Creative thinking is important to work on with children as it forms the basis of many important thinking skills like critical thinking and problem solving. A transferable skill that is needed in virtually every situation and area of life. Encouraging creativity at a young age when it can be linked to play is a great way to harness that skill and embed it so that when they start high school they can easily unlock their creativity and imagination when it comes to creative writing, art, design technology and food tech, as well as numerous other lessons where it can help improve their success. If creativity does not come naturally to them they may find it difficult or even embarrassing to share ideas and start being creative later in life. Luckily it’s something that you can build on, so all is not lost. There are exercises that you can do to promote creative thought, the younger the better but teenagers and adults can still use these to boost their creativity too.
Here are a few idea to help boost your child’s creativity that a Surrey preschool have shared with us.
Get creative in the kitchen
Cooking is an example of something that’s open-ended. Children can have the freedom and flexibility to do and create whatever they wish (within reason). This can help them to think innovatively and form their own ideas. You can start with something simple like home made pizzas where they can pick their own toppings and even decorate the pizza to resemble something like a face, pattern or flag. If you want to keep it healthy then try smoothies, asking them to create a new recipe using fruits they love and some they haven’t tried before. Once they get a bit older and more confident in the kitchen you can encourage them to get more creative and start baking cakes or cooking meals for the family, even putting together full menus.
Visit an Art Gallery
You can inspire your children and help get their creative juices flowing with the work of others. Art galleries are great places to do this as they can see the intricate details and connect to the pieces in person. They can trigger their imagination and thoughts as they try to analyse and make their own interpretations of what they see, after your visit return home and set up an arts and crafts session with a theme from the art gallery and get them to recreate a piece they have seen or a style they liked.
Visiting an art galleries is also a great way of showing older children that art is for adults and not just children, that it isn’t something to be looked down on as a kids activity but that it can be a profession too and for some a very lucrative one.
Invest in art supplies
If you are going to boost your child’s creativity then you are going to need art supplies and craft sets. If you are on a budget then start by saving up your recycling like cereal boxes, loo role tubes and scraps of paper. If you have some fund then look at a variety of supplies from paint pop stick to bracelet kits so you can give your children different ways to explore their creativity in fun ways that appeal to them.
Remember creativity isn’t just about painting and making models, although these are great activities for boosting creativity, but it can also be encouraged when using things like building bricks, role play toys and sensory play.
One particularly good set that is great for boosting your child’s creativity through fun, building on their fine motor skills and promoting sensory play all at the same time is the So Slime Sensations Sugary Crush. They are designed to provide children with a unique sensory play experience, combining vibrant colours, diverse textures, and satisfying ASMR effects. Use these to encourage your child to get creative and mix, squish, and stretch various compounds to create personalised, sensory-rich slime.
Take Them Outdoors
Random stimuli can also inspire creative thoughts. Try going out side and looking for objects that they can use to create pictures like petals, leaves and feathers. Or encourage them to find something interesting or different that they want to recreate at home, this could be someones stained glass window, a cute cat or dog, the view from the local beach. The possibilities are endless and mixing fresh air, exercise and creativity is sure to be a fun day.
Model Creativity
Creativity doesn’t have to be design related. You can have creativity of thought too. By thinking and sharing your own ideas, you can inspire your child to want to do the same as they naturally look up to their parents as role models. When you are making a new recipe for tea or tweaking an old one tell them abut it, if you atrted your own business or side hustle explain where the ideas came from, if you still read them a bed time tory why not try getting creative yourself and making one up n the spot, you could even encourage them to get involved and make a few suggestions along the way. Normalising creativity is a sure fire way to actively encourage your children to be creative too.
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