*collaborative post*
Were you creative as a child? I have always a had a little creative spark I think, I can remember exploring my imagination often when I was a little girl. I was always drawing and colouring, I loved to create complex storylines and games with my Barbie dolls and I was forever scribbling in fluffy covered diaries with scented gel pens (do you remember those?). Now I am a mum and I try my best to encourage my kids to be creative too. We do crafts, we draw and play dress up and make believe. Of course sometimes I let the TV parent for a while but for the most part I try to help develop my children’s imaginations and creative sides. Do you want to learn how to encourage your child’s creativity? Today’s guest post is full of ideas to get you started.
How to encourage your child’s creativity.
One side of a child’s development that sometimes gets neglected and overlooked is their creativity. But this is a part of them that’s just as important and just as valuable as any other. So if you want to make sure that you support your child’s creative interests and you encourage them to explore these things, we’re going to talk about some of the things you can do as a parent.
Create a Time and Space for Creative Pursuits
Creating a time and a space for you to help your child be creative as a parent is really key. If your children don’t have the chance to do creative things because you don’t make those activities available in the home, then they simply won’t do them and they’ll be missing out. Give them a chance to explore a range of options and make dedicated time for it.
Let Them Express Themselves Freely
When you’re being creative with your child, be sure to let them express themselves as freely as possible. You don’t want them to feel as if they’re being told what to do because that’s not in the essence of creativity at all. As a parent, sometimes you have to take a step back and let them be free if you want to do the right thing by them.
Lead by Example
Leading by example and also exploring your creative side is also important. Your child looks up to you and when they see you doing certain things, the chances are they’ll want to join in and have some fun with it too. So if you don’t paint or pursue another kind of creative activity, that should change. They won’t want to do it as much if you’re not doing it too.
Choose the Right Nursery and School for Them
Finding a nursery or a school for them, deepening on their age, that’s going to support them in their creative interests is important too. You can click here to find out more about a nursery that does this well. Not every nursery or school will place the same emphasis on the creative side of teaching a child. So if you feel that this is something that’s important to them, consider this when making your choice.
Talk About Creative Topics Together
As well as doing things that are creative, you can also talk about creative things and help to teach your child about art and expression. Of course, those discussions have to be tailored to their age, but they can certainly become more developed and in-depth as they get a little older. There’s certainly nothing wrong with starting them early with this though.
Encouraging your child to think and play creatively and to indulge in creative pursuits is one of the most important things you can do for your child as they’re growing up. It’s a big part of what makes us human and it’s highly valuable for kids to have the opportunity to explore those things.