Kids stuck at home are finding ways to learn, create, and entertain themselves. While families continue to self-isolate, now is an opportune time to encourage your child to be creative and discover their inner artistic self.

Creativity Isn’t Taught, It’s Found

Creativity isn’t something we teach. It isn’t memorization. It isn’t fact. It’s interpretation and imagination. It comes from the inside. Some children already have ways to express creativity. Others don’t. Here are some creative activities you may want to encourage or explore with younger members of the family.

• Painting.
• Photography.
• Arts and crafts.
• Engineering.
• Writing a song.
• Writing poetry.
• Filming a movie.
• Writing a story.

Give Your Child Somewhere to be Creative

You can’t force creativity but you can get the conditions right for someone to want to explore theirs. Any child should have a safe place where they can sit, work, create, and entertain themselves.

Try an ergonomic height adjustable desk for children. Change the height depending on the activity or as they age. The corners are padded, the work area is spacious, and a child will have their own private area to be creative, do homework, and be themselves.

Wait, My Child is Already Creative and Has An Outlet

For some children, they don’t need a kickstart to get creative. Some already enjoy writing, painting, or making art. For these children, encourage them. Don’t get in their way. If possible, give them the tools and materials they need to pursue their creative endeavours.

Use Your Laptop, When In Doubt

Our laptops, smartphones, and tablets are downright amazing pieces of technology. Online, several free programs exist that will let you record a song, film and edit a movie, and more.

A great parent-child activity can be to collaborate on a creative product. Give them the opportunity to use your laptop for a bit to make a movie or do something creative. Sample projects exist online for ideas. Encourage your child to use their own voice, get them to add a personal touch, experiment, and mess around.

Why Creativity in Crisis is a Good Thing

There’s a lot to be worried about outside the confines of our homes and so creativity should be fun. It can help keep everyone’s mind off what’s going on in the world and, more importantly, engages a child in a healthy, stimulating activity that doesn’t put them in danger.

It’s not often that families have the opportunity to stay at home for extended periods of time, together and without interruption. The government is asking us to stay at home. Use the opportunity. Get creative.

Featured photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels