Children need time for unstructured child imaginative play unencumbered by strict parental supervision and that doesn’t depend on a lot of commercial stuff even the simplest of boxes, packets, mesh bags and some poster paints are enough to fuel the creativity into an expression of pleasure and fun, I am always amazed how children seem to just go into the zone so easily .I think we need to watch how children play to inspire ourselves to play and have fun.Such simple pleasures are a source of great satisfaction as each project comes to completion and the feelings of self achievement can be awe inspiring and then begin the process again.
Creative mess can take a lot of room or a lot of time so take the time to create a space in the home that your child has all the resources he needs and can go to and spontaneously create his own masterpiece.
Coming up with their own ideas, and their own way of doing things is a process. Don’t get into the habit of pointing out what ideas aren’t possible or decide for him which ideas are best. The process of creating is about generating new ideas ,making mistakes , and seeing something fail.you may think this a harsh approach.Children need to fail,it is a good lesson in problem solving. Maybe re-doing, remaking and finding new ways of doing it differently and finding new resources are key into them finding their own solutions and in the learning of this creates the confidence they need to apply it in other areas as well.
Some child researches have noted that children who are afraid of failure, judgement and criticism-will curb their creative thought to fit in with the pressures to be more in fitting and acceptable therefore not developing their own self resiliency.
Talk to your children and take them to meet your favourite artists,musicians,scientists. Share your passions.art galleries,exhibitions ,handmade markets, cooking, involve them in creative homemaking or your hobbies including handcrafts so that they have endless opportunities to explore and make decisions for themselves about what gives them the most joy and then creating their own self fulfilling masterpiece in whatever form it takes.
I Love the saying "out of the chaos comes something beautiful"
It reminds me to stand back and allow our children to make mistakes and explore their ideas and do what they want in their own creative world and not what we want.
Encourage them to make mistakes and fail ,encourage them to find more than one solution and then even another, so that they can find that creative problem solving can be fun and enjoyable and extremely liberating Even externally setting up limitations like colouring between the lines can reduce flexibility in thinking differently in the creative process.
Finally stop caring about what your children achieve and emphasise new ways of doing things, finding their own creative solutions while in the process of having fun.
Check out our Creativity Workshops for Children which run April, July and October School Holidays details here: www.wholisticservicesadelaide.com/childrens-workshops/