Arts & Crafts: Encouraging Your Child's Creativity

July 06, 2008

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Arts & Crafts: Encouraging Your Child's Creativity

by Susan E. Davis
reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

If my grandmother, who majored in home economics, were to enter my house today, she'd probably be horrified.

I try to keep things clean, but I confess: There are red paint blotches on the kitchen walls, glitter buried in one rug, dried gobs of glue on the kiddie table, and colored feathers that somehow became stuck to one of the sliding glass doors.

Sometimes it bugs me that our home looks like one giant art studio. Most of the time, though, I'm glad that I can find the time--and courage!--to let my daughter dabble in arts and crafts. Such projects help to boost creativity and self-esteem, increase concentration, develop fine motor skills, and encourage problem solving. And while dozens of software art programs exist for kids, a keyboard and a flat screen are a poor replacement for the fun of seeing, feeling, and smelling paint on paper, or carefully sliding glass beads onto string.

Besides, in this age of hectic schedules and frayed nerves, sitting around a table gluing dried flowers onto construction paper can be downright soothing. It provides a more relaxed opportunity for you to chat with your children about school, their friends, or any number of other subjects.

Not sure where to start? Simply gather some basic supplies for children's crafts projects: paper, crayons, magic markers, scissors (blunt-tipped for toddlers up to around age six), washable and nontoxic glue, watercolors, finger paints, paintbrushes, and sponges. Be sure to have dropcloths or newspapers on hand to protect the floor and tabletop from spills. Then peruse our website for ideas on fun projects to do with your child, whether she's 3, 9, or 13.

Before you begin, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Allow your child to experiment. Children like to figure out their own processes and designs. If you find yourself itching to rearrange your daughter's collage, focus instead on a creation of your own. Adults often get hung up on the right and wrong ways to do things, but kids just want to have fun and try different things--so let them.

Pick a place in your house to display your child's handiwork. Be it an alcove in the front hallway or a wall in the kitchen, public exhibitions show your child how much you love and appreciate her.


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Created March 01, 2001
Reviewed March 04, 2001

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