How to encourage and develop creativity in children

Living in a fast-paced world like ours, we are measured on the basis of our achievements. This is carried forward to our kids as well. Children today are often judged on the basis of their test scores, the activities they know, how fast they learn new concepts and what they have achieved. However in this race to achieve more, we sometimes lose out on developing creativity in our children.

Importance of creativity

Creativity is an essential life skill that can help your child navigate through their lives. This ability has helped people cope with stress, solve problems and even deal with drastic life changes. It is important that every parent supports and encourages their children’s creative development in their early years as this can set a strong foundation for their future.

Techniques to develop creativity in children

1. Give them a creative space

It might not be practically viable for everyone to allocate an entire room in their house just for their kids to be creative and this is completely fine. A small corner in a room will suffice to bring out the creative wizard in your young child. This space can be filled with elements that help kids use their creativity like building Legos, using a kitchen set, a drawing book, board games, etc.

2. Ask them questions

One of the best ways to encourage creativity in a child is by asking them questions. This way you will know what their thought process is like and what they think about different things. Encouraging them to question everything is one of the best brain activities for children. This technique will prompt your children to think outside the box and hone their critical reasoning abilities.A simple example of asking questions to a child would be asking the name of fruits and vegetables, there can be instances when they get confused or mix up names which again is a great way of learning.

3. Let them solve their problems

This might not be the easiest of things for parents to do but it is an essential part of the child’s development. A child cannot always be dependent on his or her parents to solve each and every problem or issue they face. By letting kids come up with their own solutions, you as a parent are not only helping them be creative but are also encouraging them to grow as individuals.

4. Encourage them to draw

It isn’t necessary for your child to be excellent at drawing, but it’s still important that you encourage them to do it. When children draw and paint, they are putting their imagination to work and are finding a creative outlet for it. It’s also equally important that you show them appreciation for their work because this encourages them to explore their skills further. You can do this by simple words of praise, hanging up their works of art on your refrigerator or showing it off to friends and family.

5. Creative writing

Writing is an invaluable skill that will help your child throughout their life. You can develop this talent in them early by encouraging them to write down their thoughts, short stories or even poems. This will also allow you to get a glimpse into the wonderfully imaginative world that they have created in their heads. By encouraging them to write you will also be helping them in improving their vocabulary. Another way to improve their creative writing skills is to get them the best children books for their age. This will instill in them a love for reading and will further improve their vocabulary. 

6. Develop their critical thinking

It is good to encourage critical thinking in children as it helps them develop the habit of thinking out of the box. A simple way of encouraging this way of thinking is by asking them what they believe the outcome of an activity will be before commencing it and then asking them the same question after the activity is completed. Doing so helps your child develop their powers of reasoning and logical thinking. This critical thinking need not be for difficult tasks; it can be understood with the help of simple tasks or activities like riding a bicycle or planting a seed.

7. Ask them to build models

As parents, it is important to encourage children to explore their ideas by building or modeling things. This way they will know how to solve simple issues and will also be utilizing their common sense. A simple way of encouraging them to model things is by getting them a Lego set or building blocks. This way, they explore different designs and understand them because of the perfect fitment of the blocks. You can also use these models as aids when you are trying to teach them a new concept. A simple irrigation set up, for example, can be explanatory to children as to how water reaches different parts of a field or farm.

8. Travel with them

Vacations aren’t just a great opportunity for the whole family to spend some quality time together, they are also essential to develop your child’s creative thinking. Trips to a wildlife sanctuary, desert, valley or even a beach will help your child explore and take in the beauty of nature. Encourage them to ask questions about their surroundings to develop a sense of curiosity in them. Why is there sand on the beach? Why are waves forming? How does an eagle fly so high? How can tigers run so fast? Why is it called a zebra crossing? These could possibly the questions you are asked by your little one and this is a good sign because you will know that they are thinking creatively to try and understand why these things are there.

Empowering your child to become a creative thinker and problem solver will undoubtedly be a skill that will prove to be invaluable to them throughout their life. With the mfine app, you can also ensure that your child’s health is equally well taken care of. Download now to connect instantly with the city’s top paediatricians.