Creativity: What Is It For Kids?

by Joost Nusselder Updated on: December 19, 2022

Do you also think it's great to see your children being creative? Nothing nicer than that. But what exactly is it and where does it come from?

Creativity is the easy exploration of new things. A way of thinking that uses your imagination to discover new ideas, solutions and perspectives. It is often accompanied by originality, imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.

How do they do that? That is the question we will talk about in this article. You can see it in their playstyles, for example, or in the ways they try things out. Let's dive in.

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Creativity: A fun way to help your child grow

The benefits of being creative

It is always a double feeling to throw away your child's drawings. Unfortunately, you cannot save everything. But don't panic, the whole process of being creative already has many benefits for your child. Below is a list of benefits:

• Development of fine motor skills: By holding markers, pens, pencils, brushes or crayons, the grip and motor skills of the hands and fingers are stimulated.
• Creative thinking: Your child learns to think creatively, discover things and see things from different perspectives.
• Solving problems: By being creative, your child secretly builds skills that will also come in handy later.
• Emotional intelligence: It can be a good distraction to cheer us up or to let out all the anger.
• Cultural awareness: Art is universal and every culture has its own works of art, art forms or artists.
• Language skills: By asking open questions about what your child is making, you stimulate the story and communication.
• Spatial insight: Paper cutting, clay and all other creative tasks increase spatial insight.
• Having fun: Above all, it remains very nice entertainment for your child to be creative.

Being creative with your child is therefore a fun way to help your child grow. So leave your child free to draw, paint or clay and enjoy the benefits it brings.

Creativity: Discover the art of thinking outside the box!

What is Creative Thinking?

Creativity is an art that you can learn. It is a way of thinking where you use your imagination to discover new ideas, solutions and perspectives. Key words in creative thinking are: discovery, new ideas, originality, imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.

How do you develop creative thinking?

If your creative thinking is well developed, you are usually strong in:

• Inventing, designing and introducing new things
• Fantasy, imagining things differently and daydreaming
• Role playing and acting
• Thinking in images
• compose
• Think deeply about ordinary things
• Come up with unusual solutions

Creativity as part of intelligence

Creativity is part of your intelligence. Robert Sternberg describes that intelligence consists of an analytical, a creative and a practical part. To be successfully intelligent, you must be able to successfully manage these three parts. Synonyms of creativity are ingenuity and creative drive.

Creativity with your hands

Born with a creative brain?

Have you ever heard that some people are born with a creative brain? Well, that's true! If you have children, you may have noticed that some of them have a natural talent for devising and implementing practical solutions and techniques.

Crafting with your kids

Crafting with your kids is a great way to improve their creative skills. It's also a fun way to spend time with your kids. You can craft together with paper, fabric, clay, paint and all kinds of other materials. Let your kids use their imagination and share their creative ideas.

Get creative with your hands

Getting creative with your hands can be a great way to help your kids develop their creative skills. You can help your kids create artwork, build models, make jewelry or do small projects like making a small garden or making a painting.

stimulate creativity

It is important to stimulate your children's creativity. Let your children try out their own ideas and give them space to express their creativity. Also give your kids the chance to experiment with different materials and techniques. Getting creative with your hands can be a great way to help your kids develop their creative skills.

Creative thinking, making music, moving and visual education: stimulating children's development!

It is important that children have the opportunity to develop their creativity. There are several ways in which this can be done. Below we give you a few tips to stimulate the creative development of children.

Creative thinking

You can practice children's creative thinking with different work forms. For example, let them solve puzzles, create stories or come up with original solutions to everyday problems.

Make music

Making music is a great way to stimulate children's creativity. Let them try different instruments and create their own music.

To move

Exercise is another way to stimulate children's creativity. Let them invent dances, play games, or create their own exercise routines.

Visual arts

Visual education is a good way to stimulate children's creativity. Let them paint, craft or create their own works of art.

So if you want to boost your kids' creative development, there are several ways you can do it. Try out some of the tips above and give your kids the space to develop their own creativity.

Give your child the space to be themselves

Let go of expectations

It is important to give your child the space to be themselves. Let go of all your expectations and allow your child to sometimes have the wildest solutions to the simplest of problems. Take off your grown-up hat and listen to your child's ideas.

