Different Ways to Inspire Creativity in Your Child
As a parent, it's often challenging to see your child struggling, especially with their creative endeavors. It's essential to inspire children to explore their passions and interests. For young girls, especially, it can be difficult not to get pulled along by peers and lose sight of personal interests and passions. One way to help all kids find their voice and unique passion is to inspire their creative flow with lots of creative activities. Encourage your boys and girls to try something outside of their comfort zone!
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School plays are a creative outlet that builds self-confidence and life long friendships. |
Inspiring creativity is a challenging tasks for most parents. Kids often choose not to do something simply because their parents have suggested it. Other times, they may feel insecure about trying something new. Try to encourage different creative pursuits as an outlet for self-esteem, fellowship, and mental health. Here are a few simple ways on how to cultivate your child’s creativity.
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Mayhem in a school band production. |
Introduce kids to different types of crafts
Introducing your child to different ways to be creative allows their mind to develop away from the rigid confines of the creativity taught in many schools. It shows children the art of critical thinking and developing passions beyond the ordinary. Ask your child what interests them, but also give them options and ideas to inspire their creative and critical thinking.
If you wonder what this might look like, consider introducing your kids to different expressions of art that inspire creativity. For example, listen to music with them, discuss musical instruments and let them try one. Many cities have musical petting zoos or other opportunities to test an instrument.
Activities for Creative Expression
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Jake in an adaptation of Brother's Grimm. |
You can also show your kids different forms of creative expression with painting and other arts and crafts. Allow them to play and explore. The earlier kids start experimenting with creativity, the better chance it will have an affect on their emotional stability and self-esteem. So, be sure to take your kids to museums, the theater, and to music concerts to inspire their senses and allow them to engage in all sorts of artistic pursuits. If you want to learn more about that, here's an article from Berkeley on why the arts matter.
On a side note, always remember to read with your children and encourage critical discussion on the book and its themes. A child with a curious mind will find it easier to access their personal creativity.
Surrealist Art Activity for Elementary Children
Give Kids creative gifts
Giving a child and exciting gift that isn't clothes or a video game, might inspire them to think creatively or get actively moving and making art. If you're struggling for ideas for your daughter, there are many gifts for girls to choose from that don't need to sit within the confines of gendered stereotypes. For example, you could buy her a zine-making kit. Firstly, making things helps kids to be more creative, but secondly, creating their own magazine can encourage kids to use their voice for good. Zines are a great way for children of all ages and genders to write and be creative. Click here for gift ideas that are targeting boys but can work for either gender. My daughter always hated to be excluded from toy cars, trains, and Transformers and my son loves to use hot pink as an accent color for sunglasses, hats, or other accessories. He gets a kick out of people giving him a hard time. Self-confidence at work!
Allow kids to explore
Finally, one of the most important ways to inspire creativity within your child is to allow them to explore on their own. For a child, exploring comes in many shapes and forms, from creative play to fashion. If you want your child to develop a unique identity and a sense of themselves, they have to learn what they like and don't like.
See how we encouraged our daughter to dress however she pleased.
Kids have to try out activities and get things wrong. Making mistakes is an excellent way for a child to learn, and this can also be applied to their creative endeavors. So, give your kids some paint or a dress-up box and encourage them to explore. Then, stay engaged in their exploration and find out more about what they are doing and why, but never force it- being an over zealous parent can backfire. Play it cool, and watch your kids have fun with the skills you helped to create.
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Rhythm Discovery Center Indianapolis, Indiana
Get Musical Instruments on Amazon
Essential Crafting Skills That Every Child Should Learn
Art and crafting activities have positive mental and physical benefits. Studies show that when children work together on craft projects, they build language skills as they create together, and more easily understand the perspective of others. Crafting also helps cultivate a child’s sense of achievement, building confidence and self-esteem through creation and experimentation.
In addition to learning important skills, supporting your child with creative outlets for free expression is good for their overall well being and health. Crafting is a wonderful way to relieve stress and offer space to learn to experiment and create. With a few simple supplies and an open mind, children will have a lot of fun while learning to enjoy crafting, all while developing a wide range of important skills. Here are some recommendations for teaching essential crafting skills to your children.
