Do you have kids who love to create stuff? Creativity and art can take many forms. So whether it’s crayons, paint, beads, blocks, fabrics, sticks, or Legos, we can call it art. March is Youth Art Month, so it’s a great time to encourage our kids’ creativity. It’s easy to let these activities fall aside in the busy-ness of our days. And screens can be a big distraction to the other things our kids enjoy doing. So here are 3 ways to encourage our kids’ creativity this month.
Most kids love creating. And while the mediums may vary, we can find ways to help them create in their own ways. During Youth Art Month, there are probably several resources and ideas all over the internet as well. But here are 3 ideas to get you started.
Kids need access
Let’s make sure our children have access to art supplies and educational toys
Art includes a lot of items, even some that we don’t think of as art. Most “educational toys” involve a good bit of art and creativity. So letting our kids have access doesn’t mean that we leave paint out for our toddlers. That makes most of us parents say, “This won’t work for my kid.”
But that’s not the only option.
Sure, we need to make sure our kids can color, paint, and glue things together. But those activities require supervision. Instead, let’s think about things like magnet tiles, building blocks, and Legos. We tend to think of those as STEM toys, but think about how much creativity these items require. How about some fabric pieces for kids to do whatever they want with? There are bead kits for preschoolers, and they have giant beads to work with. How about looms and weaving activities? Or what about having a stash of sticks and rocks to use outdoors?
There are so many ways to make sure our kids have access to art materials that are age appropriate and easy to use. Again, art includes so many different items.
Art coloring books with famous paintings to color
Artist biographies (there are board books too)
Books with famous paintings – age appropriate, of course
Paints, watercolor crayons, markers, colored pencils
Beads , jewelry making supplies, strings
Weaving, looms, macrame
Fabrics and sewing kits – there are adorable beginner sewing kids for preschoolers
Building and construction
Art kits from online retailers
Legos, building kits and toys, magnet tiles (both STEM and CREATIVE – STEAM)
So think about where your child would thrive, and make sure they have access to some art materials.
Look at other people’s art
A great way to encourage our kids’ creativity is to take them to see other people’s creations. Most communities have some kind of art forum. It could be seasonal craft shows. Perhaps you’re fortunate enough to have an art museum near you. Often, local colleges will have art shows for their art majors, and these are open to the public. There may be private art galleries in your community. Some hotels host Christmas tree contests, and the trees are on display in their lobbies for you to see.
Some kids would love an art museum. Others would enjoy a craft fair. Kids who would be bored by “official” art might love looking at all the different Christmas trees. So let’s figure out what our kids would enjoy. You may know this easily, or it may take some trial and error. But it’s a great way to encourage our kids’ creativity. Let’s take them to see other people’s art.
Provide guidance as they need it
While our kids may excel or especially enjoy a specific type of art, they can always use help to do better. And in today’s world, there are so many resources for us to help our kids excel in any area of art.
There are subscription boxes for literally every interest and age group. We can order personal courses for older kids too. YouTube is full of instructions on almost anything you can think of, and there are lots of free courses there. And even at My Signing Time, we have a bunch of art and creativity shows.
So there are 3 ways to encourage our kids’ creativity. And while you’re at it, you could learn a few signs to go with what you’re doing. Check out the Creativity section of our free Signing Time Dictionary!