How to Nurture Creativity in Your Kids

In the first instalment of her two-part series on creativity, makchic contributor Wei Lin of @colours.of.play shared her thoughts on whether creativity is a product of nature or nurture (Conclusion: it’s inherent in every child, but must be nurtured and practiced!).

If you’re looking for ways to support your children to unleash their creative potential, read on for Wei Lin’s tried-and-tested tips in Part 2 of this exciting series! 

1. Change our mindset

A lot of times, we think children are either born creative or not. First things first – change that mindset! All children have the potential to have creative and imaginative thoughts. Look for the magic moments when they are thinking out of the box, or ask a good question – not just when they produce a pretty picture or make a cool contraption (although these are definitely amazing!)

2. Weigh your words

Words matter! Our reaction and follow-up questions can help our kids flourish or diminish. When your child asks you why is the grass green, instead of giving a direct answer, you can try responding with “Why you do think it is green”, followed up with “Does it stay green or does it change colour?” Questions like these encourage them to think out of the box, and that is the essence of creativity – imagination, exploration, and the ability to produce an original idea.

Besides that, avoid generic praise like “Good job” or “What a great drawing”. Instead, try “I like how you put a lot of thought into that drawing” or “You really spent a lot of time figuring out how that Rubik cube works”, “Can you share why you built the car with wheels on top? I love your imagination”. It demonstrates how you value your child’s thought process and eventually, they come to value that too.

3. Embrace mistakes and failures

This leads us to how we respond to mistakes or perceived failure: failed science projects (we experienced many!), collapsed Lego builds, a burnt meal. Try not to make it a big deal; we want to normalise mistakes, and try to find a better way to do something.

Try “What do you think you could try differently next time”, “Practice makes progress” or “That idea is far out! It looked really challenging, but I’m proud of you for trying”. This allows them room to make mistakes and not fear it. Mistakes lead to great inventions and innovations!

4. Have unstructured time

One of the most underrated strategies of raising creative children is to give them lots of free, unstructured time to just be – to be bored, to find something to do, to daydream or explore. There are many benefits to having unstructured time. Today’s children are so blessed with a large array of enrichment programs and arranged playdates and activities, that they’re sometimes busier than adults, with one activity after another!

We often hear parents lament “Otherwise they have nothing to do at home! They are so bored!” It is challenging, when you’re faced with a whining child pining for your constant attention and complaining they are bored. It takes practice for them to get over that temporary moment of boredom, to find that motivation to explore and be creative with whatever resources they have around them.

When my children were younger, and we were strengthening their “boredom tolerance”, I would give them some tools which included a “short menu of activities” of things they could do independently when they were feeling bored. With consistency, they started to turn to these few “menu cards” I made: 

1. Read a book
2. Draw 
3. Make something with paper/cardboard
4. Make something with Legos/blocks
5. Play outside
6. Rest/ nap (my favourite!)

In time, these “bored moments” gave rise to many creative builds, artwork, origami structures and playscapes. Boredom does indeed foster creativity, originality and most importantly, motivation and accountability.

For long journeys or long waits at restaurants, challenge them to think. I would ask them to imagine all the shapes and silhouettes they can find in clouds or trees. Describe themselves and family members in colour, or types of food. I loved hearing their thoughts (and I bet you would too!). 

5. Engage in unstructured play (and lots of it!)

Let them lead. The less rules or well-intentioned directives by parents will allow children to be original in their play and thought process, without needing parental approval. This does not mean we don’t engage them in play – far from it! But free and unstructured play is a safe space for them to “break rules” and figure out many “what ifs”.

Let them play Snakes & Ladders upside down, let them twist the rules of Monopoly or even better, make up their own board game. We want them to embrace doing things differently and being original.

6. Prepare your environment

Set up a home environment where your children can safely and freely explore and create. This can be a separate room or a small space within a larger family room, preferably with a visual boundary, like a play mat or shelves, so they know it is “their space”. In that space, set up materials or open-ended toys that are available for them to use safely and independently (and of course, being age-appropriate). 

Here are some easily available resources for creating that I recommend (with discretion, based on age) and usually have readily available in our playroom:

1. Paper (plain, coloured, origami)
2. Scissors and glue
3. Pencils, crayons, paints etc
4. Recycled material: cardboard, toilet rolls
5. Rag, small broom and dustpan, hand vacuum – for easy clean-ups

Finally, remember that nurturing creativity in children is a marathon, not a sprint. It is made up of many little drops of water into a large bucket. Enjoy the process and watch in wonder as your little ones surprise you with their ingenuity and imagination!

Looking for more ways on how you can cultivate creativity in your kids?  Check out our simple guide for the everyday parent here.