We hear a lot about how kids need to be creative. Of course, I want my kids to be creative. Beyond what the teachers are doing with their assignments, how can I foster their creativity?
– For Creativity
One of the keynotes to creativity is being curious about things. Babies and toddlers are naturally curious. To them, everything is fascinating. You can build on this by talking with them about what they see as wonderful. For example, when they observe that the moon is a circle. Ask them: What other circle shapes do you see in the sky, on cars, or in our home? And when they express an interest in anything from coins to birds, help them build upon it with books, videos, and conversations.
As children grow older, they move more toward finding the right answer rather than going deeper and finding out more about things. So help them widen their horizons by finding out more about opposing views or connections to other things. This can be done with a variety of subjects. Asking “what do you think?” is always a good way to start them thinking creatively. Another is to take a common item like a shoestring and ask what else it could be used for. This will get your children thinking outside the box, which is what creative people do.
There is one other big thing that parents can do to raise creative children. They can, in their own lives, show the children their own wonder and curiosity about things. Another helpful trait of nurturing creativity in children lies in getting them accustomed to different ways of handling obstacles, from a difficult math problem to a bully. Asking the right questions can accelerate this process.
Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website.
©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2019