ended questions help to stretch their understanding and postulate ideas. Ask them what-if questions. For example, what if people could fly? If they do a project, ask how they came up with the idea. These questions trigger them to reflect on what inspired them to come up with the project.
- Show them examples to spark ideas.
A blank canvas can intimidate the children; hence examples to help them spark ideas need to be shown. Of course, there is a risk of them just copying what they see, which is okay if they are starting, only if they are beginning. Encourage them to modify the example and bring in their voice.
- Encourage independence
Your child should not be too independent of media and caregivers. A child entertained by the television or others will struggle to find things to do independently. You can also share your thoughts with the children so that they understand your views and know that thinking is hard for everyone, not just for kids. Get them through the process of your thinking. This process will help them learn how to get through problems and solve them. Talking to them helps them to become creative thinkers.
Final thoughts
Art is a fast-growing field in Kenya and it needs young brilliant minds to occupy it. Creative children are always curious and willing to learn new things every day, which enhances their learning abilities in the future. There are jobs out here for artists, there is demand for a nice piece of art for that newly wedded couple in their new home. As parents, you should always encourage your children to be creative and support their creativity. Allow our institution to guide you on how to be one of the best artists in Kenya