Enjoy their open mind

Children have an open mind and a feeling to which we return far too little as adults. Try to empathize with their fantasies and – if it allows – do it together more often. Don't draw the sun yellow but purple, skip instead of walking, imitate the birds in the park... Who knows where you'll end up!

How to spark your child's imagination

A "what if?" mentality

We have all seen a child marvel at the most obvious things. Children have a natural curiosity that we should nurture. If your child seems to be losing his imagination, it's time to activate the "what if?" mentality.

Ask questions like:

• What if cars had legs?
• What if ice cream didn't melt?
• What if the world was upside down?
• What if the cat could talk, what would it say?

You will be amazed at the answers you get. Let your child's imagination run wild and you'll see how creative he can be.

stimulate creativity

Creativity is a powerful tool that your child can use to solve problems, come up with new ideas and expand their imagination. Encourage creativity by letting your child experiment with different materials, such as clay, paint or paper. Let your child also play with different materials on his own, so that he can explore his own creative ideas.

Storytelling

Storytelling is a great way to help your child expand their imagination. Tell your child stories about the adventures of a hero or a princess, or make up your own stories. You can also come up with stories together with your child. Let your child create their own stories and share them with your family and friends.

Play with imagination

Playing with imagination is a great way to help your child expand their imagination. Let your child role-play, playing different characters. You can also make up stories and play imagination games with your child.

It is important to help your child expand their imagination. By activating the "what if?" mentality, stimulating creativity, telling stories and playing imagination games, you can help your child expand their imagination.

Niksen, the ultimate creativity booster

Why do nothing?

Niksen is one of the best ways to awaken your creative self. Whether you call it daydreaming, lounging, doing nothing or whistling, it all has a positive effect on our brain and our creative thinking. And let's face it, kids are usually really good at it!

How can you do nothing?

It's very simple: make sure there is a moment every day to do nothing. Look ahead, stare into space, daydream, mooch, or do whatever you want. Give it a name, but make sure you make time for it every day.

Why is doing nothing so important?

Niksen is a great way to boost your creativity. It gives your brain time to rest and recover, making you better able to come up with creative solutions. Plus, it's a great way to reduce your stress and restore your energy.

How can you integrate doing nothing in your daily life?

Integrate idleness into your daily life by making a moment for it every day. Take a short break between tasks, stare out the window, or just lie down for a while. In short, give your brain time to recover and stimulate your creativity.

Stimulate creativity in your child

Do it together

Take action with your child! Plan enough creative moments for two or the whole family. Write morning pages together, design your agenda or Passion Planner with doodles, colors and stickers. Let your child draw on a large sheet of paper. This strengthens your bond, your little one will feel better and it provides a lot of warm memories for later.

Be a good example

Be a good example for your child. Show that you are creative and share your ideas with your child. Show that you can make fun things with your hands. Show your child that you are not afraid to try something new.

Let your child experiment

Give your child room to experiment. Let your child use different materials to see what happens. Let your child find out for himself what happens when you combine different materials. Let your child discover for himself what happens when you use different colors.

Tinkering and messing around: Let your creativity flow!

Transform children's room into a studio

Do you have a little Picasso in the making at home? Then it's time to transform the nursery into a studio! Get out the paint, brushes and easel, open the drawers with paper and put markers and pencils on the table. Give your child the freedom to mess around and tinker without restrictions.

Mess or masterpiece?

Let your child decide what happens with the blank paper. Give it room to experiment and discover. The result? A mess or maybe even a masterpiece!

Crafting and messing around: a must for every child

Crafting and messing around is a must for every child. It is not only fun, but also good for development. Children learn new skills such as mixing colors, cutting and gluing. In addition, their creativity and imagination are stimulated.

Give your child the chance to enjoy themselves

Why boredom is so important

Don't be afraid to give your child some free time! Of course it is good to let your child participate in fun activities such as hockey, swimming lessons and English lessons. But it is also important to ensure that there are enough moments when your child can decide for himself what he wants to do.

By embracing boredom, your child learns how to entertain himself. This stimulates creativity and teaches him how to deal with boredom.

