Whether you are a first-time parent or a grandparent, you can help a child learn new things. Even creativity can be taught!
Many people mistakenly believe that creativity is a character trait someone is born with or without. However, many scientific studies have found that just as you help a child learn new things like multiplication, creativity can also be taught.
A major reason why it is important to help a child learn new things like creativity is to help the child be successful in the future. A LinkedIn article reports, “According to a survey of 1,500 chief executives around the world, creativity is the most sought-after trait in leaders today.”
Teaching kids to be creative will help them succeed throughout the rest of their lives. Fortunately, it is easy to nurture creativity while your kids are young.
1. Let Kids Be Bored
It is perfectly normal for kids to complain about boredom. Even better – it is perfectly good for them to be bored from time to time! Boredom provides kids with opportunities to get their creative juices flowing.
In fact, researchers believe the reason fewer people are creative today is that kids aren’t allowed to be bored. PBS explains, “If we’re constantly filling their schedules and their brains, they’ll have no need to imagine a story, wonder how things work, or construct a fort with pillows and blankets.”
Plus, free play has been shown to boost confidence, problem-solving skills, resilience, social-emotional connections, and more.
2. Schedule Screen-Free Time
We’re not going to pretend today’s kids don’t spend time in front of screens – especially given that many kids are now doing digital schooling. However, it is still important to monitor a child’s screen time so that they learn how to play screen-free. Schedule screen-free time every day, such as “No screens until you have created something (i.e., built with LEGO, painted a picture, or put on a play).”
3. Challenge Kids
Another way to help a child learn new things is to make fun challenges, such as timing how quickly they can do tasks. Boost creativity by challenging kids to think outside of the box with family activities like building bridges with toothpicks and marshmallows or cooking a meal with unique ingredients.
4. Read to Your Kids
Reading to a child stimulates a child’s imagination. As a result, it also nurtures creativity. As children hear you read and look at illustrations, they use the creative part of their brains to understand the story and give meaning to it. Plus, studies have found that those who read fiction are more accepting of uncertainty, where creativity thrives.
5. Create Art
Stock up on child-friendly art supplies and encourage your kid to be a creator on a regular basis. While every piece may not be a masterpiece, it is having the freedom to express himself through his artwork that nurtures creativity.
6. Spend Time Outside
The Child Mind Institute says it best: “[Spending time outdoors] promotes creativity and imagination. This unstructured style of play also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways.”
7. Talk and Tell Personalized Stories
If you want to nurture your children’s creativity, encourage them to use their words. Get them talking and keep them talking. Ask them to tell you stories. You’ll be amazed by the creative stories they come up with on their own!
If one of your kid’s stories is really great, let us know! We’re in the business of creating personalized children’s books with imaginative stories featuring young heroes. Your kid’s story may inspire us!