Develop your kid's creativity!

Some parents assume that creativity is an inherent talent that their kids either do or do not have: just as all children are not equally intelligent, all children are not equally creative. But actually, creativity is more about practice and developing your skills, and it is a skill parents can help their kids develop.

Here are some ideas for fostering creativity in your kids:

1. Provide the resources they need for creative expression. The most important resource will be time. Kids need dedicated time for unstructured, fun and creative play – it should be free of directions from you or other adults, and luckily, this kind of play isn’t expensive or dependent on how many things your kid has. Space is also a resource your kids need. Unless you don’t mind a messy house, give them a dedicated area where they can make a mess, like some space in your garage for painting, or a corner of the living room for their Legos or toys. Next time someone asks for a gift suggestion for your kids, try asking for things they can use to create stuff themselves, for example, art supplies, building blocks, or disposable cameras. Organize these items in bins or cabinets that your kid can manage and keep organized themselves.
2. Make your home a totally open space for creativity to flourish. In addition to creative spaces, you need to foster a creative atmosphere. Encourage your kids to try a lot of different things, but be careful not to criticise or shut down ideas your kid comes up with themselves. At dinnertime, for example, you could brainstorm activities for the upcoming weekend. Try to challenge your kid to go outside of their comfort zone, and instead of doing something they already know they like, try something new that they’ve never done before. The idea is to generate and not evaluate their ideas. Don’t evaluate which are best or worst, just let them think and decide which activities they might enjoy. Encourage kids to make mistakes and fail. Yes, fail – kids who are afraid of failure and judgment will only end up stifling their own creativity and will be less likely to take risks in the future. You can tell your kid when you’ve made mistakes and explain it’s all right, so they feel like it’s a normal part of life. Laughing at yourself when you’ve made a mistake is great - show your kid that there’s no harm in little mistakes, and don’t let something small ruin your mood. Celebrate innovation and creativity. Cover your walls with art or any form of creative expression. Tell your kids all about your favorite artists, musicians, and scientists. Share your passion for architecture or photography or that new band you want to listen to all the time. Embrace new technologies, so your kids grow to find change exciting, not overwhelming or intimidating. new technologies, so your kids grow to find change exciting, not over-whelming or intimidating.
3. Allow kids the freedom and autonomy to explore their ideas and do what they want. Don’t be so controlling. Try not to live in fear that they won’t get good grades or go to college, for example. External constraints—making them color within the lines, so to speak—can reduce flexibility in their thinking and creative outlook. In one study, just demonstrating how to put together a model reduced the creative ways that kids accomplished this task.
4. Encourage children to read for pleasure and participate in the arts. Try limiting their time with technology, such as computer, TV, tablets, phones, etc. Encourage your kids to use their hands and minds to build something themselves, try to encourage them to draw, write, craft, read or act out a play for example.
5. Emphasize process rather than product. One way you can do this is by asking questions about the process – Did you have fun? Are you finished? What did you like about that activity?

Make funny photos with your kid, upload to the App. Write how you develop his/her creativity.