Junk Modeling
Open-ended art projects encourage the development of critical thinking skills. As a child makes a mental plan for what they want to make, they are building visual-spatial skills and exercising both right and left brain function. Designing models and sculpture helps children learn to evaluate shapes. An assortment of containers, wires, plastic, and random bits of household junk can be transformed into robots, toys, or mobiles. Provide glue and tape to help secure the pieces together, and paint and decorations for embellishing the model.
Help them turn a box into a pretend stove.
Sewing
Hand sewing tasks, like threading a needle or tying a knot, help improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. As noted by the Philly Art Center, the small muscles in a child’s fingers, wrists, and hands are strengthened through arts and crafts activities, which helps to make learning to write easier. Older children may enjoy designing costumes or simple bags. Providing a sewing machine for children is a creative and fulfilling way to encourage artistic expression. Math skills, including spatial reasoning, measurement taking, and shapes are skills that can be learned through pattern making and design. Offer to host a fashion show for children to share and reflect on their creations.
What are the Cognitive Benefits of Crafts?
Making A Collage
Teaching crafting skills like cutting with scissors and drawing encourages the development of fine motor muscles. Suggest a collage theme and set a table with an assortment of papers, magazines, fabrics, leftover crafting supplies, and glue. Children will also learn about dimension and composition, gaining concentration skills as they assemble materials to create their art. Encourage children as they create unstructured work, focusing on the process and exploring the creation of art rather than the end product.
String Art
Children who engage with creative activities exercise and develop a creative mindset, learning there can be many ways to complete a task. With yarn, flat top nails or pins, and a bit of scrap wood or cardboard, kids will build skills like measuring and the steps involved in creating geometric and linear art. Patience and imagination will be stretched as they figure out how to transfer their ideas to the surface. Older children can be challenged to make elaborate templates or intricate designs with parabolic curves and repeating patterns. Dr. Kerry Freeman (Head of Art & Design Education, Northern Illinois University) adds that when kids engage in crafting and art for expression and are given the ability to take risks, they are developing lifelong innovation skills that will contribute to their success academically and as adults.
Learning essential crafting skills has so many benefits for your child, contributing to both their physical and emotional development as they grow. Plan to engage your child with age-appropriate creative activities every week. Enjoy spending family time together to teach these essential crafting skills to your child, it’s a wonderful opportunity to bond and create memories.
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Pick a Collage Project from this list
Benefits of Extra Curriculars for Kids with Disabilities ad Special Needs
Field Trip or Vacation 10 Things to Do in Terre Haute
Here's a list of Trip Ideas Terre Haute
Clabber Girl Baking Company Museum and Bake Shop
This is a great place for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. The museum is free and tours are self-guided. The Hulman Company owned the Clabber Girl Baking Company. You may be familiar with the Hulman name, they own the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They are also the Hulman name behind Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.
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Clabber Girl Baking Company Cafe, Terre Haute, Indiana. |
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Fun photo op at Clabber Girl Museum. |
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Coffee Bean car in the cafe. |
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Clabber Girl Museum, Saloon. |
Smith Labyrinth
The Smith Labyrinth is located in Hawthorn Park. It's a floor plan of an actual labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. This one is surrounded by a wildflower garden and hiking trails. Jake walked the labyrinth while we sat in a swing and watched.
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Be sure to check the time on the sun dial. |
Candles Holocaust Museum was founded by Eva Kors, a Holocaust survivor. This is a very small museum tucked away in the heart of Terre Haute. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much but it is full of history! Eva was recently the Grand Marshal of the Indianapolis 500 parade.
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Eva Kor's Candles Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute. |
During the Holocaust, twins were used in cruel experiments. Eva had a twin sister. The focus of the museum is Eva's experience as an Eugenics Twin. This would make an excellent topic for a homeschool research paper.
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Eugenic twins, Eva and Miriam Mozes. |
Eva and other holocaust survivors worked with Steven Spielberg to record their story. These stories were filmed at different angles with state of the art technology. This process allows you to talk to a holocaust survivor. You can ask them a question and the computer generated image will answer it as if you were sitting together.
