Last Updated on January 27, 2019 by ellen
Are you wondering about teaching creative thinking skills to your child? Creativity is so much more than art, music, dance, and acting. Of course, those are all wonderful examples of creativity. But, creative thinking skills can be used to solve problems, brainstorm, adapt to new situations, and make new friends. We want to encourage our children to think outside of the box and creative thinking skills are one way that can be accomplished.
Posts may be sponsored. This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You may also like:
Table of Contents
Teaching Creative Thinking Skills
Teaching creative thinking skills will encourage your child to look at problems with a new perspective. They can also inspire your child to be creative and express themselves through art, dance, music or acting. But, how can you teach this skill to your child? Unlike algebra or reading, it’s not really a skill you can learn from a book. Creativity is something that you learn by being exposed to new things. There are many activities that promote creativity.
Ask open-ended questions
If your child comes to you with a problem, encourage them to come up with their own idea by asking open-ended questions. This will encourage them to come up with their own answer rather than simply accepting your answer.
Provide free form art activities
When it’s time to get creative, offer them free-form art activities to participate in. A blank canvas and paints inspire more creativity than a paint by number kit. A pad of paper and box of crayons inspires more creativity than a coloring book.
Encourage their attempts
When they do try something new, encourage their attempts. That doesn’t mean you need to tell them that everything they do is wonderful and perfect. But, you should encourage their attempt by admiring how hard they worked or how proud you were that they tried something new rather than telling them that their painting is the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen.
Give them the freedom to learn
Let them tackle new skills without your help when they want to. Let them solve the problem on their own without your help when they can. That means you should let them make their own lunch and get dressed on their own even when the final results aren’t exactly what you thought they’d be. Let them cut their sandwiches with cookie cutters or wear stripes and florals in the same outfit.
What are your favorite activities to promote creative thinking?
Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.