Why Do Children Need Creativity, and How Can We Empower it?

Creativity includes ideas and imagination to introduce a solution to a problem, an artwork, or any invention. Creativity holds a lot of value in education and jobs. Even Google stresses the value of creativity in this study! 

It is more of a mindset instead of an inherent talent. Creative individuals polished their skills and practiced their craft to be known in an industry.

In order to promote a child's creative development, parents, teachers, and counselors need to know how creativity results in a powerful emotional and mental performance.

First of All, Why Is Creativity Needed? Why Do Children Need Playtimes?

On the list of content and skills educators need to cover, creativity doesn’t get a high priority. It’s often grouped together with other soft skills, such as teamwork and communication. Great to have, but not as valuable as algebra or reading.

From a generalized curriculum to standardized tests, modern education gives no space for creativity. This makes the majority of schools misaligned with societal and global demands, leaving students unprepared for adult life.

But as per the latest research, creativity isn’t just a great add-on; it is a crucial human skill and maybe even a modern need in our technological world.

More and more research is showing that kids learn and grow the most through play. Young children get an opportunity to boost their communication, confidence, and skills by playing. Their desire to explore and be curious also increases by playing. 

Not only this, children develop impressive attitudes like risk-taking, hard work, teamwork, and resilience. These form the base for learning. Hence, creative children grow up to be bright students. 

Introduce Your Child To Creative Plays!

There is no limit to creative play. In pretend play, kids enjoy different roles and make imaginary worlds. Some examples are exploring options, taking risks, working our imagination, making decisions, and drawing connections between ideas. 

Some individuals believe that ‘possibility thinking’ is the foundation of all children’s creativity, regardless of whether they are in a group or independently. Possibility thinking is the way through which questions are set and discovered. One example is how kids ask ‘What if?’.

Possibilities are made through kids and adults in all aspects of learning, such as initial understanding of the world, imagination, math, music, outdoors, cooking, writing, and more. Just supervise their plays from a distance and don’t hover over them.

How Can Parents and Teachers Start A Creative Spark?

It’s difficult to put a finger on the first interest of every child. Some kids might show no interest aside from their devices and toys. However, if you allow this trend to persist, the harder it will be to divert their attention to something else!

Kids can get inspired by seeing talented and skilled individuals in action. The theater is an ideal spot to showcase a long list of talents. So is live sports. Keep trying to show them live activities. It will urge them to imitate the creative people they have seen.

Some Ways to Begin Creativity

Adults need to support a child’s creative ideas instead of imposing their own. Educators and parents must follow a child’s lead while they are given the freedom to experiment, investigate, and discover. 

This point is also stressed by the author of Cultivating creativity in babies, toddlers and young children. If adults are not sensitively involved with kids, children will not develop the possibilities to show their creativity. 

Healthy interactions enable the child to take control of their creations and play. When kids are given the space to make their own choices and decisions, they will build a creative nature. As tempting as it is to intervene with advice or caution, kids desire the freedom to make errors and take risks.

There is much of a dilemma between freedom and structure. The ideal balance is careful supervision and withdrawing it when there’s no danger. It’s a learning curve for all parents.

Now, it’s time to introduce creativity to students!

No idea is a bad idea.

Kids are loaded with ideas, and ideas are fueled by creativity. When adults ignore or criticize an idea, they are discrediting the creativity it took to introduce it in the first place. 

Yes, it’s natural for children to show bad ideas, but this doesn’t mean that their logic or thought process have no value. Try to praise these good bits and make them realize what needs to be done to birth new, better ideas.

Kids who have the fear of making mistakes aren’t very creative. Adults need to create an environment for them in which they can unleash their creative forces, make a mess, and not feel bad doing so.

Let them speak up!

Many parents are found guilty of deciding everything for their kids. Give your child the freedom to express their preferences regarding their creative pursuits. Creativity is only possible when kids are given the space to breathe and feel heard. If they are no longer interested in an activity that they picked earlier, don’t say, “I told you so.” Such words will stop them from trying new things.

Allow mistakes

Trial and error, which is also known as productive struggle, is an unavoidable part of the creative process. This is how kids get familiar with taking risks and strength. Most importantly, it empowers them to keep trying until they reach their goals. 

Parents who get negative or strict whenever their child makes mistakes will make them develop a fear of judgment. It also ruins their mental health. Make them realize that not giving up is more important than anything and that they should enjoy the journey.