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Talk with a Holocaust survivor hologram. |
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Eva Kors on set, filming her oral history story. |
More Field Trip Ideas and Things to do in Terre Haute
Swope Art MuseumSee an original Edward Hopper or Grant Wood painting at Swope Art Museum. The museum is also downtown Terre Haute.
Indiana State University
ISU is located in downtown Terre Haute. Stop by to get a picture with their most famous Alumnus, Larry Bird. Click for a virtual tour of Indiana State University.
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
Visit the beautiful campus just outside the city limits.
Dobbs Park Nature Center
Learn about Indiana wildlife, and check them out in the wildlife viewing center. There's also a Native American Museum here.
Clark-Lansdbaum Holly Arboretum in Deming Park
When you visit the 177 acre Deming Park, you'll find awesome playgrounds, an Arboretum, a golf-course, and tennis and basketball courts.
Terre Haute Children's Museum
This children's museum is full of interactive exhibits about science and technology.
500 Museum of Wheels
This car museum is located in an old auto parts store in the heart of downtown Terre Haute. Thirty-five cars and other race memorabilia are on display.
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Field Trip or Vacation Things to Do in Terre Haute. |
Surrealism in Children's Literature: Art Lesson Activities
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Surrealism in Children's Literature: Art Lesson Activities.
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Eric Carle Surrealist Activities: The Nonsense Show Book Review: Surrealist Art Lesson |
The most famous Surrealist, Salvador Dali, is best known for his melting clock painting. Learn about Dali and Surrealism in the video below. The Dali video introduces a fun, group drawing game called, Exquisite Corps. Be sure to watch the full video for instructions on how to play the Art game with friends.
Art History Component. This free online Art History Game focuses on Surrealism. Recommended for (4-12th grade). It is for older children because a lot of reading comprehension is required. At first, it looks complicated, but it is essentially just a drag and drop into the timeline game. So, give it a try!
- This is an easy Surrealist art project for kids. Grab some paint or make your own water colors, make some splats with your brush, let them dry, and then study your art. What do you see? It is like looking for cloud creatures. Grab markers or colored pencils and create something surreal.
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Easy Surrealist Art project for kids from Le Dada de L'enfant Terrible blog. |
- Paint like Eric Carle with easy Art Techniques.
- Language Arts Component. To get into the mindset for creating surrealist art, sit down and free write. Start writing whatever pops into your head. Don't edit, don't try to make it go somewhere- just write!
- The Art Room Plant shares this fun drawing activity. It is similar to the game in the Dali video above.
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Fun Surrealist drawing activity for kids from The Art Room Plant. |
Dada and Surrealism Art for Kids
Jake's Journey in Art: Water Color Lesson
Get The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle
Easy Preschool Art Activities
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Art activities for preschoolers. |
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Bubble Painting Preschool Art Activity from Living the Dream. |
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Coffee Filter Mobile Preschool Art Activity. |
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Handprint Tree Preschool Activity from Arty Crafty Kids. |
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Salt Dough Bone Necklace Art Activity for Preschoolers from The Jammy Jigsaw. |
Sensory Play Lesson Plans Link Up
Do you have Sensory Play Activities on your blog? Are you looking for Sensory Play Activity Lesson Plans or Curriculum to do with your toddler, preschool class, or day care program? These sensory activities make it easy to plan your curriculum and prep those lesson plans. Check back often for our Sensory Play Linky Parties. Enjoy!
Are you looking for sensory activities to do with a baby, toddler, preschooler, elementary age, or teen child? We've got you covered with a linky party. If you have a blog or website, please link up your posts in the comments.
Older children with sensory processing disorders, such as Autism benefit in the same way younger children do. Children can explore their senses with these sensory activities and become accustomed to the sensation of cold paint on their fingers, the sound of crackling paper, the smell of scented dough or spice paints, the taste of edible crafts, and the visual impact of it all.
Recommended Reading:
Art Develops Critical Thinking
Learning and Playing Outdoors: How to Plan and Create an Inspiring Outdoor Environment (Practitioners' Guides)
Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Second Edition (TPBA2)
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How To Prepare Your Child For A Standardized Testing: Relaxing the day before is always a good idea! |
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