Arts and crafts for kids is an important step in learning. It gives them a sense of identity, self-expression, the ability to try new things, problem solve, and so more! Letting your child express their creative nature can be tons of fun for both of you! Here are some quick ideas on how to encourage your child to be creative!
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ART
Arts and crafts for kids starts with art! A simple art project can spur lots of creative ideas in your child. This can be as simple as giving your child a blank sheet of paper and crayons. Let them scribble around the sheet with different colors. Give them stencils to draw different shapes with. You can also help them create a collage of construction paper. Simply rip up different colors of construction paper into small pieces, give them some glue, and sit back watch the magic happen!
Coloring Books
Coloring books are another great option. It’s a little bit more structured and can also improve fine motor skills. I must caution parents to be patient with the little ones. They might not always color within the lines of the picture, but that is okay. Let the creative juices flow! You can use color sheets later on for a more formal lesson of “staying inside the lines”, but for now just let them have fun! 🙂
Play Dough
This is one of my all time favorites! Play dough is so much fun for the younger children. You can give them play dough cookie cutters, molds, rollers, etc. The options are just about endless when it comes to play dough! One game I really like to play is a game of “build the toy”. For this we choose a simple toy from his toy box and set it in the middle of the table. Then we work to “build” a model of the toy with our play dough. Kids LOVE this game! It’s so much fun and it also gets them to bring attention to detail and helps to improve their observation skills.
Photography
The older children will love this creative outlet. Give them a camera and let them start snapping shots! You can make a “search and find” list for them if you would like to give them a little more structure or guidance. Let them take photo’s from different angels and in different light settings. Let them figure out what they like the best. At the end of the photo session upload their pictures into their very own file folder on your computer!
There are many different ways to get your child to express their creative side. Creative activities build up their imagination and their self confidence. Remember there is no “wrong” answer or “wrong” way when allowing your kids be creative. Arts and crafts for kids is all about having fun!
