Cultivating Your Child's Creativity

Fraboom Expert Ryan

“You only need creativity if you’re one of those artsy-fartsy kind of people.”

I admit that the previous statement has, in the past, been a naive thought in my mind. Now that I am more mature (well, as mature as one can be while typing the words, “artsy” and “fartsy”), I now realize that creativity is just as important to the business executive, the teacher, and the stay-at-home mom as it is for “artists”. Creativity is a skill everyone should have. Employers today are looking for young people that are able to solve problems and deal with challenges in new and creative ways.

Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” That’s a wonderful thought, but exactly how do we pass it on? How do we provide opportunities for our kids to develop the important skill of using their imaginations to solve problems and deal with life? You may have already experimented with your own activities that foster creativity, but here are a few more to add to your repertoire:

1. Storytelling
Storytelling is not just for old people that sit on porches drinking lemonade. Create an atmosphere in your home where stories are told, listened to and celebrated. This could be done by telling fictional or true stories to your kids, asking them to make up their own stories or by playing improvisational games.


2. Toys
Certain toys leave more room for the imagination than others. Some examples include dolls, action figures, building blocks (like Legos or Lincoln Logs), jigsaw puzzles, cars, puppets, costumes, masks and board games. All of these toys provide activities that encourage a child to create their own world where their toy lives and operates. Or, the economy being the way it is, you could just let them play with some sticks and a cardboard box.

3. Reading
Fictional literature, at any reading level, can be very stimulating for a child’s imagination. The reader is simultaneously experiencing the story as it is being read by visually imagining the world, situations and characters within the story. Parent Bonus: kids are quieter when they read.

4. Music
While this may be the opposite of peace and quiet, it’s no secret that music can fuel creativity and imagination. Hand your kid a drum or an old beat-up guitar, find a good teacher and let them create. While you’re at it, invest in some good ear plugs. Just to be safe. Don’t be afraid to load Garage Band onto your laptop... you would be amazed at what kids can create using digital tools!

5. Fraboom.com
Okay. I’m biased. I have to mention that our online museum for kids has plenty of things to do to that cultivate a child’s imagination. For instance, our drawing challenge, “The Daily Doodle,” gives kids an incomplete illustration and asks them to imagine and draw their own idea to finish it.

As a parent or teacher, feel free to try some of these ideas for yourself. There’s nothing quite like escaping reality for a while and challenging your imagination. After all, you’re never too young to be “artsy-fartsy!”