Every child is unique, with different strengths emerging more and more as they grow. Creativity is a beautiful trait that all children will have. Having said this, the extent to which they develop creative skills will rely upon how much their creativity and is nurtured and practiced.
There’s so much to think about when it comes to children; from their diets; to their sleep patterns; to choosing the best pram! With so much to consider, it can be hard to know how to nurture their creativity best. Let’s take a look at some of these straightforward ideas that you can practice together at home.
Messy arts & crafts
Even young babies can really benefit from being exposed to making art. Painting is a form of messy play that naturally will stimulate your child’s senses. It’s a good idea to get some paints, paper, soft brushes and sponges for use at home together.
Encouraging your child to swirl their fingers in different patterns with the paint will help to develop their fine motor skills and also to support their imagination. You can talk to them about the names of the different colours as they go along and model a picture with the paints. Why not add some other things to your crafts box from pom-poms to coloured craft sticks, buttons felt, or glitter? Ensure that you always supervise, especially with the smaller craft items.
Puppets & teddies roleplay
If you want to encourage your child’s imagination, you should use their puppets and teddies in role-play activities. Use two of their teddies and act out a little story for them to watch. As they grow older, they will start to mimic your behaviour and understand the process of role-playing. These kinds of activities are excellent for the creative mind as they allow the child to think up their own actions, noises or words for the teddies and puppets to perform. The more that you do this, the more they will learn to think creatively as they grow!
Singing & Dancing
You can encourage your child to sing and dance along with you to kids songs from a very young age. Before they can learn the words, they will be able to copy you in actions and learn how to move to the beat! Singing and dancing is also a great activity to promote the release of endorphins and laughter. You’ll soon find out the songs that they like best by their response! (Don’t worry if your not the best singer-your child won’t mind)!
Simple storytime
Reading to your child is vital to foster their creativity and imagination, so you should read to them as much as possible. Of course, you’ll also be teaching communication skills, listening and memory too. To calm your child for sleep, you can read before bedtime. As kids grow older and their skills develop, reading can also encourage attributes like empathy.
These are all really simple things you can do with your child at home, yet the more that you practice these activities together, the more that they will develop creative skills and will improve as they get older.