It’s okay if they disagree with you.

The real purpose of education is creativity is always questioning why things are the way they are. Whenever your child disagrees with you on something, allow them to express their thoughts. Make them feel safe to have contrasting opinions. 

Telling stories

Sharing stories out loud and reading stories together fuels the imagination of a child. It also helps them understand narrative structure and language. Kids can also actively participate in stories by costumes and plays. For example, if your child likes the story of “Princess and The Pea,” find the materials to act out the story together and choose the roles of princess and prince.

Tip: Parents can encourage kids to retell stories in their own words and invent their own endings.

More time, fewer plans

Random activities trigger creativity. Planning less makes more room for random stuff. Getting out with children can always end up being creative. Even the simplest things lead to ideas and surprises for kids. Slowing down and ignoring schedules is best for kids to explore their ideas.

Mark-making

Give your child varying media to make marks on scales and surfaces. Kids usually like the physical and sensory parts of mark-making. Outdoor mark-making is quite amusing, too, and presents countless opportunities. 

For instance, kids can draw lines in mud or sand with their fingers. As kids get older, drawing is a great way to display their ideas and thoughts and put them on paper openly. 

This is how they can showcase their thoughts to the world, which guides you to engage and understand their mindset. You might observe themes showing in these marks that you can discuss with them, like map-making. 

Imaginative play

Kids can't have healthy development without free-form or unstructured play. They are very serious about all types of plays. Make-believe and imaginative play sparks creativity and original thinking in kids. 

This is usually independent, spontaneous, self-directed, and based on their preferences. With the repetition of basic physical skills and playing, children can master their abilities and become capable of doing hard tasks later. 

Block play, for example, engages children in mental struggles related to dimensions and balance. Kids develop new ways of thinking and developmentally. Playing with peers also makes them catch social roles. They are given a chance to master their environment. Kids can control their experience with their imagination. Play also involves making choices and decisions.

Parents can support pretend plays by adding props or engaging in them. For instance, if kids are interested in animals, you can play vets with them and buy them toy animals. Don’t forget to give them the freedom to direct their own plays and decide their flow. You can make their plays more open-ended by giving items to make some new stuff. For example, doll dresses can be made from old fabric pieces, and doll homes can be made from cardboard.

Tip: Even the box that comes with a toy can be used to make fun creations. It’s a form of open-ended play!

Lower consumption

No, we don’t mean snacks or junk food here. We are referring to media consumption, especially television, which kids are obsessed with. Lazily watching TV slows down our processing and thinking abilities. Doing this on a daily basis definitely hinders creativity.

What children should be doing instead is art or reading stories. Parents should restrict their TV hours and screen time so that they can create, too.

Don’t label kids as either uncreative or creative.

Kids take names and labels quite seriously. So when you call a child uncreative, they will hesitate to engage in creative projects at school. Just keep exploring varied subjects and hobbies with them without judgment. Appreciate their willingness to be creative and unique.

Outdoor nature play 

Nature is a child’s best friend, and it also serves as a major creative outlet. Plus, nature is always changing and offers countless ways to play in it. Some examples include playing with mud, getting wet in the rain, hide and seek with shadows, and sand experiments. Kids also love birds, clouds, greenery, and all animals. Connecting with nature helps them relax. 

Older children can take photos, draw, or collect things like leaves or seashells. Outdoor nature is great for imagination and problem-solving. Kids can use nature to discover, make habitats for animals, create something with pebbles, or mark-make. 

Tip: Children learn to cooperate with each other when they play outside with minimum supervision.

Dance!

Some hobbies dramatically increase a child’s creative potential and expression. Kids who improve their dancing are able to share more original ideas on creative tests. 

Parents can dance for a few hours with their children daily. It also helps with their mood and energy levels. Exploring sounds and trying new dance movements also helps with their coordination and rhythm. 

Malleable materials

Children love flexible materials that they can shape however they like by pinching, pulling, poking, stretching, rolling, or squeezing. Clay and playdough are the most popular examples of malleable materials. Playdough can be made at home and mixed with feathers, leaves, pebbles, or straws. 

Tip: Show your child basic home tools to develop their speed and coordination. Kids love cutlery pastry rollers for this purpose.

Help them in their passions.

Being parents, it’s common to urge kids to get into hobbies or sports that we secretly want them to excel in. Although giving them exposure is a great idea, so is giving them the freedom to pick their interests. Humans are naturally better at something they like.

