Are your raising creative kids or better yet raising them to be creative problem solvers? Being creative doesn’t mean being the next Leonardo or Michelangelo (and I am not referring to the Ninja Turtles) but being creative is about being able to problem solve and think outside of the box.
Just like Math and Reading are a skill that needs to be developed so is creative thinking. How else do we prepare our children for the future when we don’t know what that is yet? We do know that regardless if your child becomes a doctor, lawyer, teacher or some new job not invented yet problem solving is a key skill in order to be successful.
Here are 5 suggestions on how you can help develop your child’s problem solving skills and creative thinking.
Tips to help raise creative {thinking} kids.
1. “Mess it Up, Dress it Up”
In my art classroom, “mess it up, dress it up” was one of my favorite sayings. Many of my young student’s first response to “messing up” on their paper was ask for a new piece of paper to start over. I immediately replied with, “Mess it up, Dress it up”. I would then sit down next to the student and together we would brainstorm different ideas on how they can change their “mistake” on the paper. Being an artist isn’t about painting the perfect painting it is about problem solving. By allowing your child to make mistakes and find ways to fix it/change it you are developing their critical thinking skills. It is very tempting to swoop in and fix it for them but taking the time to allow them to try to brainstorm ways to fix the problem will benefit them in the long run. We all make mistakes. How we learn from the mistake is what helps us advance in life.
2. Time for Creative Free Play
Children need to build, explore, run. I am not talking to just the young kids here but older kids need time to explore too. I also am not talking about computer or screen time. Creative kids need hands on materials to explore. Provide different materials for your child to free play or build. Perhaps it is building with cardboard boxes or exploring nature with a magnifying glass in the yard. Set up a pretend store or animal hospital using stuffed animals. Check out our Pinterest board for more creative ideas and inspiration.
3. Question, Question, Question
Ask your child open ended questions. This will help model how they can also phrase questions to learn new things. Some examples are “How else could we do this…?” , “What would happen if…” , “What might we add or change”?, “What should we do next”? Involve your child in helping figure out how to improve something, “How can we clean up your room faster?” “How can we make the ball roll faster”?
4. Choices
Allow your child to help make choices. Give your child the choice between options (make sure you are okay with either option). This will help them develop independent thinking skills. It also will allow them to learn how to make good choices.
5. Reading and Story Telling
We all know reading books with our children is important. As you are reading, ask your child what they think will come next or how the character feels (use some of those open ended questions). Another idea is to take turns story telling. Have your child start a story and you take turns back and forth adding to the story. True, it might be the silliest story ever but your child will be able to use their imagination to create and problem solve.
What do you do to help your child develop their creativity and problem solving skills?
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