The benefits of boredom

Boredom has many benefits for your child. Here are a few benefits of boredom:

• Your child learns to deal with boredom and can therefore better deal with stressful situations.
• Your child learns to be creative and come up with solutions to problems.
• Your child will learn to be independent and self-confident.
• Your child learns to find a balance between being active and passive.

So if your child is a bit bored, give him the chance to come up with something fun on his own. You'll be amazed at what he can come up with!

Differences

Creativity Vs Ingenuity

Creativity and resourcefulness are two qualities that are often confused. Creativity is the ability to come up with original ideas. You are resourceful in coming up with solutions. You can think creatively, but also make creatively. Creative makers make tangible things with their hands, such as painting, crafting, sculpting, needlework or sewing. Creative thinkers come up with a design, an idea, a solution or a plan. Ingenuity is the ability to think outside the box and come up with original solutions. You are resourceful when you think out-of-the-box and come up with surprising ideas with a practical use. Creativity and resourcefulness are two qualities that you can develop and strengthen. Are you a creative thinker? Or are you resourceful in coming up with solutions? Discover it with a training at De Steven!

Creativity Vs Innovativeness

Creativity is the ability to come up with new, useful ideas. It is a skill that everyone has, but to a greater or lesser degree. Innovation, on the other hand, is the actual implementation of creative ideas. It is the intentional introduction of new products, processes or procedures that provide benefits within an organization.

Creativity and innovation go hand in hand. Creativity is needed to bring about innovation. Creative thinking skills, expertise and motivation are crucial here. Creative thinking skills are determined by personality and abilities. A creative mind is stubborn, persistent and dares to take risks. Expertise is knowledge of a particular field and motivation is the desire to achieve something.

FAQ

How do you stimulate creativity in children?

Stimulating creativity in children is a great way to boost their imagination. There are many ways you can help your kids explore their creative side. Here are a few tips to help your kids boost their creativity.

Give your child room to experiment. Let them use different materials to express their ideas. Let them color, craft, draw, make music and even dance. Stimulate their imagination by letting them play with stories, roles and fantasies. Also, let them participate in activities such as drama, art, and music.

Also, give your child the chance to use their creativity in solving problems. Let them come up with their own solutions and try out their ideas. Give them room to fail and teach them how to correct their mistakes. Also give them the chance to use their creativity in solving everyday problems. Let them come up with their own solutions and try out their ideas.

Stimulating creativity in children is a great way to boost their imagination. Give your child space to experiment and come up with their own solutions. Have them use different materials to express their ideas and participate in activities such as drama, art, and music. Also give them the chance to use their creativity in solving everyday problems. This is how you help your child discover their creative side!

What does creativity mean for child development?

Creativity is a powerful engine for children's development. It stimulates their self-confidence, motor skills and inventiveness. Children learn that something works or doesn't work by experimenting and trying out. By doing creative activities such as playing, dancing, singing, writing, making music, crafting, drawing, painting and yoga, children learn to solve problems in creative ways. Creativity also contributes to their independence and self-confidence. Creativity is thus an essential part of children's development.

What forms of creativity are there?

Creativity comes in many different forms. Think of individual creativity, group creativity, personal creativity, historical creativity and commercial creativity. Whether working alone or in a group, developing your own creative ideas or being inspired by history, creativity is everywhere. In short, there is something for everyone!

What is the pitfall of creativity?

Creativity is a gift, but also a pitfall. If you go too far in your creativity, you can end up in chaos. You are so busy coming up with ideas that you forget other work or appointments. You may also expect others to be just as creative as you are, but that is not always the case. And if your creations are not appreciated, that can also be a pitfall. So, if you are creative, be careful not to get into chaos. Choose structured creativity and you're on the right track!

What is Creative Play?

Creative play is a way to help children and young people in their personal development. It is a tool used to create drama and to gain insight into social relations. It is a combination of improvisation, drama and other creative techniques. It's a fun way to teach kids about their own personality and how to get along with others. Creative play is the perfect way to help your children with their personal growth.

Conclusion

Creativity is an important part of children's development and a powerful tool to stimulate a variety of other skills such as fine motor skills, problem solving and emotional intelligence

AND of course increase their fun!

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.