Be observant of what your child loves and give them the relevant activities. Since kids tend to be fickle about hobbies, don’t feel bad if they change their minds. Just encourage them to practice their next hobby, and they might return to something they liked before.

Gather and search for loose parts.

Loose parts are just collections of things that can be mixed or moved for a brief moment. There is no right or wrong way to play with them. The unlimited ways to play with them are exciting for the child. 

Go on journeys with your child to hunt for and gather loose parts. They can grab whatever they find cool and make their personal collection. For instance, containers, stones, wood blocks, buttons, sticks, leaves etc, make ideal loose parts.

Keep it simple

More often than not, hitting the basics is the best plan. Creativity does not need special materials or anything fancy. On the other hand, the fewer resources you have, the more creative you will be. Magnets, paper, water, tubes, and similar stationery items bring lots of creative opportunities.

Simple parts made for building, like Lego, present exciting building and design activities. There is no need to follow instructions as well. Just see what your child comes up with.

Change your environment

Improving or changing the routine environment is great for developing curiosity. Try changing the position of your furniture or making a tunnel behind a sofa. Kids love the possibilities of making something new with stuff that they see daily. Likewise, you could play with shadows or show kids how wind turbines work.

Apply creative thinking to any situation.

Allow your child to solve a problem independently when you know they have the ability to do so. This is an ideal chance for them to utilize their creativity and sharpen their problem-solving skills.

Creativity also means having the room to think and apply curiosity in routine life. Moreover, technology usage with supervision helps for this purpose.

Don’t rule out tech.

While it is important to keep it simple, most of the time, tech can start the creative spark when nothing else comes to mind. Experts agree that both online and offline play develops creativity in children. 

Applications that enable kids to make music, draw, and paint are ideal examples. After the invention of AI, our younger generation will be bound to a technological world. Therefore, it’s better if you introduce technology in their life early on.

Give them freedom

When kids are left alone, they have no choice but to experiment with the available materials and imagination. Allowing them to explore their ideas is always a good idea. Once children turn two, they crave more freedom. That’s why parents must encourage them to make simple choices based on their ability.

Don’t make the mistake of over-managing your child. Make them realize that it’s okay to make a mess sometimes. They need to be encouraged to invent their own plans and games.

Impact of Creativity On Child Development

Developing creativity in your child will help them grow mentally, emotionally, and socially. It helps them know themselves and shape their perceptions. Creativity isn’t innate. Even if both parents are in creative professions, it does not guarantee that the child will inherit their skills.

Similar to talent, creativity is a pursued interest that is learned and polished. Parents and educators are responsible for unlocking creativity in their children. More on this later.

Creative plays work towards cognitive development in many ways. By giving children the freedom to explore ideas and thoughts, they develop original ones. Creativity is linked to all types of inventions, including technical, scientific, or artistic. When you give creative opportunities to a child, it supports their imagination, communication, and curiosity. 

According to this Arts Council England study, creative children are more likely to handle their fears and regulate their emotions. They also become more positive towards independent learning, change, transition, and challenges.

Mental growth through challenges including:

• Problem-solving.
• Dimensions.
• Physical properties, like height, weight, and size.
• Equality.
• Spatial relationships.
• Balance.

Divergent thinking through activities including:

• Curiosity.
• Inquiry.
• Wonder.
• Reflection.

Social skills through activities including:

• Seeing the needs of others.
• Contrasting values and opinions.

Skill development:

Attention span by intentional activities.

• Sensory perception by free play and malleable materials.
• Hand-eye coordination by materials.
• Verbal skills by stories.

Finally, creativity leads to opportunities for handling feelings, experiments, freedom of expression, and imagination. 

Don’t reward them

Once kids show creativity, should you reward them? Long-term creativity can only happen if the child is motivated. So, if parents or teachers reward every time kids are creative, their thoughts won’t be free that much. Children will perceive it as a box-ticking exercise instead of an original and fluid process.

Hence, ask kids about their creative process with the questions below:

• How did you come up with this idea?
• Did you like making this painting? 
• What are you planning to do next?

Putting more importance on their thought and creative process instead of the end product will fuel their passion instead of simply rewarding them for making something. Compliment their efforts instead of their ability or intelligence to lead to a growth mindset.

All the Reasons Why You Need to Improve Your Child’s Creativity 

Creativity opens doors to possibilities, imagination, and inventions. The current world is being fueled by technology, which is why parents should invest time in their kids to uncover their talents, nurture existing ones, express their emotions, and overcome challenges.

