10 Tips for Fostering Creativity

People often comment on how I’m such a “crafty mom.” And it’s true. I love to do crafts with my kids, and I love to let my kids do lots of arts and crafts.

I feel it is very important to let kids have many chances to be creative. Being creative teaches kids problem solving skills that they can use their whole lives.  I often tell my kids that learning to be creative is just as important as reading and doing math.

I’m NOT the type of mom who does “Pinterest Perfect” crafts every day with her kids. Nope. Our crafts are usually messy and a little lopsided. Many times, I just give my kids a bunch of supplies and let them create whatever they feel like. Sometimes they create a masterpiece. Other times they create stuff that is destined for the trash as soon as they aren’t looking.

I’ve learned that creativity in children is more about a process than a product. The experience of creating art is more important than the final result.

Here are my 10 tips for helping kids with the creative process

1. It’s their project, not yours.

Being crafty with kids isn’t about making “Pinterest perfect” projects. It’s about letting kids enjoy the moment and have fun being creative.  It’s okay if they are sloppy or make choices that aren’t super picturesque. 

[My daughter had so much fun helping decorate her farm themed birthday cake.]

2. Remember, this is a learning process.

“It’s okay, you’re just learning” is probably the phrase I say the most as a parent. I struggle with perfectionist tendencies and I DON’T want to pass those on to my kids. If they make a mistake or have a hard time with something, I let them know that they don’t have to be perfect right now – or ever.  Everything is a learning experience.

[One of my daughters painted outside her template when we painted these heart T-shirts for Valentine’s Day. I was so happy when she simply said, “That’s okay, I’m learning.” She wore that shirt proudly even with the bit extra paint.]

3. Have a designated craft area (but expect the mess to migrate anyway).

We try to keep our craft area limited to one room. It helps to know where the art supplies are stored. In our last house, we used a corner of our funny shaped kitchen. In this house, we have an area in the unfinished portion of our basement. I like the craft area in the basement because it’s easy to ignore when it’s messy.

But even with a designated craft area, we still have impromptu craft projects popping up all over the house: the twins’ bedroom, the living room floor, the kitchen table, the TV room. We live with these messes for a few hours (or days) and then help the kids to clean up after themselves.

[This is how the craft area in our old house looked on a good day.]

4. Buy craft supplies that are easy to clean up.

You’ll want washable markers and water-based paints. Try to limit the amount of beads or glitter that you bring into the house. (I always forget this and so we constantly have little beads rolling around our floors.) Pipe cleaners are some of my favorite art supplies because they are flexible, but pretty much mess free. Paper is another art supply I always keep on hand. A ream of white paper at Walmart is less than $5.00. My kids love coloring on white paper and overall, cleaning up paper is pretty easy.

5. Invest in supplies to keep the mess contained.

If you plan to do a lot of messy projects, it’s a good idea to have a drop cloth for your table. You can buy a tablecloth at the dollar store and reuse it for several months. I’ve also found paper grocery bags to be good craft work surfaces. I like to have old shirts on hand to use as painting smocks. Recently, we went to a Home Depot craft day and my kids all got free aprons – those have been handy. You’ll probably also want to have a couple of boxes to hold different art supplies. Ziplock baggies are also good for storage.

[You can see our well used drop cloth. I’m not sure why only two of the kids have aprons on . . .]

6. Take a nap first.

Craft projects with kids aren’t easy. There are supplies to lay out, instructions to give, messes to contain, help to offer, critiques to hold in, and praises to shower. All that can be draining. If we are doing a project, I find it’s best to do it early in the day or have a nap before I start the project.

7. Have a helper.

This is super important, especially for the projects involving sharp objects or permanent paint. My husband is great at helping out with tricky projects like painting shirts or carving pumpkins. 

[Our gingerbread houses NEVER would have turned out if my husband hadn’t been involved.]

8. Give praise.

Tell your kids how well they did something. Did they use color in an interesting way? Did they do a great job staying in the lines? What about making bold choices? Then take pictures and/or hang the art up in your house. Remember this isn’t about showing off something perfect, this is about documenting an experience.

9. Do the craft with your kids – at least sometimes.

Sometimes it’s all I can do to help the kids with their part of the project. But other times we just sit down with a bunch of crayons or markers and draw. My kids LOVE it when I draw with them. I’m not a great artist, but it’s always fun to sit and be creative together. It’s good for the kids to see me working through the creative process too.

10. Do your own craft projects.

I have my own projects that are for me and not for the kids. These are projects that I’m a little bit more picky with how they turn out. It’s good for my kids to see me solve problems and correct mistakes. I want my kids to know that creativity is a lifelong skill, not just something kids do.

[I didn’t let the kids help when I sewed new stockings this year, but they saw me working on them.]

I hope these suggestions help you as you encourage your children to be creative. The biggest thing I want you to remember is that creativity is about the process – not a product. If your kids are having fun, then you are doing it right!