Smarty Arty

Creativity for Kids - Ways to Grow Your Child’s Creative Streak

Heightened creative intelligence leads to increased resourcefulness, or the ability to meet challenges in a variety of ways. As children develop imagination, they learn to believe in their own instincts and unique talents and they will grow a confident approach toward problem solving. In nurturing creativity for kids, you need to let go a little and leave artistic and inventive decisions up to your child. You can, however, stimulate imagination by asking provocative questions concerning the why’s, how’s, and what’s of objects and situations. It is vital that you be available to offer reassurance when artistic projects don't go to plan and praise your child for trying as well as finishing the task.

Instructional projects to stimulate creativity for kids

Sometimes, real instruction is needed. Your child needs to know how to use the art materials you have supplied – your demonstration and suggestions will assist greatly in your child’s first efforts at drawing and painting, and your supervision is unquestionably necessary in using many of these materials.

Encourage exploration to grow your child’s creative streak

Motivate your child with comments such as “How interesting; you created a secret passage-way with the blocks.” or “The way you mixed different greens for leaves makes your tree look very real.” Stimulate inventive, autonomous thinking by posing questions. With creative projects, avoid giving your child specific instructions. For instance, when making a sun catcher say, “I wonder what material the sunlight would shine through the best. What do you think?” Give merit to your child’s different ideas and opinions. Encourage creative thought by using phrases like “Well, that is definitely one way of looking at it,” or “What a GREAT idea, I’ve never thought of that before!”

Resist perfectionism in creativity for kids

You may be able to do the job faster and better, but this is all about your child learning to do things for themselves and exploring their own creativity. Resist taking over your child’s project and, likewise, do not add ‘finishing touches’ to make it perfect. The creative process is far more important than the final result. With practice, creations will improve and we need to respect the learning that occurs while an activity is taking place. A wonderful way to show respect for your child’s creative effort, thus encouraging further creativity, is to exhibit your child’s stories or artwork on refrigerators and the walls of your home. Kids also love to see their handiwork on display at their parents’ workplaces.

Explore art supplies online to suit every age group

Art stores are so much fun to explore. You may be surprised at the quantity of art materials that even a baby can manipulate and delight in (with adult supervision, of course!). Under the age of one, a child will take great enjoyment in scribbling on a large piece of butcher’s paper with a junior crayon. Your child can quickly move on to coloured pencils and chalk, and, by age two, water-based felt-tip pens. Around the age of two, your child will have the skills to start painting. Make sure you protect clothing with an art smock and the area where your child is painting with newspaper to avoid a big mess. Finger paints and paint pads are great as a starting point, moving on to easel painting with chubby paint brushes and paints as they get older. Also around the age of two and as your child’s sense of touch develops, you will find that your child loves to pummel, roll, and squash play dough. Start with hands only, and move on to using tools to manipulate the dough as your child develops great fine motor skills. Whilst it is very difficult at times to take a step back and let your child do something on their own, creativity for kids is encouraged greatly in doing just this. Smarty Arty has all of the art and craft supplies you will need to get back to basics. Go on an adventure of wild imagination with your child to stimulate that creative streak and have a wonderful time in the process.