How to Raise Creative Kids
By Susan Stump
“Where
did he come up with that?”
Kids
often amaze us with their imaginative ideas, and we should give
ourselves a pat on the back for playing a role in this development.
Innovative thinking is essential for success in school and in life,
and it’s our job as parents to nurture our kids’ innate
desire to be creative. Inventive play fosters original thinking,
an asset when children are confronted with new situations. By providing
activities that use their creativity and imaginations, we are giving
our children an important tool to deal with life down the road.
Give
them ideas.
Children
come up with things to do on their own, but we also need to provide
them with new ideas of interesting activities. Think back to what
you did as a kid. Did you write a diary, create elaborate puppet
shows, or sing and dance for relatives? Share ideas from your own
childhood experiences. Offer creative writing ideas like writing
an episode for a favorite television show or writing a new ending
to a favorite story.
Craft
projects offer another outlet for inspiring imaginations.
Craft
kits offer a wide variety of unusual and fun projects. They’ve
brought us a long way from the sock puppets of our youth. These
manufacturers offer ideas and supplies to make such things as scrapbooks,
powerballs, soaps, candy, sun catchers, dolls, planes, dinosaurs,
jewelry treasures, and lots of decorative items. Kids can gather
ideas from the instructions, and then give the projects their own
unique touches.
Keep
ideas fresh.
Pick
up any parenting magazine and you’ll find lots of ideas to
get those creative juices flowing in your kids. Search the web and
check out craft stores. Keep a journal or file for magazine clippings
and ideas as you find them. Stockpile so that you’ll know how
to answer the whiny “I’m bored” call from your kids.
Give
them freedom.
Once
you’ve given your kids some suggestions and supplies, step
back and see which they choose and where they go with them. This
unstructured play time gives kids an opportunity to stretch their
creative muscles. Watch as they incorporate your ideas and branch
out on their own.
Set
an example.
Chances
are, if you are a creative person, your child will be too. You display
creativity in your everyday activities like when you reason with
a disgruntled child, change lyrics to songs, and maybe even do some
interpretive dancing to entertain a toddler. Your children see your
silliness and it rubs off on them. You surely use creativity to
juggle your and your family’s schedules. It’s a great
idea to point out to your kids how you use creativity in your daily
life.
As
parents, we always try to do the very best for our kids and provide
opportunities that will help them mature into intelligent, capable
adults. Nurturing their creative spirits helps them along this road.
With their well-developed imaginations, maybe they’ll turn
it into a yellow brick, pink polka-dotted road with sparkles!
About
the Author...
Susan Stump is the mother of two children and the owner of ChildCrafter,
Co. - Craft Kits and Subscriptions that Inspire a Child’s Imagination.
This work-at-home-mom offers a great selection of creative craft
kits from ALEX, Quincrafts, and Curiosity Kits from her catalog
and website http://www.childcrafter.com
Source:
http://www.chiff.com
