9 Ways to Spark Your Children’s Creativity

Do your children easily get bored? When you take away their video games and TV, are they at a loss for things to do? In the technological world we live on, kids depend more and more on their screens to entertain themselves and tend to put aside their creativity. How can you help spark their creative minds? Here are nine ideas to help you do just that.

Cut on Screen Time

To spark your kids’ creativity, you need to cut their screen time. Watching TV or playing video games only gets their brains used at getting everything served to them on a silver platter. Screens leave no place to the imagination. Make sure they have screen-free time every day.

Give Them Free Time

Let children be children. Use the screen-free time to let your kids play in whichever way they want, as long as it doesn’t involve a screen. No need to oversee everything they do. Just let them be themselves and play in their own creative way.

Make a Creative Space

Make a creative spot in the house for your kids. No need to be complicated, just make sure it’s accessible to them. Put some blocks, paper and crayons, clothes for them to play dress up. Even an empty box can bring hours of fun. Let their imaginations run wild.

Give a Starting Point

What are your kids’ passions? Is your son obsessed with lions? Start a conversation by asking him what he would do if he could transform himself into a lion. Does your daughter love fairies? Ask her what kind of fairy she would like to be, and how she would spend her days. Ask them to play-act their answers. Help them make costumes so they can continue playing fairies and lions.

Invent a Story

Reading a story to your child is a great activity. Why not put a new twist to it to spark their imagination? Read or invent the first part of a story, then ask them to invent the rest.

Let Them Get Dirty

Nothing stifles creativity more than a too sterile environment. Dress your kids in old clothes and send them outside to play in sand and dirt. Tell them it’s okay to get dirty. Put an old plastic tablecloth on the table, give them some paint and brushes, and ask them to paint you a masterpiece. You can even bring this activity outside, on the picnic table. Being outdoors lets the creative mind run free.

Help Them Pursue Their Passion

Does one child enjoy drawing? Does another like to build things? Make sure they have the materials needed to do creative activities that they love. Encourage them to pursue that activity.

Let Them Be Creative Together

Being creative on your own is good, but being creative with friends is so much more awesome! Let your kids invite some friends over for a creative day. The one rule for the day: be creative and have fun.

Preach by Example

Adults tend to stifle their creative side as they want to fit into society’s norms. Don’t be shy to get down on all fours and play with your kids. Rediscover your inner child, let your creativity roam free. Your own creativity will spark your children’s creativity, and you’ll be in for hours of fun.