9 Ways to Encourage Creativity

Creativity is not a frivolous trait. Children raised to be creative thinkers are also often excellent problem solvers and have an innate trust in their abilities. Your child may not write a Pulitzer Prize winning novel or star on Broadway, but then again, you very well may have a budding creative genius underfoot. Regardless, the benefits of creativity are wide-spread. Here are 9 ways to encourage creativity.

1. Ask lots of questions. Let your child ask questions. Indulge your child's curiosity by letting them pursue tangents and explore new subjects.

2. Tell stories. Encourage your child to come up with alternate endings to favorite stories or movies. Before finishing a storybook, see if your child wants to guess the ending. Imagine new characters or put the same characters in a different setting. Retell these stories at bedtime, while cooking dinner or driving.

3. Allow time and space to create. Exploring takes time. Resist the urge to give short cuts, or exclaim that an idea won't work, let your child try. Unless of course their idea is dangerous to herself or others. If you can designate a corner for art work that can be left out, great.

4. Be silly. Singing and dancing along to the radio or making up your own silly tune is the best way to encourage the same freedom for your child. Even if you are not a natural extrovert, you can let your silly side show every so often.

5. Make-up stories. Not all creativity has to be messy. Spark your child's imagination and keep them busy at the same time by making up stories about people you see around town. We have imagined the grocery store clerk to be a undercover super hero and the man who walks his every morning to be on a quest. Keep the stories positive, but have fun!

6. Save boxes. Boxes are hands down one of the best creative tools you can find, and they are free. Give your child a large box and let them imagine whatever they desire. It may be a fort, the basis of a robot costume, or a car. Small boxes can be stacked and turned into cities or opened up and used as pens for plastic animals, or garages for toy cars.

7. Let go of expectations. Pressuring your child to "make a masterpiece" every time takes the joy out of creating. Do not force your child to aim for perfection. Sometimes experimenting with how things work together is just as important as doing it "right."

8. Build a costume wardrobe. Designate a place to store old clothes, costumes and accessories. It doesn't take long to have a solid costume wardrobe in place for make-believe. Dollar stores, garage sales and thrift shops are good resources, but your own closet can often provide a good head start.

9. Provide creative tools. A simple camera can be the start of a creative hobby, or profession. I gave my daughter her first camera when she turned 11, she has since taken senior class portraits and submits photos to state and local art competitions. Aside from a camera, jewelry making or wood working tools, clay or paint are other options.

Stretching creative muscles gives children the confidence to trust their instincts. Lawyers and doctors can use strong creative thinking skills, just as much as writers and artists.