In the much the same way that you can build up your child's math skills by praciticing math problems, creativity can be nurtured and developed in any child with the right guidance.
But first, why is this important? Well, creative thinkers are problem solvers and creativity is the key that unlocks the door to success in many different areas of life. Creative-thinking is therefore an asset in all top-management and leadership positions.
So now that we know it's really useful, here are a few things we can do to build creativity at home.
1) Encourage imaginative play... get them off the gadgets and away from the television for a bit and suggest make-believe ideas for games. Play shopkeeper or imagine what it would be like to live in outer-space! Give them a jumping off point and let them build a game around it.
2) Resist the urge to buy them everything they want. If they want something... challenge them to try to make a version of their own. Older children could do very well at this.
3) Give them space to create... See my post on How to Make Room for Art at Home.
4) Never ever discourage them from trying something new. Don't try to put your own spin on their art work or change what they have done. One negative comment can put a child off art or experimenting for good, so be careful not to judge their work like you are an art critic at the Louvre. Ask questions instead so they get comfortable talking about their art and their work.
5) Expose them to different extra-curricular activities. Music, art, dance and drama... these are all activities that build on creativity and children can eventually lean towards one or the other. Expose them to as much as you can early on and see what sticks!
Do you have any ideas? What do you do to encourage your child's creativity?
This section of the blog is dedicated to you. Come to find inspiration, ideas and tips for encouraging creativity. I also hope this becomes a gathering place for like-minded parents to chat and engage each other on the topics as they arise! Let's work together to help our children have great experiences!