Creativity can be a natural for many gifted children. Some seem to be born with an innate ability to draw, paint, build, or express ideas in a creative way.
That said, creativity is also a skill than can be developed. In fact, creativity is a skill that parents can foster within their gifted children. The key is finding what your child is interested in, and then, providing them opportunity to explore that interest in creative ways.
By fostering creativity within your gifted child, you can help them mature emotionally, mentally and socially. Allowing them to explore and create their own creative interests can also help them to build confidence.
Creative exploration can start with fine arts but can also delve into math and science. Creativity truly knows no limits.
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Great Ways to Foster Your Child’s Creativity
1- Drawing and Painting Art
While drawing or painting can get a little messy, providing your children with a selection of brightly colored paints, crayons, chalk or colored pencils will allow your children to develop their creativity.
Read this Ultimate Guide for Teaching Art in Homeschool for more ideas.
If they are stuck for what to draw or paint, make a few suggestions and allow them to choose from one. Or even tell them to start drawing and see what develops. This free-form style can truly help them to foster their own style.
When they are drawing and painting, make sure you don’t correct their color choices. If they want their alligator to be pink, that is them being creative, don’t put a damper on that.
Be sure to see the Art Supplies I recommend to keep on-hand in your homeschool.
2- Explore Nature
Exploring nature offers many opportunities for creativity. Your children can gather rocks, leaves or pebbles of different shapes and colors. Then, use them for art projects when they get home.
This will inspire them to use their creativity to create something beautiful from random pieces they collected in nature. It also serves as lessons in science and discovery.
Provide them resources such as glue, string, and toothpicks to go along with their gathered items. Then, simply let their hands and minds guide whatever they come up with. There is no right or wrong way to be creative. That’s kind of the point.
4- Write or Tell Stories
There are several ways to use stories to encourage your kid’s creativity. You can read stories aloud together. You can also tell made up stories together. Or, why not write your own books with a story line your little ones dictate.
Stories are a great way to foster your child’s creativity.
You can also encourage older kids to write their own stories, free form. Don’t worry about grammar, or spelling simply let them write and allow their creativity to flow.
5- Enjoy Music
Music is an amazing way to foster a child’s creativity. Let your children enjoy the rhythm, sound and melody of music by playing songs frequently.
In fact, if you want to get really creative, you can make up your own songs using an upside-down pot as a drum.
Teach your children that creativity can be exciting and fun through music. Explore different genres and allow them to develop their own tastes for what they like and don’t like.
Also, if they show an interest explore music lessons. By learning to play music they’ll naturally develop their skill, and thus
Discover where your kids can Attend Musical Performances.
6- Role Play
Build forts, play grocery store or be astronauts. The possibilities are endless.
Pretend games are an amazing way to boost your little one’s creative thinking. Not only does role playing allow your kids to be whoever they want to be, but these games challenge kids to learn how to blend their own creativity with others.
7- Go on Field Trips
Family field trips to concerts, museums and shows will introduce the opportunity for you to teach your children about how other people’s imaginations work showcasing how they express their ideas through their own creativity.
Showing how much art, literature and music is valued by society, and how exciting it can be for people to take in the things that other’s creativity has made can inspire them to give it a try themselves.
8- Cooking
Culinary arts are growing in popularity. A lot of creativity can be expressed by the building of flavors. Add to that artistic expression on a plate and you can see that cooking is a wonderful way for children to learn to express their creativity.
9- STEM
Some kids don’t take to art, and music. But they might be thrilled with science or math. STEM is an excellent way for science, math, loving kids to explore their creativity.
Perhaps, they are interested in architecture, this engineering, math oriented topic is also steeped in artistic creativity.
Maybe they have a fascination for robotics. Building a robot from LEGO, or paper, or bits and pieces found around the house requires a tremendous amount of creativity. Add to that the creativity associated with coding a robot and you’ll quickly discover that robotics is more than just science and math.
Both architecture, and robotics require creativity and exploration of thoughts and ideas. But, they aren’t the only STEM topics that do so. Creativity can be found in many areas of learning.
Want super simple? See the best art classes you can simply teach at home.
Fostering your child’s creativity is extremely important. Make sure that you take the time to show them just how important and valuable their creativity is.
