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Sept 23rd • 10am–4pm • Greater Richmond Convention Center
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5 Ways to Inspire Creativity in Your Kids

by contributing Real Mom Kay Evans

Creativity. It’s a coveted quality at any age. We see flashes of it in our spouse, in our coworkers, in the friend who transformed her junk closet room into a project space she actually uses, and we hope—in ourselves.

Creativity is originality of thought. It’s enthusiasm. It’s optimism.

It’s everything we want our kids to be… and much more.

The question is: can we nurture creativity in our children from the get-go? Is there any sure-fire way to help our kids grow into the kind of creative problem solvers we all like to be around? Of course not! But that should never stop us from trying.

1. Encourage them to “show” their stuff.

Want to inspire creativity in your kids? Try these four words: “how about a show?”

At our house, the front hall is usually the staging area. Shows come in all shapes and sizes—with the final product depending on average age level of the cast, whether or not there’s a director, and many other factors. My husband will be the first one to tell you that it took a few years for any evidence of planning, let alone choreography, to reveal itself.

As with any special event, getting ready for the show can be the best part. There are costumes to consider, and sets and backgrounds, too. For a while, everyone wanted to be in charge of lighting and sound (a.k.a. flashlight and boom box). Ticket production is always a coveted task, as is ticket taking and seating.

If you’re lucky, most of the preparation will take place as independent play. But when it’s show time, mom and/or dad definitely need to take a front row seat.

One way to encourage performing in your kids is to treat them to the theater. Productions featuring kid casts are especially inspiring. These days, you can take in a live performance at a community theater or middle school for about the price of a movie ticket.

2. Think outside the box with dress-up and imaginative play.

When it comes to imaginative play, a dress-up box is a good place to start. I like to keep ours stocked with real items: the blue shoes I wore in my best friend’s wedding, long gloves and fancy hats from Goodwill, old dresses from junior high dances, etc. Old Halloween costumes are also a welcome addition, especially for boys. Get a few fun pieces at half price after the holiday.

When planting the seeds for creative play, think about what your kids like. For example, birthday parties. A pack of hats or party favors from the store is a great way to get things started. There are also signs to produce, a menu to plan, and of course, games, and gifts to wrap. Guests are usually the furry kind with paws and/or big ears.

Restaurant is also a favorite, with something for everyone—cooking, serving and eating. Wedding, school, doctor, house, store. Jump-start any of these creative scenarios by leaving the right prop or costume on your child’s bed.

3. Make craft supplies easy-access.

I can’t remember who first told me to store arts and crafts supplies in an accessible area, but I do remember thinking she was nuts. Then I discovered the “splat mat.” Our splat mat of choice is an old shower curtain. Whenever glue or markers are involved, the splat mat comes out, and my kids know that.

I try to keep major crafting to a confined area, usually the kitchen table. Supplies are stored in easy to carry bins and totes so clean-up is easier—on them.

Supplies are important, but I believe the next step is the crucial one: make sure your kids know that you value their creations.

And that’s exactly why I stopped buying greeting cards. Now, every holiday worth celebrating, is celebrated with a homemade card from my kids. If it’s a formal occasion, it might warrant pre-cut paper to fit whatever envelope we have on hand, but that’s as far as I go. They see their card service as a valuable contribution. I see it as another creative endeavor, and a money saver, too!

Don’t get me wrong. I also think it’s important to have kids create art for art’s sake. Our refrigerator is covered with original artwork. But seeing art in action inspires more art. Have your kids make puppets, signs, bedroom decor, cards, holiday decorations, gifts and more.

4. Tune in to the power of music.

We all know the life span of the typical toy. Between level of interest and quality of craftsmanship, we’re lucky if the “next big thing” makes it through the next year.

Although the majority of our pre-school toys are long gone, the box of musical instruments remains. Tambourines, rhythm sticks, xylophones, clickers, clackers, snappers. Instruments of all kinds (plus microphones for vocalists), both store-bought and kid-made, have a home in that box. Parades form daily. Shows almost always require instruments. (See #1)

Music is also a great substitute for what I call the ultimate creativity sapper—television. Whether a CD is playing strictly for background effect or for primary enjoyment, music, rather than TV, is much more likely to lead to other creative endeavors.

Which leads to my fifth and final point…

5. Turn off the TV!

No article on creativity would be complete without that thought. Saying it feels hypocritical, somehow, because my kids do watch television. But not a lot, and we try to make a very determined effort to pick out one show—OK, maybe two—that they really want to see.

I never turn on the television in response to the B word (“We’re bored!”). And I love kids’ shows, like Zoom, that actually tell us to turn it off (“Try this at home”). Here’s the best part: to watch television at all, my kids have to agree on a program or movie. If they can’t decide on something without tears or blood being shed, the TV does not get turned on in the first place.

Willy Wonka (with Roald Dahl’s help) had this to say about TV:

“I suppose it’s all right in small doses, but children never seem to be able to take it in small doses. They want to sit there all day long, staring and staring at the screen…”

So when it comes to TV, much like medicine, it’s up to parents to deliver the dosage. And if you want Roald Dahl’s real opinion on the dangers of television, just read what the Oompa-Loompas had to say about it.

©All About Kids Magazine Spring 2006