We all want our kids to be happy, healthy, and imaginative, and while the fist two are the most important, did you know kids with a great imagination are more likely to be happy and healthy too? And there are so many ways you can encourage them to be creative and use their imaginations, too! Here’s my list of 7 ways to encourage your kids to be creative, and they’re all very easy!
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If your little one proudly shows you a picture she painted, or a fort he built out of couch cushions, praise them! Your verbal encouragement and the delight you show them is the key to getting them to continue their imaginative and creative play!
Photo Credit: design d15
If your princess wants to paint, or your little man wants to learn to draw comic book characters, find a class at a local school or rec center and sign them up! The same can be said for cooking, dance, music… whatever they want to do!
Photo Credit: design d15
Keep a basket or plastic bin full of paints, paper, stickers, and lots of other crafting supplies handy, so when the mood strikes and your little one wants to do something artsy, you have everything ready to go. Keeping everything in one place also ensures there’s little hassle and mess.
Photo Credit: design d15
If little Susie wants to paint, chances are, she’ll ask you to do it, too. If you always say no, then she’ll come to think it’s not important, but it is! While you may not feel like you’re a good artist, it’s not the end product that counts… it’s that you spent the time with her, and that you tried… and that you had fun together, doing something creative.
Photo Credit: design d15
Does your little girl dance and sing, and your little man think he knows karate? Do they paint or craft or sculpt? Then help them put on a show for family and friends! Sell tickets for a dime apiece and help them make props. And make sure to video-tape it!
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Not all kids want to paint, and not all want to build with Legos. Help your child discover what their creative passions and talents are, and encourage them especially in those areas. If it’s an activity they enjoy, they’re more likely to keep doing it, and as they continue on with time, it will be rewarding for them to see how their saxophone-playing or watercolor painting skills improve.
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Just because you want them to paint or draw or dance or play piano doesn’t mean they’ll want to, or at least not all the time. Unless you want to turn your child’s creative energy OFF, all you can do is guide and provide and encourage, not push. Let them go at their own pace, especially at first.
Those are just a few of the ways you can encourage your child to be creative, and to exercise their imaginations. I always keep that craft bin full, and my daughter loves that she can draw or paint whenever she wants to! Which of these ideas have you tried, or do you have another suggestion to share? Please let me know!
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