Five step guide for parents to promote child’s creativity
“This blog is in continuation of /a sequel to an earlier blog written by Plowns https://medium.com/plowns/ how-to-make-your-child-more- creative-b23f76e932ba”
Creativity is best defined as ‘Intelligence having Fun’. We as parents make all efforts to improve one’s child intelligence through vocabulary, handwriting skills, spellings and subject concepts. What we parents still lack is an understanding that encouraging creativity through art &craft, music or may be dance further adds to the children’s hidden talent(s) and mental abilities. Creativity helps nurture a child’s emotional health. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for kids than to be able to draw and create themselves openly. Getting your child started early with art, in a stage where he/she doesn’t judge their own paintings, will help them develop their creative tendencies as they begin to refine their skills over time.
Once the need for being creative is understood, nextin line comes how can parents contribute towards making their child more creative. Here are some ideas for promoting creativity among kids:
1. Firstly, provide a conducive and encouraging environment where a child feels free to create whether at home or at school. Designating a separate room/small corner which is well lit and providing comfortable environment with lots and lots of art and craft supplies likecrayons, craft scissors, colouredsheets, a simple mouth organ or even an electric Casio promotes creativity among children. This provision of free time and space activates their senses, cultivates creative thinking, improves fine motor skills and gives a sense of achievement to the kid.
2. Secondly by observation and interrogation, one can find about the favorite color of one’s child. Then painting in that color will be abundance of fun and entertainment. Allow them to showcase their talents by framing their exhibits, by putting on walls of your house or by simply putting on your fridge. You can boast about it, this certainly adds to child’s confidence.
3. Thirdly, based on age criteria, slowly upgrade the level of activity .Arrange a local art and craft class which could be weekly that helps them practice. Joining summer camps where activities like special fabric painting, cake making or pottery classes enhances creative ability. You could brainstorm activities for the upcoming weekend, encouraging the kids to try something they’ve never done before. Be supportive of their new ideas and themes! Don’t point out which ideas aren’t possible, and don’t decide which ideas are best. The focus of creative activities should be on process of generatingnew ideas. Assign a small project example making of a Christmas tree from waste material. Let the child come up with ideas and make sure you help them implement them.
4. Fourthly, Encourage!Provide your valuable time to appreciate any small efforts they make.Celebrate innovation and creativity. Cover your walls with art and other evidence of creative expression. Tell your kids all about your favorite artists, musicians, and scientists. Share yourown passions like photography or that new band you want to listen to all the time. Children sure do learn from examples.
5. Fifthly, Allow kids the freedom and autonomy to explore their ideas and do what they want. Don’t be bossy. Encourage children to read for pleasure and participate in the art. Limit TV and other screen time in order to make room for creative activities like rehearsing a play, learning to draw, reading every book written by their favorite author.
We all are aware that one can be creative by birth; others can acquire the same skill by continuous practice. But, as it turns out, that art is yet another skill that requires incredible levels of practice and repetition in order to fully master. Creativity is more acquired than just an inborn talent, and it is a skill parents can help their kids develop by showcasing it around using present day technology.One such platform where you can upload your child’s creative work is www.plowns.com. You download its app from Google play store. Both pictures and videos can be easily uploaded by creating an account. Let’s all become part of Plownsverse .
