Most dyslexics struggle with reading, spelling and writing but they, more often than not, excel in other areas.
Creativity is usually one of their strengths, but they need a supportive environment to keep that spark alight. As a parent, you can help your child appreciate art and express themselves.
This is a skill that can be developed. Innovation and originality extend beyond galleries and museums. These are qualities that can be applied throughout your child’s personal life and extend into their professional lives.
Share the joy of creativity with your family. Learn more about how to help your child use their imagination.
Benefits of Encouraging Your Child’s Creativity:
- Build confidence. Fear of failure inhibits the artistic process. Create opportunities for your child to take risks and learn from experience. Show them that it’s okay to be different. Help them to identify and use their personal strengths.
- Manage stress. Crafts and hobbies are a healthy way for children to process difficult emotions. They’ll be less likely to turn to riskier options like overeating or drugs. This is also a great opportunity to practice following directions and other developmental skills.
- Develop cognitive skills. Creativity involves thinking as well as making things. While they’re finger painting or writing songs, they’re also solving problems and innovating.
- Enjoy life. Creative children are likely to experience more happiness and success. They’ll know how to entertain themselves, relate to others, and contribute in the workplace.
Tips for Encouraging Your Child’s Creativity:
- Offer praise. Children want to use their imagination but might hold back if they feel like they’re being judged. Stay positive and recognize their efforts, even if they color outside the lines. Be specific. Affirm the effort and activity.
- Enable unstructured play. Is your child overscheduled? Leave some free time in between the after-school extra-curricular activities, so they can explore on their own. Buy open-ended toys like blocks or let them play around with empty boxes and string.
- Actively engage. Limit TV and computer time. Spend your days doing things together instead of just sitting and watching. Go outdoors for a hike. Play board games and talk about your day. Their health will benefit too.
- Dare to be messy. Children love sticky stuff, so relax the rules during craft time. If you’re concerned about cleaning bills, designate a special area in the basement or backyard where spills and smudges are allowed.
- Provide prompts. Even great artists sometimes need help getting started. Complete the first few steps of a drawing, and then ask your child to help you. Ask them questions about what they want to make and why.
- Seek inspiration. Stay on the lookout for stimulating ideas. Visit art museums and watch nature documentaries. Carry a journal around, so you and your children can jot your thoughts down for later use. They can keep one by their bedside also, to catch those flashes of inspiration that come as they fall asleep or awaken.
- Stock up on supplies. Be prepared for when your children have sudden artistic urges or complain about being bored. Keep a variety of materials on hand, like crayons and clay. Get suggestions for supplies from them.
- Pursue passions. Choose activities based on your child’s personal interests. A soccer fan might want to assemble a collage with images from sports magazines and their own ticket stubs. A music lover might try building their own instruments using household objects.
- Make it social. Invite other family members and friends to join you for playdates and outings with a creative theme. Help your child upload images of their favorite works to share with their grandparents or classmates.
- Teach by example. Your children will be more likely to develop their creativity if they see you doing it too. Work on your individual projects side by side and discuss your experiences.
Nurture your child’s creativity and imagination. You’ll wind up with something more than cute drawings for your refrigerator door. You’ll be helping them to think independently and develop their emotional intelligence. You’ll be setting your child up for success – in school and life.
What’s your favorite memory of a family fun activity?
This was an excellent read. I believe everyone one is creative in one way or the way.
You are right, Cindy. Everyone is but very few believe that.
Great ideas for how to get our children active and thinking. I feel like this can also apply to children who are not dyslexic.
These tips can certainly apply to all children, Trine. I focused on dyslexic children because, most times, their non-academic skills are overlooked because of their struggle to perform academically.
This is a wonderful list of ways to encourage all kids to explore their creativity. All too often, kids are discouraged and are given the idea that the arts are only for a talented elite. But creativity is just as much about nurture as it is about nature. It’s about kids retaining that creative spark throughout their lives. Pablo Picasso, who certainly nourished his own creative spark, said it so well with “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” We need to invest in the arts and invest in all kids, including kids with disabilities and who knows what beauty will be created as a result?
You know, Alice, because of the way most schools are set up, most children’s creativity is dead by the time they finish elementary school. That’s why parents must take responsibility for keeping their children’s creative sparks alive.