3 Ways to Keep Your Kids Creative!
Everyone talks about wanting their kids to be creative people. We all hope for our kids to grow into creative problem solvers, innovative, unique, talented...
I don’t think there is a parent out there who would say “I want my child to be uncreative. I’d like my child to be unimaginative, uninspired, unoriginal, complacent, a follower, and dull.
Kids Are Born Creative!
Yet here’s the thing, our kids are born the most creative beings on the planet and all we have to do to ensure they grow into imaginative, inspired adults is protect the creativity they were born with.
We Are Failing!
So, then why are adults severely lacking in creativity? Because, we are failing miserably at protecting the creativity children are born with. In fact, we are stamping it out of them little by little. According to George Land’s 1968 study on creativity 98% of 5 year olds scored in the genius range on a creativity test used by NASA. When those same children were retested at 15, only 12% of them scored in the genius range and only 2% of adults scored there.
Creativity is Inconvenient
The truth is, the parents and teachers that spend the most time with kids say they love creativity but in general they dislike it. The reality about creativity is it is messy, inconvenient, requires patience, stillness and freedom. Adults like tidy, fast, structure and plans they don’t generally enjoy the environment creativity thrives in.
However, adults I am talking to you…
… you can recapture the child in you that loved creativity. It is not too late and I promise that if you practice spending some time in the conditions creativity flourishes in you will actually enjoy those conditions you just need to connect with that part of yourself once again. If you are not willing to do it for your own creative self then just do it for your children because this is how we protect them from turning into the uninspired adults the world is full of.
Here are 3 ways to let creativity flourish in your home or classroom
1. Give kids tons of unstructured outdoor time. Nature is full of wonder and it definitely allows the creative juices to flow. Do not try to plan every minute of your child’s play time, do not interrupt it, oversee it, and structure it to death. Ensure your child has time with you, alone, and with friends. In all cases you should not be making suggestions, encouraging certain actions and behaviors, or managing the activities. Just be or let be and see what unfolds!
2. Have an art area set up chock full of art supplies. Rather than giving your child a preset art activity or kit let them just create. When there is paper, scissors, glue and other supplies kids will just make things. You don’t need a plan. You don’t need to say “Today we are going to make butterflies.” Yes, sometimes it can be nice to make a planned out craft but there should be daily time for your child to just create without limitations. No guidance, samples, models, because those are all things to copy which stifle your child’s innovation and imagination.
3. Give your kids time to be bored! Society is trying to boredom proof kids today. God forbid they just sit in the backseat of the car or anywhere for that matter. Every moment your child is not engaged in an activity does not mean we need to put a screen on or find something for them to do. Kids are resourceful and when we give them time and space they come up with the best ideas. My daughter would love for me to play with her every second of the day. She would also love for me to put the TV on every time I’m not able to play. Instead, I make sure that I let her sit in the quiet when I’m busy cleaning or doing something and within a minute or two she’s happily engaged in an activity she has thought of on her own. These are the times when I see the most creativity come out of her.
The reality is we don’t have to teach or even encourage creativity from our children. It is already in them we just need to get out of their way and let them be. They are born with an inherent wonder about the world. Their eyes see what we often cannot. When we constantly try to keep them busy we dull their ability to be the creative selves they were born to be. These three easy ways to give our kids the freedom to be themselves need to happen every single day. If you are a homeschooler looking for more information check out my new course Homeschooling With Confidence.