How to Boost Your Child’s Creativity
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In today’s increasingly digital age, there’s more need than ever to ensure that children have ample opportunity to develop their creative skills.
Creative people are on the whole, thought to be happier than those who never indulge in creative activities.
Helping children to discover more about creativity and to experiment as much as possible is an important step in helping them learn the skills necessary to excel in the world.
Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash
What types of creative activity are best for children?
Any type. That’s the short answer – the best thing about children and creativity is that they are usually open to almost any type of creative activity.
Start when they are old enough to hold a brush or a pen or even to crumple up some paper.
Allow your toddlers the freedom to stick, glue, scribble and daub. Lay out plastic sheeting or old newspaper, some finger paints and old cardboard or paper sheets and simply let them do as they please.
Toddlers will want to explore the paint with their fingers – they don’t care about mess. It’s important to allow this because in exploring the medium, they are also learning about it’s potential.
Older children can use clay, beeswax, natural elements like rocks, leaves and sticks to create sculptures. Save up old boxes and let them paint or decorate them to create houses or robots. Let your child find the different uses for the things they can collect on a walk in the park.
Visit your local art gallery and show your child the different pieces on display. Discuss the exhibitions with them – ask questions about the things they like best and why.
Make an at-home art gallery
All it takes is one wall. You can pin paintings and drawings up to allow your child and others the pleasure of viewing the latest creations.
Make a label for each piece with its title and the artists’ name. Experiment with themes and help your child to come up with new works for each changing season or celebration.
If your child feels their creative efforts are admired and celebrated, they will continue to pursue their artistic skills.
Creativity is about more than art
As they grow, some children will move away from painting and drawing finding instead, other areas on which to focus their creative skills.
Some other areas include –
- Theatre
- Writing
- Dance
- Comedy
- Film making
If your child knows that you support them in their efforts, they will naturally feel the urge to learn more about their area of interest and to keep improving.
Perhaps find a local club for your child to meet other like-minded young people with whom they can share their passions.
Creativity is an important part of life – it helps us to process the world around us and to share our innermost feelings.
This girls’ prep school in London offers a curriculum which takes this into account with ballet, music and drama all being a part of students weekly classes.
For creativity to be included in a child’s schooling is vital – academics are important of course but best when augmented with a full and well taught creative curriculum.
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