Kids' crafts develop kids' minds. Use these instructions as your starting point, but encourage kids to go beyond them and think of their own variations. They'll learn to think outside the square.

Teach your kids to be creative, and you give them skills for life. You'll find your children behave better and grow in confidence when they spend time making things with you at home.

Creative people don't give up. They find an inventive solution to every problem.

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7 Ways to Encourage Your Kids' Creativity

Here are some ways to encourage your kids to use and develop the creativity they have.

1. Inspire your kids by showing them pictures, paintings, sculptures and crafts made by others, and discussing how the artist made them. Young children have a short attention span, so only do this for as long as your child is interested. A sculpture that a child can climb on is more likely to appeal to a young child than an exhibition of paintings! Kids may like to draw the item afterwards, or make their own version of it.
2. Set an example and be creative yourself. If you don't feel creative, relax! Just sit down with your kids and experiment with craft together. Your creativity will grow too. If something doesn't work, try to think of a different way to do things that will solve the problem. Talk with your kids about what you're doing so that they see that problems can be solved.
3. Teach your kids new skills - for example how to make a coil pot from clay, or how to weave paper strips together. Once they've been shown a technique that appeals to them, kids will want to experiment with it.
4. Ask questions to make your kids think. "What color will you paint that?" "Would it look good in two or three colours? "How about a rainbow?" "What could you add to decorate it?"
5. Craft projects with instructions are great for getting started, and can also spark your kids' imaginations, but don't feel you should follow the instructions exactly. It's better to encourage your kids to come up with their own variations.
6. Provide basics like glue, paper, cardboard boxes and paints all the time, and new art and craft materials sometimes. New items don't need to be expensive. Materials like puff paints, gold, silver or glow-in-the-dark paint, craft jewels, sequins, and modelling clay can inspire children to make something new. Think twice before buying the latest toys for birthday and Christmas presents - craft materials make great gifts, and develop creativity far more.
7. Encourage your kids. Tell them what you like about their creations. Display their art and craft projects somewhere where everyone can see them, so they'll feel proud of their creative efforts. You can't keep everything they make forever, but you can take digital photos of their best creations. Your kids could even build up scrapbooks of everything they've made.

Enjoy your children and have fun with them. The time you spend being creative together now will mean that your kids grow up to be resourceful. They'll learn not to give up, but to look for an inventive solution to every problem.

Giselle

For Those In The Southern Hemisphere

Coming in Next Month's Issue

Giselle

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