When you talk about creativity, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Art, craft, painting, right? Creativity is far more than this! It is ‘thinking out-of-the-box. Talk about creativity in kids; there are innumerable ways to help them use their creative skills. As parents and educators, all you need to do is trust them to give them the freedom to do things creatively.
Dorothea Brande rightly said: “A child’s mind is not a container to be filled but rather a fire to be kindled.”
Fostering creative skills in kids is as important as teaching them practical life skills. There are countless opportunities available for today’s parents and educators to inculcate creative skills in kids. From cooking a simple dish to gardening and organizing their things, kids can be creative in many ways.
Creative children tend to be successful in their lives because their thoughts and ideas are limitless. Bobbi Wegner Psy.D, the renowned Psychologist/Co-Founder at Nouveau Coaching, Lecturer, shared her views on fostering creative skills in kids. In her words, “A child who is used to thinking creatively can more easily problem-solve than a child who follows a rigid protocol when searching for a solution to a problem. Creative thinking serves them far beyond their childhood years.”.
Way to Unlock Creative Skills In Kids
We thought of shedding light on how parents, educators, and teachers can inculcate creative skills in their kids.
Never stop your Child from Asking Questions
Creative thinkers ask many questions. They want to know the answers to who, when, where, what and why. Children are curious about everything. They tend to question everything, and we as parents sometimes get irritated, and sometimes, we give vague answers. This is when we make the biggest mistake. Why? Kids have unlimited curiosity, and they just keep asking questions and seek answers. To foster creative skills in children, we need to be prepared to respond to their questions. If you are busy or you don’t know the answer, you can tell your child that you will answer their questions later on. Scolding them and asking them to stop asking questions curbs their curiosity.
Give your child the freedom
Trusting your child and giving them little freedom will not harm us. You might be worried if your child might get hurt. For that, you can keep a check on them, but don’t let them think that you do not believe their idea. Even if it’s a vague idea or suggestion, let them try. This way, they will think creatively, and even if they fail, they will learn a lesson.
Focus on Playful Learning
Kids love to play, and just mugging up the textbook content will limit their thinking. Let them learn through play. Kits like Musky and Koddle are the intelligent solutions for today’s kids to learn to code playfully. Yes, you read that correctly. These kits focus on screen-free learning, i.e., kids don’t have to stare at their mobile screens. Instead, they learn to code and make their bots move by giving them commands.
Engage them in DIY Activities
Getting involved in DIY activities is the best way to foster creative thinking in kids. Children learn a lot when they do things on their own. For example, if your child asks you about how plants grow from seeds. Instead of just answering the question, ask them to try their hands on it. They can take a planter, sough the seed in the soil and keep watering it. They will learn a lot with such Creative Skills DIY activities and answer their questions. Besides, you can buy STEM and Robotics kits that ensure to engage them in amazing DIY activities.
Don’t judge them
To err is human! We all have that fear of being judged. Kids tend to make many mistakes, but it’s okay after all; they are just kids. If they are learning something new and are unsuccessful in executing their ideas, don’t judge them or use demotivating words. Instead, appreciate them for trying and motivate them to try again.
Make them Read Creative Books
The market is flooded with creative books for kids. You can buy your child books like Exploralab, The LEGO Adventure Book, etc. The creative books will make them learn how to be creative and make them understand the importance of patience.
Motivate them to join Creative Classes
Online or offline, many classes are going on in schools. As a parent, you should motivate your kids to join the creativity classes of their interest. Seeing their peer group do something creative motivates them to try their hands on the creative activity.
Rewards & Appreciation
Rewards and appreciation are the most effective forms of motivation. Whenever your child does something creative, reward them. When you appreciate them in front of others, they feel motivated and happy. This motivation makes them think out of the box and develop creative ideas to try something new.
If you, as parents, are ready to nurture your child’s creative ideas and inspire them, your child is sure to become a creative genius. Thinking creatively helps them not just during their education life; instead, they learn how to handle problems, communicate, and express themselves. When parents and teachers notice and praise kids for coming up with out-of-box ideas and trying something, they learn to explore themselves in different ways. Encouraging kids to be different, allowing them to make mistakes, and not making them slaves to the ordinary will help foster creative skills in kids.
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