There’s an innate drive in children to express creativity. Whether it’s in the form of finger-painting, drawing, coloring or even sculptures, children of all ages love to create artwork. Studies have even shown that children who create artwork have greater self-confidence and improved learning abilities. But how exactly do you encourage a child to express his or her creative side?
#1) Pull Out The Modeling Dough
Artwork shouldn’t be limited strictly to traditional paintings and drawings. Allow your child to experiment with modeling dough to see what interesting shapes and figures they can design. The ‘hands-on’ nature of modeling dough adds an exciting new element to the process of creating artwork.
Tip: you can create your own modeling dough using flour, salt and hot water.
#2) Display Your Child’s Work
Don’t just place your child’s artwork in the office where it’s never seen or heard from again. Instead, show it off somewhere in your home, such as the refrigerator, fireplace mantel, or an open space on the wall. Your child will notice his or her artwork displayed in the home and feel a sense of accomplishment as a result.
#3) Pull Out The Macaroni
Macaroni art is a fun and creative project for children (and even some parents). If you have an extra box or two of macaroni noodles in the kitchen, place it on the dining table along with some construction paper and kid-friendly glue. Now show your child how to turn those individual macaroni pieces into a unique design. It can be something simple as a geometric shape, or it can be animal.
#4) Make It a Group Activity
See if you can find some other children to join your child’s art creation projects. When children are grouped together, they’ll see what others are doing and use this to spark their own creativity.
Perhaps you can call the parents of some of the students in your child’s class, inviting them to a group art project at your home. Another idea is to ask children in your neighborhood if they are interested in participating in an art project. You don’t have to host an entire class of children, as just a small group will suffice.
#5) Invest In an Easel
There aren’t many accessories that offer the same level of use and versatility as an easel. Its slightly angled vertical surface allows children to paint, drawn and color more comfortably. And being that easels are placed at eye-level, it promotes a naturally realistic perspective. Of course, these are just a few reasons why easels are a smart investment. And, just in case you are wondering, here’s the link to our Art Easel category.