The perks of creativity for a child are far-ranging. For kids, creativity isn’t just entertaining. It actually builds many skills as well as their brains. Ahead, we will discuss all the ways your child will benefit from creativity. 

Allows self-expression and a sense of identity 

Creativity is known to be the freest way of expressing oneself. There is nothing more rewarding for kids than to be able to express themselves without judgment. The ability to create from personal ideas, experiences, and feelings shows their emotional health. The creative experiences in a child’s first years of life greatly boost their creativity.

Through creativity, kids are given a safe and productive space to express themselves and give words to their sentiments. Creative arts allow them to be emotionally intelligent. For instance, when children make a ‘doll world,’ their real personality emerges, and they showcase their styles and likes. 

When kids become creative, they also pursue their passions and discover what they enjoy. This allows them to know their identity, improve their confidence, and know their abilities. A kid who is fond of music might later shift their focus to song composition or musical instruments. 

Promotes flexibility

Through creativity, kids learn that there are many ways to approach a task or problem. This mindset develops mental adaptability and flexibility. It enables children to navigate different circumstances that occur in life. They also become strong and try their best to think independently.

Improves problem-solving skills and mental growth

Often, our minds jump to arts when we think about creativity, like drawing, dancing, painting, and sketching. But creative-scientific ideas are also fun. The latter includes inventions, problem-solving, exploration, testing, and experimentation. 

Creativity is not only limited to arts and crafts - it is a way of thinking as well. Creative kids are amazing at solving problems. They view challenges from one-of-a-kind perspectives and come up with unique solutions. 

Teachers who usually assign classwork based on creativity see higher-order mental skills, such as linking concepts, critical thinking, and problem-solving. And when educators blend creativity with technology, they see even better results. 

When children are creative, they think outside the box, observe, and utilize resources. They also take action and work with their thought process. Pursuing creativity is a great chance to learn negotiation and collaboration. 

For instance, if a child is making a sandcastle, they might struggle with sand falling continuously or strong wind. These challenges are important for trying new ideas and seeing what works. Kids find out what they love doing the most, how their experiments turn out, and what their talents are.

Makes relationships stronger

Being a part of your child’s creative process will strengthen your bond with them. It is a superb way to spend quality time with your child, make memories, and know how each other thinks.

Introduces other subject matters

Contrary to popular belief, creativity isn’t distinct from academic subjects. Creative activities can open children to basic concepts of English, science, and math. For instance, doing science experiments at home exposes one to basic chemical reactions. Similarly, building objects with home items shows them how physics works.

Lowers stress

Creativity is amazing for a child’s stress and mental health. As per research, it decreases cortisol and serves as a natural stress-remover. Some scientists have also studied the role of creativity in a kid’s academic performance. 

When kids play, they understand how to cope with their feelings. Their stress levels drop down because they can be themselves, and there’s no need to fulfill an adult’s expectations.

Polishes motor skills

Creativity also does wonders for motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and balance. Even just using scissors or holding a color marker can activate these skills. Motor skills can be physically activated in dancing or a treasure hunt. 

Tip: Working with glue, paint, clay, string, crayons, or tape leads to optimum motor skills.

Improves emotional and social skills

Creative pursuits are a wonderful way for kids to develop emotionally and socially. Narrating a story, collaborating on a task, or acting in a play allows children to be emotionally intelligent, empathize with others, and communicate perfectly. It also brings a sense of pride and accomplishment. 

Stories and plays revolve around imagination. Kids put themselves in someone else’s shoes. By taking part in creative stuff, they see the needs of others and understand perspectives different from their own. In turn, they can handle their emotions better.

Tip: Going to cultural sites and museums leads to empathy, critical thinking skills, memory, and cultural awareness.

Allows Divergent Thinking

Kids imagine their own endings and possibilities in fiction, drama, and play. This is called divergent thinking. Parents can ask open-ended questions that can have more than one answer. This is how they can encourage them to perceive various possibilities. 

Tip: When a child has solved a problem, challenge them to solve it in another way.

Increases imagination and sensory perception

Through imagination, kids discover and make sense of their world. It is the creation of unrealistic thoughts and ideas, while creativity is the creation of real things in real life by using imagination. Through both forces, children can make a rich inner world, which develops social and mental skills. A rich imagination also leads to motivation to learn and be curious.

