5 Ways to Nurture Your Child’s Creativity

The creative minds of children are unbelievable. Their imaginations have no bounds and they come up with amazing ideas all the time. It’s smart to develop their creativity to help them build a brighter future. Our friends over at www.findmyworkspace.com discuss 5 ways you can nurture the creativity of your kids.

5 Ways to Nurture Your Child’s Creativity

Every kid has the potential to be creative, but their potentials and opportunities are not equal. As a parent, it is your duty to bring out your child’s creative spirit and to challenge him to be original, innovative, and resourceful. Creativity is not limited to making pretty pictures or playing beautiful music, as most of us think. The truth is that creativity is an important life skill that allows us to solve problems, to seize opportunities, and to overcome obstacles that we will face as adults.

Get your child ready to think outside the box when he is put in tight spots by challenging him and nurturing his creativity through these five steps.

(1) Allow your child to think and do things on his own.

Most of us parents are guilty of imposing on our kids our own methods and processes. There is more than one way to wear a shirt, to put on shoes, or to arrange things inside their school bag. Teach them the basics and let them do things their own way. Don’t boss them around to do things only a certain way. Guide them, but don’t restrict them from trying out their ideas and from expressing them. Freedom and independence are important in nurturing creativity.

(2) Respect your child’s opinions, ideas and thoughts.

No matter how absurd, we should always acknowledge the things that our kids say. Don’t kill their excitement by shutting them down when they suggest even the most ridiculous ideas. You might be on the verge of laughter after they tell you something preposterous, but control yourself. Appear interested when they tell you their stories, encourage them to tell you more, and engage them. Some encouraging words that you could use in conversing with your little ones are:

• Why didn’t I think of that?
• That’s a great idea!
• Can you tell me more about it?
• That sounds like a lot of fun!

When you see them fired up and excited, it’s the perfect opportunity to coax them to expound or their thoughts and to think beyond the usual. They will appreciate you for hearing them out and letting them express themselves.

(3) Open up different opportunities for them to be creative.

Give your child all sorts of materials that they can use to express their creativity. Introduce them to crayons, coloring books, musical instruments, craft materials and other mediums. In the kitchen, you can allow them to decorate cakes and cupcakes. You can also ask them to help you decorate your home. For older kids, challenge them to fix and repurpose their broken toys. Give them a camera and ask them to take photos. Introduce them to recycling. Bring them to the theater, or show them to see wholesome concerts. Give them a toy guitar, a xylophone, or even a drum. Challenge them to make sounds using different objects and materials. There’s an endless list of activities that they can engage in and around your home. When your budget and time permits, enroll them to art, music, acting or dance classes, and let them choose which one they wish to pursue.

(4) Support your child’s artistic and creative endeavors.

Even if your 4-year-old’s stick drawing is sloppy, appreciate and support his creative manifestations by displaying it proudly on the door of your fridge. Give time to bring your child to rehearsals and practices, and eagerly watch and document their performances. Kids perform better and are filled with a sense of pride and fulfillment when their parents cheer them on.

(5) Don’t overwhelm your kids. Allow them to be bored sometimes.

Parents are guilty about one other thing: overwhelming their kids with too many activities especially during the summer. Sometimes parents get too excited about the things that their kids can do.  So they pile up on activities and events that their kids can attend and accomplish. Stop yourself from doing that and give your kids time to wonder about what they should be doing. Finding something to keep yourself from getting bored is another situation where your child can display his creativity.

The best thing that you can do for your kids while they explore and discover their creative tendencies is to be patient and to trust them. Give them the freedom to learn and discover things on their own. This improves their creativity and puts them in a good spot to try things on their own.

Author Bio:

Gemma Reeves is a seasoned writer who enjoys creating helpful articles and interesting stories. She has worked with several clients across different industries such as advertising, online marketing, technology, healthcare, family matters, and more. She is also an aspiring entrepreneur who is engaged in assisting other aspiring entrepreneurs in finding the best office space for their business.

Check out her company here: FindMyWorkspace