Creativity activates all five senses. An improved sensory perception keeps a child curious and observant. For instance, going for a walk allows them to observe their natural surroundings and understand the external world.

Teaches them teamwork

Through creativity, kids learn how to cooperate with each other, as many creative activities demand collaboration. When a group of kids overcome struggles together, they also learn emotional resilience. In short, this also makes them friends.

Makes them ready for the future

The current and future job market will prioritize creative thinking skills. As per this analysis of LinkedIn data, creativity is the most demanding soft skill needed in jobs. Similarly, 85% of college-educated professionals stated that creativity is needed for solving problems in all careers.

By developing creativity in your child, you are building a valuable skill in them that will help them in their career later.

Brings independence and confidence

When kids take part in creative projects, they make choices and decisions, usually without knowing. For instance, they may know their favorite paint colors after a few art sessions. This independence improves their confidence.

Strengthens communication skills

Creative projects will require kids to express their sentiments and ideas nonverbally. Kids learn to express and communicate through a plethora of ways.

Makes them a fan of learning

As stated earlier, creativity fuels curiosity and curiosity, in turn, fuels the urge to learn. Kids who were always pushed to be creative usually love studying, exploring new hobbies, and learning new ideas.

Plenty of research has connected creativity with the inspiration to study. When students are concentrated on a creative goal, they take their learning seriously and focus on the skills needed to achieve it.

Students are more likely to learn when particular factors are available: 

• They feel confident in what they are doing.
• They have a sense of independence and freedom in their work.
• They can link their learning to personal hobbies.

Creative pursuits easily fulfill these factors.

Better focus

Creative projects demand a level of concentration and focus. Whether it’s painting, writing a story, or building a tent, these activities elongate the attention span and focus.

Leads to new ways of thinking

Lastly, creativity allows children to think, reflect, and remain curious. By imagining, listening to different views, and sharing stories, children develop their own ideas and mindsets.

How Can Parents Support Their Child’s Creativity? 

Whether it’s your first child or you simply have a poor track record of supporting your child’s creative flair, the following sections will help you change that.

Tips to Support Creativity 

Present Them Diverse Experiences

Hunt for ways to offer multicultural experiences based on other communities. Parents can celebrate international holidays with their children and take them to exciting field trips. The more contrasting their creative experiences are, the wider their creative expression will be. If kids experience diverse situations and individuals, they will draw rich material and ideas from them. 

Focus On The Creative Process, Not the End Product

Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not restricted to art projects, like drama, writing, or craft, and it also doesn’t boil down to a physical end product. It is possible to be creative with a difficult academic subject, too. So, what is creativity?

It is defined as the process through which we utilize and create our skills, productivity, originality, and imagination. The same applies to creative expression in kids. All children have creative potential, and they have an ability to express it. In order to be genuinely creative, kids require the liberty to commit themselves to the process and own whatever project they are doing. 

When children are engaged in creative projects, they can communicate and handle their feelings. Our professional tutors learn what a child is feeling or thinking based on their creative efforts. All creative activities also accept and celebrate their individuality.

Encouraging creativity means encouraging the cognitive skills that result in creativity. These are creative skills as well, which include reflection, observation, critical thinking, and ideas.  Discussions are needed to develop these skills as a team effort. Parents have to support kids to have consistent motivation and flow.

If you do not prioritize the end result and instead celebrate your kid’s ideas, endless possibilities open up. You should also ask them open-ended questions. For instance, what do you see in your surroundings? This approach allows them to create their mindset.

Bonus: Ideas For Creative Art Activities!

Kids desire lots of chances for creative thinking and playing. Parents can begin by presenting projects depending on their ideas and preferences. It is also a good idea to tape record and transcribe kids’ discussions, take notes, and show them to their teachers.

Make sure to provide children with different types of creative experiences and materials. Children want to plan, experiment, design, create, and revise project ideas. Don’t forget to invest time to discuss their artistic ideas with teachers.

There is no limit to what a creative play can look like. Home and class should be playgrounds for children’s imagination.

To Conclude…

The value of creativity cannot be stressed enough for a child’s overall development. We hope parents feel prepared and eager to support this side of their children after reading our blog. 

You can start with summer camps as they are a golden opportunity to experiment with new stuff, meet new individuals, and remove their shyness. Kids can also polish or develop new talents in summer camps, like sports, theater, or music. It’s a perfect non-judgemental environment to raise confident, imaginative students!